DECLUTTERING WHILE RENOVATING OR RELOCATING

A renovation or relocation is an exciting and overwhelming moment at the same time. It’s a new beginning. What all new beginnings have in common is the (re)evaluation of our values and priorities. What is truly important to us in this phase of our lives? What has been missing so far? What is it that needs to be added to create a sense of wellbeing at home again?

Transition means change

Life comes in phases. Transition into a new phase of life brings change, chaos and excitement at the same time. A renovation or relocation is a huge transition and change in your life. It’s an opportunity to an exciting new beginning.

What do you actually need at home for your family and lifestyle? What makes you feel at home (while living abroad)? There are several simple things you can focus on when trying to create a sense of wellbeing at home. Think of the impact of colour, lighting and atmosphere on your mood.

The advantage of decluttering

Taking the opportunity to declutter before moving or renovating your house is a smart thing to do. It’s the perfect moment to reevaluate your priorities at home, to consider smart storage solutions and let go of unnecessary items you no longer need in the upcoming phase of your life.

Being surrounded by only what is of actual value to you may create a sense of relieve after decluttering.
Redesigning and organizing your “new” home around the remaining items will be much easier and more efficient since you’ll only have to focus on the essentials.
Uncluttering your household will give you a better idea of the actual needed storage space in your new home.
By decluttering you will avoid unnecessary belongings taking valuable space at home or in an extra storage box.
By removing a good amount of unneeded items you just have less to consider when packing.
In your “new” home cleaning, tidying up and finding a place for everything will be much easier.

The difficulty of decluttering

Decluttering is not an easy thing to do: there is an element of decision making to it. And let’s be honest, when you have a young family or demanding job the lack of energy and time is enough to stop you from uncluttering your household. Undertaking a renovation or relocation is already a huge project on itself, you may find yourself overwhelmed by this alone. So how to add some decluttering to your project?

The basics of decluttering

Decluttering can be done in many ways. By choosing one topic at the time (books, clothes, toys, etc.), decluttering room by room, with a help of a friend or a professional. It is about finding the method that makes more sense to you, that speaks to you most about making real change in your life. What are the basic steps to follow?

A good start is by realizing that all the items your decide to keep will need your attention. For every item you decide to keep (from interior junk to your valuables) you will have to take time to find it a place, maintain it in good condition and use it regularly.
Understanding what items you actually use on a daily base is important. These are the essentials you need an easy access to. Functionality is key to a streamlined household.
If it is not a clear YES it is a delayed NO. No overthinking, just try to answer if it’s an item you actually need or that you can let go to be useful to somebody else.
Items you are not sure about whether to keep them can be put away in the garage or attic for example. Just wait and see what happens. If you tend to forget about these items it means they lost their purpose in your daily life.
Don’t forget to throw these items away or to donate them as soon as you realize you don’t need them anymore in your household! Try to avoid going back on your decisions and put back items you no longer need at home.

Inspired to create your own sense of wellbeing at home starting with minimalizing your inventory?

Call or email me to discover how I can assist you in the whole process of decluttering, (re)organizing and (re)designing your new house. Looking forward to meet you!

contact

Benedetta Nati

info@benathome.com

+31 (0)6 27118867

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