Decluttering

Tess asked a question in my last post about how I declutter. I thought it might be helpful to share the process I used, and would love to hear from anyone else how they approach this.

I don't have a formal "process", but here's how I generally approach it.

How to find things to get rid of:

1) For "hot" areas of the house, I go through them regularly. An example of this would be a three tiered tray where we keep paperwork, checks, to do items, etc. Because that tray is constantly in flux, it needs a regular review, where I pull out things that I've dealt with, reminds me of any tasks that still need to be handled, and I shred/recycle everything else.

2) I go through my closet after a season. If I didn't wear something after the appropriate season, I ask myself why I'm hanging on to the item. Sometimes there's a reasonable answer, but most of the time, it means I can let the item go. I try to stick to a one in one out rule, if I'm replacing something. But, I also have more than enough, so try to go beyond that as well.

3) The boys stuff is trickier. They are growing, so their clothes needs a different approach. I "force" them to sit with me every six months or so, they try on any items that they aren't wearing regularly, and we cull what doesn't fit. Similarly, they have hobbies that they don't participate in, or old mementos, and I do pull things aside & talk to them about whether they still want/need the items. But, this is their choice, of course. I don't get rid of stuff without their permission, but try to help them along.

4) I also look for areas of the house that aren't frequently touched (ski bags get reviewed at the end of each season - do we have enough ski socks? Is anything missing? Can anything be removed?) Same with closets, drawers, etc. 

5) I try to go through every area of the house, but in phases. Some things need infrequent intervention (the kitchen doesn't change much, for example), but the hall closet... that place just collects random things & I feel like every time I look in there, it's ready for another decluttering & organizing session.

Now, moving on to what I do with all of the items I find:

1) If it's new, worth more than $15 or so, I try to sell it. I prefer Facebook Marketplace, as there are no fees, and it's just generally easier.

2) I use eBay if Facebook Marketplace isn't an option (too niche, light weight/easy to ship, more valuable) & I need a broader group of buyers.

3) 90% of things that are used, I give away, unless they are very niche. I choose to try & sell niche items, because they are much more likely to get purchased vs the smaller group of BN people I have available to review my items. My first place I offer things is Buy Nothing. I probably post 10 items per week, & have great success giving things away. I have a good sense of what people are interested in. Teen clothes are very, very popular, as are kitchen items, anything ski/winter related, etc. 

4) If the item doesn't move on BN, I move on to a more traditional donation - Goodwill. I try to start with BN, because it's much more likely the item won't be tossed if it goes to someone who intentionally sought it out. But, Goodwill works in a pinch. I try to really ask myself if the item still holds value. If it does, great, I will donate it.

5) For paper work or anything that can be recycled, I do that. We have a local sports store that recycles old sneakers, so I always have a collection of those going as well, waiting to be dropped off.

6) Finally, there are some things that need to be tossed. I try to keep this to the smallest amount possible, as putting things in the landfill makes me sad and is the opposite of my goal to reduce, reuse, pass things on, etc. 

Hope that was helpful! I love decluttering, and am happy to share other thoughts, if you have questions! What about you? How do you declutter your house?