Going through a home renovation is always exciting. It means that after the project, what was once a problem area in your home can now be remedied.
Whatever it is you want to change in your home can be done, and the prospect of a ‘new’ home is just right around the corner.
But truth be told, a house renovation also means chaos—a lot of it. Construction supplies will be over the place.
There’ll be dust and debris everywhere. It’ll simply feel like your home isn’t in order. The bigger the project, the longer it’ll take.
This is why decluttering is a must even before you start. The less clutter you have at home, the smoother your renovation will be. The less tight your home will feel, too, during those busy days.
Here are some decluttering tips you can use:
1. Toss Expired Products
This applies to items in your kitchen and bathroom. If it’s looking like the aisles of your local grocery store, then it’s a sign for you to declutter.
Of course, this isn’t to say you should waste items. The food and beauty products you no longer want to use can be given to family and friends who’ll gladly receive them. As for the expired ones, it’s better to be safe than sorry—toss them away.
Going through this step should give you an overall idea as to how much food and beauty products you may be wasting. That way, once the renovation is in place, you can have a better system as to your shopping.
Make a mental list of those items you didn’t use too frequently, which were only left to expire. You may realize you don’t actually need to buy that many food products and beauty items.
With that said, call a skip bin service to take care of tossing those expired items safely. Some of them may be a hazard, making it unsafe to simply bring to the landfill.
Let the skip bin services take care of that. You can gather more information on that here.
2. Be Systematic
The more organized and systematic you are, the easier and faster it’ll be for you to finish decluttering. Don’t jump from one room to another, picking up random things. Have a sense of order by having a schedule for tackling a room a day.
When you go from one area of your home to the next, be sure not to miss out on anything. Go through each cupboard and cabinet, and think of each item thoroughly.
As Marie Kondo said, assess if that thing sparks joy. If it doesn’t, then it’s time to pack it up for donating, to give away to friends and family, or to sell.
3. Rent A Storage Unit
Once you’ve figured out what to keep, you can now ascertain how many items you need to store. But it may be a better idea to store those belongings off-site. Places such as Storage Post in Bronx, NY can provide an affordable storage option for all of your belongings whether short or long-term.
Don’t keep them within your home. Your builders are going to need as much space as they can have to move around in your home.
It’s also expected that dust will be everywhere. You can avoid the hassle of cleaning every single thing at home that’s dust-laden from the renovation by taking them to your rented storage unit.
With this strategy, once the renovation is done, all you have to do is bring those things back. Moreover, you won’t have to worry about the builders accidentally breaking or destroying some of your things, with the busy and fast-paced days you’ll be having at home from the renovation.
4. Store Valuables Securely
Your valuables have to be stored securely as well. If you can’t be certain of your home’s safety during the renovation, store your valuables too at your rented storage unit.
Or if you have family nearby like your parents or siblings, you can ask them if they’d take the favor of storing your valuables in their home for the time being.
Choosing a builder you can trust is, of course, a non-negotiable requirement. But depending on the job that’ll be done in your home, there may be days when your windows and doors are completely open.
You also just can’t stay home the entire day to guard your home, so it’s better to be safe than regret it later on. Make it a point to include organizing and storing your valuables away from your home.
Final Thoughts on Decluttering
Renovating your home can be disrupting to your daily living. There are more people that’ll come and go inside your home.
Then, there are all the construction supplies that’ll also be all over the place. Soon enough, it’ll be even more chaotic than you expected it to be.
That’s why theses decluttering tips are important. The more space you’re able to free up, the less messy your home will feel. If a home renovation is just knocking right around the corner, start now with the tips above.