Are you making decluttering mistakes? Are you tired of feeling like your home is bursting at the seams? Do you ever walk into a room and feel instantly overwhelmed by the clutter staring back at you? If you dream of a space that’s not only tidy but also calm and relaxing, you’re in the right place!
“Decluttering is infinitely easier when you think of it as deciding what to keep, rather than deciding what to throw away.”
Francine Jay
Decluttering regularly is key, and while the saying ‘less is more’ may sound cliché, it’s the truth.
The only way to have less clutter or no clutter is to declutter. Obvious, I know – but it’s not the whole story. The results won’t last long without making other essential changes, too. We’ll come to that a bit further on. The bottom line is that most people find decluttering really hard and it can feel like a drag if it’s not managed well. At worst, it’s a bad experience that can put you off doing it at all.
In my years as a professional home organiser, I’ve seen first-hand the common decluttering mistakes that can negatively impact even the most well-intentioned decluttering efforts. And believe me when I say, I’ve made all these mistakes myself.
But have no fear! I’ve done the research and made the decluttering mistakes so you don’t have to. In this blog post, I’ll guide you through the most common decluttering pitfalls and give you simple, effective strategies to avoid them.
Decluttering done properly is life-changing and feels absolutely amazing! Are you ready to reclaim your space, your time, and your freedom as you embark on a decluttering journey for lasting success? Let’s do this!
7 Common Decluttering Mistakes And How To Avoid Them
1. Decluttering without a vision
The problem: Without a plan, you will find yourself haphazardly decluttering with no clear strategy. This can result in procrastination, inefficient use of your time and impede your progress.
Instead: Visualise what you want. Knowing your why and creating a written plan to get you there is the essential first step in your decluttering journey. Ask yourself questions like;
- What do I want?
- How do I want my home to feel?
- When can I carve out time to do it?
- Where will I start?
- How much time can I devote to this each day/weekend?
When you know where you’re headed, you just need to start! A clear plan will provide direction, structure, and accountability to help you stay focused and keep you on the right track. Once the momentum builds and you start to see results, it makes the decluttering process more enjoyable and successful, which in turn motivates you to keep going.
2. Tackling too much at one time
The problem: Trying to tackle the whole house or a large area at once can lead to overwhelm and burnout. If you’ve ever started to declutter, got everything out, made a huge mess and become so overwhelmed that you gave up and shoved everything back in, you’ll relate to this one!
It’s easy to underestimate the time needed to sort through your possessions and make decisions about them. Decluttering can be a very time-consuming process, and if you take on too much, you can feel completely defeated, drained, and exhausted.
Instead: You don’t have to do it all at once. You’ll find the decluttering process so much easier if you break it up into small, manageable tasks, focusing on only one area or room at a time, like your hallway or sock drawer. Starting small will give you an instant win and a happiness boost that will get the momentum going and leave you feeling motivated to do more.
3. Starting with sentimental items
The problem: Starting the decluttering process with sentimental items is a recipe for disaster. Photographs, family memorabilia, letters and children’s items all hold strong emotional attachments that can trigger feelings and memories connected to the past and of loved ones no longer around. There can be a tendency to get easily distracted and lose hours as you drift down memory lane. This all makes the process very time-consuming and the most difficult category to deal with.
Instead: Leave sentimental items for the last phase of your decluttering journey. It’s more effective to begin with less emotionally charged categories, such as clothing or household items. This exercises the decluttering muscle and builds confidence along the way.
By the time you come to declutter your sentimental items, you’ll be far more decisive and in tune with what brings you joy. You’ll also have experienced the benefits of decluttering and its positive effect on your life, making it easier to let go of things you would otherwise have held onto if you’d started there.
Enlisting the help of a professional organiser can also help you navigate the emotional aspects of decluttering sentimental items more effectively. Support from an expert who is not emotionally attached to your belongings can help you come to the right decisions by yourself with no fuss or procrastination.
4. Buying storage without a plan
The problem: Buying storage solutions without a plan is a surefire way to waste time, money, and effort. Buying a basket just because it’s pretty or purchasing products before you know what you need to store in them, results in mismatched storage solutions that don’t adequately address your needs.
If you fail to declutter first, you may simply transfer clutter from one area to another, resulting in cluttered and disorganised storage solutions. At worst, unused storage solutions can sit around for months/years overcrowding your space and ironically becoming clutter themselves!
Instead: Buy storage after you have decluttered and categorised what you are keeping. By first assessing your belongings and letting go of clutter, you can make more informed decisions about the type of storage solutions that will actually meet your needs. Always keep like with like and measure first to ensure the products you choose can comfortably accommodate the intended items.
Often, something amazing happens when you declutter and remove all the unnecessary things from your home. You create space you didn’t even know you had – and because you have less stuff, you’ll find you don’t need to buy any new storage at all! Win-win!
“If you have to buy stuff to store your stuff, you might have too much stuff.”
Courtney Carver
5. Decluttering other people’s belongings
The problem: Decluttering someone else’s possessions without their consent is a big no-no, even with children. It is an invasion of personal boundaries and there is the risk of accidentally discarding items that hold sentimental value, causing friction and mistrust in your relationship.
Instead: Know that decluttering is infectious. When other family members see the positive impact it’s having on you and your space, chances are they’ll follow suit and want a bit of that for themselves. It can be frustrating when partners and children don’t have the same tidiness standards as you or share your love of decluttering, but don’t be disheartened or tempted to deal with it yourself when they’re not looking!
Deciding whether to keep or let go of an item that doesn’t belong to you is not your decision to make. Focus on your own decluttering journey first, and you’ll then be in a position to help and support your loved ones when they’re ready.
With children, involve them in the process when they are old enough to understand and make it a fun experience. Look out for school fayres and local children’s charities for their decluttered items and take them with you when you drop the items off. You might be surprised how on board they become if you edit regularly with them.
Find out more about decluttering children’s items HERE.
6. Decluttering without curbing your shopping habit
The problem: Trying to declutter without curbing your shopping habit, is like trying to bail out a sinking boat without fixing the leak. If you continuously bring in new items, you’ll never break the cycle and be free of clutter.
Instead: Avoid the shops and find a new hobby! Seriously. Staying away and finding something else to do with your time will make a huge difference to your spending and shopping habits. You’ll save money too! Become a conscious consumer. Shop less and be more intentional with your purchases going forward and you’ll reap the rewards.
Changing your mindset around shopping and overbuying is one of the best things you can do in your quest to reduce clutter accumulation in your home. Embrace the slow fashion movement and be okay with wearing the same outfit more than once. No one will notice except you. Try the one-in-one-out strategy; when you see something new you want to buy, ask yourself what you can get rid of to make space for it and follow through with it when you get home.
What about those subscription boxes that arrive full of skincare and beauty products every month? If you don’t love and use every product, ask yourself if it’s worth the cost and the hassle. Maybe it’s time to cancel. Avoid multibuys in the supermarket and stocking up on things you won’t need for months. Your home is not a storage facility, it’s for living in. Let the shop store it instead.
What I’ve found to be true is that when decluttering and organising are done properly and you experience the positive effects they bring, it has a transformational effect on your mindset. You’ll find yourself wanting less and being more content with what you have. You simply won’t want to spoil the calm, spacious ethos you’ve worked so hard to create in your home.
7. No exit strategy
The problem: When you have no plan for your decluttered items, there’s a chance they’ll end up sitting in bags or boxes, taking up space and potentially finding their way back into your living spaces! As time goes on and the longer things sit, you may second-guess yourself and take things back that you had previously decluttered or throw them away with your general rubbish out of sheer frustration.
Having piles of unwanted items that have nowhere to go lying around your home is still clutter and is counterproductive to your decluttering efforts.
Instead: Have an exit strategy for your decluttered items following each decluttering session. Ensure they leave your home promptly or list them for sale. This will allow you to move forward swiftly and continue with your decluttering journey. An exit strategy encourages you to repurpose your decluttered items, rather than simply throwing them away and impacting landfills.
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Items that no longer serve you may still be appreciated by someone else. When you donate or sell these items, you’re offering them a new lease of life and helping others along the way.
Some things you don’t need anymore could be worth money, but it’s always worthwhile taking the time to do your research and to see how much similar items are selling for. Selling unwanted items on the likes of Vinted or Ebay to make money back takes some serious effort, often for not much money in return, so make sure it’s worth your time. If you try selling, put a time limit on it – one week, two weeks at most, then donate if it hasn’t sold. Otherwise, you’ll have the mental burden of unfinished decluttering business to deal with.
One way to make it easy to donate items responsibly is to create a permanent ‘donation station’ in your home. This could be a box, cupboard or drawer where anyone in the household can dispose of things they no longer use. When the box is full it’s time to donate!
It’s so important not to see decluttering as a one-time event. It’s a continual process that has the power to transform your home and help you live a more meaningful life. By avoiding these common decluttering mistakes, you will be well on your way to regaining control and creating spaces in your home you love to spend time in.
As you work on your own decluttering journey, always remind yourself of your vision of the home and life you desire. Consistent action and accountability will make your decluttering and organising efforts easier and help you curate a spacious, calm, and organised home filled with the things that bring you joy.