1. You waste time looking for lost items

The average person spends 6.5 months of their lives – or 5,000 hours – looking for lost stuff. All that running around looking for car keys, wallet or whatever it is you tend to lose takes up valuable time.

Think of what you could achieve in 6.5 months! 6.5 months worth of salary could go a long way and as a bonus, you’ll avoid mad panic in the mornings and show up at work on time and in a calmer frame of mind.

2. You waste money replacing lost items

While the opportunity cost of losing an item is one thing, the replacement cost is a whole added expense. Whether it’s a new drink bottle or set of car keys, replacing lost items adds up and can get expensive. Lets face it, it’s wasted money!

In short – if you’re untidy, you’ll lose things more easily and waste more time and money as a result.

3. You have to pay more for storage space

If you have a lot of clutter and mess in your life, you’ll require more space. More cupboards to store stuff. A bigger home to display stuff. A bigger garage to keep extra stuff – more rooms to shove stuff in and close the door! (I’ve seen a few of those).

I’ve even met people who pay for storage lockers to keep stuff they don’t have space for at home. And when real estate is often the single most expensive thing in a family budget, it’s crazy how much we waste on space for excess stuff.

4. It costs more to clean a messy space

The messier a space, the harder and longer it takes to clean. Clothes scattered on the floor makes vacuuming harder. Large wardrobes means large piles of washing. Cluttered cabinets collect dust.

Messy habits = More cleaning, more cleaning products and if a housecleaner is employed – more money out of your budget.

5. You will miss opportunites

Clutter causes stress. People who live in messier homes are more prone to stress and more susceptible to inadequate sleep, depression and poor mental health. Stress is taxing on our health, and when we are unwell we don’t perform at our best.

Sure some stress is temporary and the outcome results in benefits, like finishing a university paper, or presenting your work in front of an audience. But stress induced by living in clutter has no positives. The money spent on therapy, days off work or missed opportunities induced by clutter is a waste in its purest form.

6. You’ll probably spend more on holidays

A messy home probably doesn’t make the idea of a staycation appealing. In fact the more cluttered a home, the more likely it is you’ll want to escape!

Now I’m not suggesting that tidy people don’t ever feel the need to go on holiday, I’m just noting that the messier your home, the higher the likelihood you’ll want to whip out the credit card and take the next available flight. When a bedroom is sprawled with clutter, the desire to splurge on an expensive hotel room for a romantic night away is high!

So there you have it, six reasons why mess is costing you money. Or better yet, six reasons to get tidy – now!

Read the latest on the journal.

Joy At Work

Back in March, Marie Kondo released her latest book Joy At Work in collaboration with Scott Sonenshein. Our blog What you need to know about Marie Kondo’s new book was one of our most loved blogs of the year, at a time when many of us were scrambling to set up our home offices and make the most of the space we had to stay productive.

Isolation

Then came the lockdowns. I still remember watching the stories coming out of Italy, horrified that people couldn’t leave their towns. Little did I know that fast forward a few months and Melbourne would be undergoing one of the longest lockdowns globally. I tried to help in the best way I knew how, by sharing my love of home. Within the first three hours of it being up, over 500 of you had read our piece 7 Ways You Can Embrace Your Home Sanctuary & Find Peace In Isolation. I still believe that in some small way, connecting through embracing our home sanctuaries helped us feel less isolated.

Decluttering during a pandemic

From March to October, with millions of us in Victoria largely confined to our homes, and thousands of us working, living and learning under one roof, decluttering became a key focus for many. To support you as you strove to make the most of your home during such a challenging time, we published Things to Declutter During a Pandemic and what turned to be our most read blog of 2020, Five Things You Should Declutter From Your Wardrobe.

Mental health and clutter

Understandably in 2020, another key focus was on maintaining good mental health during an extraordinary time. In a quest for answers I researched studies on mental health and clutter, discovering that living in a cluttered environment is not only scientifically proven to induce stress, it also lowers our productivity. The negative side effects of living in a cluttered home were so clear that I shared my findings by speaking at a number of events focused on corporate employee health, as well as tips on how to make positive steps to create mindful, healthy homes.

Sustainability

Towards the end of the year, as the shock of lockdown subsided and we moved towards a ‘new normal’, sustainable living returned to front of mind, and thousands of you read our blog Six ways to make your home more sustainable and How to become a conscious consumer.

2020 was undeniably hard in so many different ways, and we have no idea what 2021 will bring, but through our love of mindful homes, our community has been strengthened, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.

I want to take a moment to say THANK YOU for your support in 2020, the year in which our homes truly became our refuge and our sanctuary.

What do you want to see more of in 2021?

Click the share button below and let us know on your prefered social media channel or via Instagram.

What exactly did you declutter?

Sentimental paper collected over a period of about 15 years – from childhood to about my mid-twenties. I love paper, I’m really drawn to it, so I have collected a lot over the years – magazine articles, birthday cards, letters, programs I’ve saved from shows, diaries, – you name it.

What motivated you to declutter?

I’ve been wanting to declutter my childhood bedroom for a long time but was never back at the family home for long enough. When the pandemic hit I moved back, and have had months to spend on it – one of the silver linings of a less than ideal situation!

All that paper spilling out of the cupboards had been weighing on me every time I went home. It felt heavy, and like it belonged to a version of myself that no longer existed.

Was this your first time decluttering?

No, I’ve been decluttering for years – I’ve always loved having a tidy environment. I also spent the first half of my twenties living out of a suitcase which meant constant decluttering in order to be able to carry everything I owned with me.

In one word how would describe how you felt starting the process?

Overwhelmed! Once I had gathered all of the paper together in one place, there were just piles and piles of it and I didn’t really know where to start. It was tempting to shove it all back! That’s why I reached out to Sally – for the first time, I felt I needed some additional guidance. She helped me categorise everything – breaking it down into further categories helped me get through the start of the process.

Kate the ‘paper-lover’ took on a huge sentimental declutter

“When the pandemic  hit I had months to declutter – one of the silver linings of a less than ideal situation”

How has this declutter been different?

This has been the most time-consuming declutter I have ever done. Mainly because for the first time I have actually had that time and space. I essentially transferred all of my sentimental paper into my parents’ spare room (a luxury I definitely don’t have in the city!) and worked on it over a period of about six weeks. I think I needed that time – it’s obviously emotionally exhausting decluttering nostalgic items – so being able to stop and come back to it a few days later was helpful.

Was there anything unexpected along the way?

I’ve probably kept more than I thought I would, but I’m comfortable with that. For example, at the start I pictured myself chucking out lots of my childhood diaries and a huge, heavy weight lifting, but in the end I kept almost all of them! I realised that having a historical record of my life is something I highly value.

One unexpected find was my childhood scrapbooks. I have about six or seven which I hadn’t looked at in probably about two decades. I assumed they would be just full of rubbish so I thought I’d have no difficulty chucking them. Actually though, I’ve kept them all.

One of them turned out to contain the only birthday cards I ever received from my grandfather before he died when I was 10.

I can’t believe they had just been shoved in the cupboard for that long without a thought – or that I had been about to hurl them all in the recycling bin!

Would you recommend engaging Sally, and at what point?

I would highly recommend booking in a tidy session with Sally, especially if you’ve never decluttered before, or are about to tackle a particularly challenging category. In either case I would recommend booking in the session before you start.

Sally will help you to sort things into categories and will help you formulate a strategic plan. She will also help you to talk through why you want to declutter and what you hope to get out of it. It’s important to clarify this at the beginning of the process so that you have a clear idea of what you’re working towards.

How do you feel now?

Lighter and more in control. Rather than feeling like these items were weighing me down, I feel like I’ve deliberately chosen them and curated a collection of things which I actually want to read and look at.

Do you have a decluttering dilemma and need some extra support? A session with Sally could be exactly what you’re looking for. Sally will help you through the hardest hurdle of starting a sentimental declutter, provide a helping hand when things get overwhelming and guide you step by step to meet your goals. Within an hour you will know where and how to start and be equipped with a personalised tidy plan set out into achievable sections.

Click here to book a tailored, one-on-one session with Sally and sign up to our newsletter for all our updates, tips and tricks delivered straight to your inbox.

How much commission do they take?

Again that depends on the store, yet most will take a fee plus a percentage of the item’s price. Hence the more expensive the item, the more willing they will likely be to take it.

What types of clothes do consignment stores take?

What they accept varies greatly from store to store. Some opt for high end (think Gucci and Escada) while some only take certain brands, and others vintage only.

Do I get to choose the price?

No – the store will set the price. If you don’t like what they’ve offered, say no. There should be no pressure to sell your piece for less than you would be happy with, and the store should understand this. It is perfectly acceptable to say; “I was hoping for a little more, I would prefer to keep it”.

How many items will I need to sell?

While not a blanket rule, many stores will only consider selling your clothes in batches. You will need to be willing to sell about four pieces at a minimum.

Could my pieces be rejected?

Yes – be prepared to be turned away. Just because you love your items and think they are sellable doesn’t mean they are for that store. Consignment buyers know what they’re looking for; the season, stock levels, what they know is selling well, and how much they can make from an item all factor in.

What’s the guarantee that they will sell?

There is no guarantee. Just because your item was accepted does not mean it will sell, so be ready with a back-up plan if it doesn’t.

My six top tips for selling in consignment stores

1. Anything that makes you feel guilty

These might be items you paid a lot for but have hardly worn. They might be an overpriced pair of shoes that give you blisters, a gift you just can’t see yourself wearing, or high quality pieces you know should feel great, but they don’t. For me, it’s a pair of handmade, Brooklyn-designed pants that cost $500 but I’ve only worn a handful of times. Anything in your wardrobe that screams ‘you really should wear me more’, but doesn’t bring you joy – get rid of it.

Bonus – you’ll probably be able to sell some of these items and make a little extra cash. Check out Selling Secondhand Clothes to learn how.

Discard anything that doesn’t match your lifestyle

2. Items that don’t suit your lifestyle

Like all areas in our home, our wardrobes must move with the seasons of our lives. Your wardrobe is a curated collection of items that show you off and help you lead the life you want to live. Anything in your wardrobe that doesn’t match your current lifestyle, thank it and discard.

Switched jobs and no longer need your old work outfits? Discard. Happily settled into a relationship with no need for that skimpy, first date dress? Discard. Done with clubbing and no longer wear your six-inch podium heels? Consider discarding.

Remember, intentional decluttering is more than just getting rid of some stuff. It is about reassessing how your clothes are making you feel and whether they add value to your life. It’s time to let go of anything that hasn’t grown with you.

3. Ill-fitting anything (especially underwear)

If your wardrobe is a carefully curated collection, then each piece should fit you well. After all, clothes should look good, and feel good to wear but for many of us, this is easier said than done. Fluctuating body weight can present difficulties, so if this is you, take Courtney Carver’s advice: box up and put away anything that doesn’t fit right now, and bring it back out when it does. Change your wardrobe to suit your body, not the other way around.

The reality is, clothes that are too small or too big probably don’t spark joy and shouldn’t be in your wardrobe. As for ill-fitting underwear, nobody’s got time for that!

4. “Must-have” basics

It may shock some of you to learn that I don’t own any basics. Okay sure, I own a white shirt and a pair of black socks, but not because I think they’re necessary wardrobe staples everyone should have. I have them because I love them and they feel good. I truly believe that there is no need to keep anything in your wardrobe because you’ve been told that it is a ‘must-have’ basic or a staple. Shift your thinking and only keep (and purchase) items that you love wearing and which work for you.

5. Anything that doesn’t feel like YOU

If every time you open your wardrobe it frustrates you, or you’re always complaining ‘I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR’, something isn’t working, and it could be because nothing feels like ‘you’. When we buy items based on how they look on a model in a magazine, or seasonal trends or for a ‘feel good boost’, we are not really dressing according to our own style. Of course, finding your own style can take time, and there is no need to pressure yourself. But I can guarantee if you dress to look like someone else you will feel like someone else, and no one is better than you.

If you want to keep rolling on the declutter train, head on over to our blog on what the KonMari method is, and how to use it. And if you’re after more wardrobe decluttering ideas, check out Project 333 by Courtney Carver. I have recently read the book and loved all of the ideas and tips. 

Meet Sally or learn how to find peace in isolation, 7 Way You Can Embrace Your Home Sanctuary through lockdown.

1. Cosmetics and Skincare

If there’s one thing a lot of us are doing in lockdown, it’s self-care. But before you place that next skincare order, spend some time reviewing what you already have. 

Gather all of your cosmetics together and declutter them by category. Throw out anything that’s expired, that you don’t enjoy using, or that isn’t right for your skin. You’ll probably be surprised by how much obvious clutter you’ve collected – think hotel soaps, blunt razors, and mouldy toiletry bags you haven’t used for years.

TIP: If you haven’t used much of a product but find it doesn’t suit your skin or you’re not really a bath salts person, think about putting it aside to pass along to a friend who might have a different skin type. Otherwise, visit Terracycle to see if you can recycle your empties.

Self care doesn’t mean abundance

2. Digital

If you’re spending more time on your devices at the moment, you’re not alone. So why not put all that screen time to good use by doing a digital declutter? For a start, we all have way too many photos on our phone. Start by deleting the ones you know you don’t need – the out-of-focus, the unflattering, unhappy memories, and all those old screenshots you’ve been hoarding. 

Next, declutter your inbox. Delete anything you don’t need to keep, and unsubscribe from mail-outs you don’t read. Organise your folders, deleting any that are redundant, and start filing all of your other emails into the relevant folders. The only emails that should remain in your inbox are those waiting to be actioned – your inbox should function like an in-tray or ‘pending’ folder.

Rediscover joy in cooking

3. The pantry

Unsurprisingly, the pantry may have been a site of some anxiety for many of us in the past month or two. If you stocked up on items prior to lockdown you may have lost track of what you have, so an inventory is in order. 

Most importantly, rediscover joy in cooking. It’s a great way to relax, to nourish yourself and your family, and keep your immunity levels high. It also lends structure to the day which is helpful when you may not be leaving the house much, and when the lines between work, home, and school might be blurred. Cooking is also a great way to keep kids occupied, and you’ll be teaching them a vital skill.

4. Your “To Do” List

In this blog post, I recommended decluttering excess tasks to free up your time and mental capacity. Conveniently, perhaps lockdown has made you realise that there are some things in your normal life that you don’t actually miss all that much. 

Some might be obvious, like commuting, but others might be more surprising.

This is a unique (and likely once in a lifetime) opportunity to go back to basics and clarify for yourself what you value, what your ‘true north’ is. Go for a long, contemplative walk, write lists of what you’re missing and not missing, and maybe even do some journaling.

However you do it, try to capture your reflections in writing, so that in the future when things are back to normal and you find yourself going off course and doing things you don’t really like or need to, you can return to your personal values.

Capture your reflections in writing

5. Sentimental items

These items are often the hardest to declutter. If you’re feeling up to it, use the time you have and go for it. As with anything else, if you don’t wish to use or look at these items normally, you may never want to and it might be best to let them go.

But if you’re not entirely sure, try using Courtney Carver’s ‘defer’ option. Rather than discarding more emotionally-charged items straight away, try boxing them up and tucking them away. Set a reminder on your phone to revisit these items in six months, and if you haven’t missed them then you know you are ready to discard. After all, with op shops closed you may have difficulty disposing of them at the moment.

All in all, now is a great time to declutter manageable categories that you’ve been putting off. Remember, as with any decluttering, the focus shouldn’t be on just throwing things away, but should be on recognising what you love and value, and keeping it in your life.

Meet Sally or learn how to find peace in isolation, 7 Way You Can Embrace Your Home Sanctuary through lockdown.

1. Practice gratitude

Put simply, not everyone has somewhere safe to be right now. If you’re reading this, chances are you live in a wealthy country and have somewhere safe to go. So, instead of just being irritated by being stuck inside, try and embrace it. Chances are, staying in your home is your best mode of self-protection at the moment, so take a few minutes each day to be grateful that you have a safe haven to seek refuge in.

2. Avoid the news

I’m someone who usually stays up to date with what is happening in the world but I’ve made a conscious choice not to read the news at the moment. While there is nothing at all wrong with staying informed, the sheer volume of news available is overwhelming, and for me at least, can have a negative impact on my mental health and daily mindset. If you’re feeling the same, you can stay up to date with key developments by going directly to government websites where you’ll get the facts you need without all the spin and padding added by the mainstream news outlets.

Go green in your home sanctuary

3. Help others

One of the best ways I have found to counter feelings of anxiety is to find a way to help someone else. Do you have a skill you could offer up for free to someone who has lost their income? Could you call and chat to someone who you think may be feeling lonely, or offer to pick up some supplies for a neighbour? Your small act of kindness will likely be a real bright spot in someone else’s day, and not only that, it will take your mind off your own worries and give you a sense of purpose in a situation where we’re all at risk of feeling helpless.

4. Declutter

 I admit, this isn’t a surprising one coming from me. When you’re stuck at home though, what better opportunity could you ask for? You may not be in the headspace for a full declutter, but you can still tackle small tasks, like turning out that miscellaneous kitchen drawer, or targeting one category such as photos, sentimental items, cosmetics, or your digital devices. Check out some of my tips for decluttering and simplifying your life here.

5. Make do and mend

Remember all those DIY jobs you never get around to because you’re usually too busy? Well, now might be a good time to turn your attention to them. Whether it’s sewing on a shirt button, making a birthday card, bleaching your whites, or fixing the tap in the bathroom, small achievable tasks are a great way to fill in a weekend spent at home.

6. Go Green

There’s nothing quite like gardening to make you feel more calm and grounded. While we’re not all lucky enough to have an actual garden (myself included), most of us at least have a balcony or windowsill where we can grow some herbs or a few plants. If you can get hold of some seeds or seedlings, planting some vegetables might be worthwhile. As we’re now discovering, many of us live our lives as if the only place we can get food is from stores, but it’s time to break that mindset. 

7. Start that thing you have been meaning to start

Whether it’s a book you’ve been meaning to read, a hobby you’re interested in, a boring administrative task you’ve been putting off, or even a small business idea that needs some research, having an unexpected stint at home might be just the opportunity you’ve been waiting for to finally get around to it. Personally, I am using my free time to kick-start my new podcast. This is something I have been meaning to start for a long time, and there is no better time than the present. Watch this space!

Remember, your home is your sanctuary. Even if it may not seem ‘perfect’, it is perfect for you right now. It is your safe haven and you are doing your bit by just staying at home. If you start with an open mindset each day and embrace this unexpected stint of isolation, you never know, you may look back on this time with fond memories. 

Check out Tips to Decluttering and Simplifying your Life & learn how to Sell Secondhand Clothes

Moving? Be prepared, make sure you know the Moving 101. And while you are at it, read up on Selling Secondhand Clothes.

Get More Done

Laura Vanderkam, author of Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done and 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think , recommends we write next years performance review now. Many of us have big goals, I know I sure do, at 15 I listed ‘build and operate a big international company’ on my after high school to-do list (I know, ambitious kid). But why do so many of these goals go unfulfilled? Of course, some goals might be unrealistic, like building a seven-storeyed home in the Aussie bush, another goal of my 15-year-old self, but many can be achieved if we prioritise them.

“Time is elastic”

Laura Vanderkam

Vanderkam says that time is elastic, meaning that we will always find time for what we see as the most important. She recommends we replace, I don’t have time with it’s not a priority.

But how do you know what to prioritise?

In many ways prioritising is like decluttering a messy room. We often don’t know where to start, so it never gets done. After years of project management where I ran multiple streams of work with conflicting priorities (all while building a side hustle), I have learnt a few things about prioritising. Not just in my professional life, but my personal life as well.

Here are my key tips to make your new year the most organised and successful yet!

1. Organise Your Priorities

a) Write a list 20-40 life goals you have right now

Note: these will change through each stage of your life, so don’t worry if they looked different than they did a few years ago. Focus on where you are going, not where you have been.

b) Highlight those you want to achieve in 2020, ideally breaking them down into Career, Relationships and Personal categories.

If a big list goal is too broad to achieve in 12 months break it down into bite-sized chunks.

For example;

• Big Goal: Buy a beach house
• 2020 Goal: Create a Beach House savings plan, where I will put away 30% of my income saving around $____ by December 2020

or 

• Big Goal: Establish a strong network of friends in my new city
• 2020 Goal: Dedicate 2 hours per week to creating new connections through sporting clubs, social events or/and making an effort to follow up on meeting a new person.

c) Organise Your Energetic Timetable

Now that you have your 2020 goals set, let’s make sure you achieve them.

Take a look at your week and ask yourself when you have the most energy. Are you a morning or an afternoon person? Do you work well after dinner or at sunrise? Identify when you are most productive (or have the most enthusiasm for physical goals) and use it to your advantage.

It’s one thing to organise your priorities, it’s another to organise your energetic timetable to meet them.

I know I am most productive between 8:30am and 12:30pm. Therefore while it is tempting in the morning to clean up my inbox over a cup of coffee, or if I am at home tidy the kitchen, I am much better off using this time to work on my biggest goals.

The trouble is, when we have the most energy our senses are heightened, we feel alive and connected to our purpose. In this superwoman like state, it is tempting to get “a few things out of the way” or pick up a new activity. But veering off track will make those times of low energy even harder as you force yourself to complete the big goals.

2. Declutter and simplify

Using “spark joy” to declutter tasks might not work

Instead, I invite you to follow the advice of mindfulness guru Russ Harris, author of the Happiness Trap. For a fulfilling, happy life Harris suggests we get clear on our personal values and turn to those when we get off track or overcome with negative emotions.

In the business world, Harvard Professor Bill George refers to this as our True North. I believe we can use this philosophy for decluttering tasks as well. Having recently done this myself I can attest to its success.

We can use Marie Kondo’s notion of joy, decluttering all tasks that don’t give us joy….but that might mean we declutter cleaning, ironing, mowing the back yard..essentially anything that is not a pleasant activity.

This New Year clarifying your personal values will help you to define what joy truly means to you, and assist in decluttering those activities adding no value, freeing space for your big goals.

Want more ideas on happiness, have you heard of Hygge, read our blog on the art of the worlds happiest people??

1. Understand Why You are Decluttering

We don’t book a holiday without first deciding where we are going. Nor do we book accommodation before deciding on what type of holiday we are craving; beachside lux, mountain adventure or city escape?! The same goes home sanctuary making.

Before you start get clear on the purpose. Take a moment to clarify how you want your home to feel and function.

Sally recommends taking a moment to understand why we are decluttering before starting.

Do you want to save time looking for things? Do you want space for new hobbies? Do you want the kids to be able to put away their toys? How about creating a reading room, a quiet space or an art area? Maybe you want to be able to host at a moment’s notice? Whatever it is focus on that, this is your new mantra. You will need to come back to it every time you get stuck (and you will get stuck).

2. Clarify who is responsible for what

In the KonMari Method we declutter only what belongs to us and what we are responsible for. Which means as much as you want to throw out your hubby’s bike trainer that you trip over every time you walk through the shed (the one he hasn’t used in 7 years) you can’t. That is his. You can ask him (in a kind tone), why it is important to him, maybe more important than a clear path to the door, but you can’t throw it out.

“For communal items like gifts, kitchenware & furniture, it’s important to decide on who is responsible for what”

This also means for those communal items like gifts, kitchenware & furniture, you need to decide on who is responsible for what. This will not only make it quicker as you zoom around making your home a sanctuary, but it will also save arguments later. Remember you are creating mindful homes, not domestic arguments. If you agree an item is shared, great! Then declutter it together and respect each other’s wishes.

3. Declutter by category

If you take away only one thing from this article, this is it. DO NOT DECLUTTER BY ROOM. As tempting as it is to open the hall cupboard and jump right in… don’t. Before my KonMari training, I did this all the time. Open a draw and organise. 50mins later I was tired, cranky and unsure where things should go.

When we declutter by room, or by drawer, we miss the opportunity to see a clear picture of what we own. We also force our brains into overdrive; it is too much to ask ourselves to make multiple decisions on multiple objects. Decluttering by category will improve your decision making efficiency, speeding up the whole process.

4. Only keep what “sparks joy”

Deciding what to keep through this decluttering journey is easy; it must “spark joy”. Every item you keep must make you feel good when you wear it, proud when you display it, jog a happy memory when you hold it or serve a purpose. If you get stuck, come back to your new mantra…does that item fall in line with how you want your home to feel and function? If it doesn’t then you can let it go with confidence.

5. Thank what you discard

“Thank you”, two little words my clients hear me say over and over. Thanking an item before discarding is one of the most humbling parts of the KonMari Method. Not only does it force us to verbally express gratitude, a proven technique to increase happiness levels, but it forces us to see objects as more than “stuff”. We are living in a consumer-driven society, encouraged to buy more with little consideration of the discard. The KonMari Method asks us to stop before we throw away and give thanks for all the items we have been so lucky acquire.

6. Resell, repurpose and recycle

Sustainability is key to Home Sanctuary’s ethos, many unwanted things can be resold or recycled. The Garage Sale Trail is the perfect way to reduce your environmental footprint after a declutter.

Sign up to this annual event give your decluttered items a new home. Check out our blog on Selling Secondhand Clothes.

Sally wearing the “Trailblazer Jacket”, as a 2019 Garage Sale Trail Ambassador 

What to learn more?

Visit our interview with Broadsheet, on How To Spring Clean Your House.

For decluttering tips, visit our blog on Tips For Downsizing.