Guide to a Peaceful House Purge

At the start of each year, we’re often bombarded with the message to make a fresh start and get rid of stuff.  Easier said than done, hmm?  Much of what we have accumulated in our homes ended up there over a long period of time, so it can feel overwhelming to try to tackle it all in January.  We begin with the best intentions to declutter & clean out, but then we get bogged down by mid-month.  It’s all too much!  I’m going to try to ease your mind a bit and provide a peaceful guide to tackling a purge.   

Let me begin by admitting that I have pat-rack tendencies.  When we moved to our home over 12 years ago, it was from a 900 sq ft. condo.  At the time I called the moving company to request their services and was confronted with the question, “How many boxes will you have to move?”.  I had NO idea, so when the gentleman tossed out a guess based on our sq. footage I agreed, “Sure, 30 boxes.”.  God Bless the moving men – I probably ended up with twice as much!   They managed to squeeze our stuff into a smaller-sized truck, while we squeezed the rest into our SUV with our 3-month old son in the car seat.  I may or may not have also packed a former roommate’s stash along with ours, considering my sleep-deprived state.    

Thankfully, I have made much progress since my condo days, and despite getting stalled every now and then I find it much easier to make the initial decision to get rid of something.  The challenge comes when I lack the will and energy to truly sort through all that’s been accumulated.  This is when the seasonal urge to purge comes in handy.  There are those times of year when enough is enough, and our motivation to declutter and purge kicks in.  This is one of those times of year!

Perhaps you are on the same page right now, but it all seems daunting.  The first step to a truly peaceful house purge is to recognize that it doesn’t get done overnight.  Give yourself more time.  The following steps will guide your way: 

Peaceful House Purge Steps:

1. Set aside several dates on your calendar to clear out particular rooms (or sections of rooms).  Pick seasonal dates when you naturally feel those urges to clean out. (Note: this step is crucial – if you don’t schedule the task, it probably won’t get done) 
2. Ask yourself some critical questions (see below) as you review items to declutter & purge.
3. Have bags and boxes ready for donations and trash.
4. Find a corner in your home to stash the donations and then schedule their removal (Drive items to a thrift store or call services to pick up at your door, such as VVA).
5. Bring the trash outside to your garbage ASAP.

Critical Questions to ask as you declutter and clean…

Step 2 requires that you honestly assess the stuff you are reviewing.  Here’s the key – you must ask yourself the following critical questions:

• Do I LOVE it or NEED it now (perhaps it’s still here because I used to LOVE/NEED it)?
• If I love it, do I have a place for it now (or in the very near future)?
• Is there any reason to keep this other than because it is valuable/cost me a lot?
• Is there any reason to keep this other than because it was free or a huge bargain?
• Is there any reason to keep this other than purely sentimental? (gift/wedding/baby/toddler item)
• I spent so much time making this, shouldn’t I keep it simply because of that?
• Will that ‘someday’ actually come when I’ll need/wear this? (it hasn’t come in ‘x’ years!)
• Will that ‘someday’ actually come when the person I’m holding this for will truly want it?
• Will that ‘someday’ actually come when I will work on this project (fix/repair/craft/DIY)? 

When you honestly answer these questions ‘No’, you’ll find that you can get rid of more.  Styles change, tastes change, and it’s okay to move on.  Craigslist, Ebay, and Facebook Marketplace are options for reselling a financially valuable item (if it’s worth your time) and a photo of a sentimental item can capture a memory just fine. 

My last piece of advice to you is not to be so hard on yourself for prior purchases.  Mistakes are made, but you don’t have to live forever with an item that you regret buying.  Let it go…that’s where the ‘peace’ in this guide originates. When you let go of things that have become heavy for you to bear, you will feel relief and peace.

Now if only we can break some of the habits that got the stuff into our house in the first place…but that’s for another discussion!

Click here for more ideas on decluttering.

Want to remember these tips when you’re ready to tackle that purge? Pin this post to your favorite Pinterest board!