Spring is finally here after what has been a challenging year so far and it is filling us with hope and an opportunity to dream again what our future might hold.

You might be moving into a Thrive Home in the next few months or starting to dream about what your next home might look like. Whether it is the change of season that has you itching to refresh your home or the promise of a dream fulfilled, now is the perfect time to declutter and make space for fresh starts and rejuvenated hope.

Here are our top tips for decluttering this Spring:

1. So much clutter in our home is actually just rubbish and recycling! Have a look around your house with fresh eyes and see the things that can quickly and easily be thrown out. Advertising flyers, Maccas toys, magazines you just never get the time to read, envelopes, food wrappers. Getting rid of the rubbish clears your vision to see what else you can part with.
   
   
2. Visual clutter can also be things that aren’t in their home or that belong to someone else and just haven't been returned to them. So put things back where they belong and text your friend to say that you have their casserole dish or book and you will drop it off next time you drive by or see them. Then go put it in your car so you’re clearing the clutter and are reminded to get it back to them.
   
   
3. Now you can see what is left and you can make decisions about whether your stuff is serving you or whether you are serving your stuff. Consider how much time and money it is taking you to store, clean and maintain everything that is left. Could some of your stuff serve someone else more. Here are some great questions to ask yourself as you assess your things.
   
   

-       Does this item support my values and priorities?

-       Does this item fit in the vision I have for my ideal space?

-       Does this item feel essential and meaningful to me?

-       Have I used it in the last year?

-       If it broke would I buy this item again?

-       Do I have a realistic plan to use this in the future?

-       Do I have a similar item that serves the same purpose?

-       Would it impact my daily life not to have this item?

-       Is this item really worth the space it is taking up in my home?

-       Could this item be of more use and helpful for another person?

Everything that didn’t make the cut can be donated to charities or resold if you can be bothered!

Next step is to give everything that you decided to keep a home. This means that everything that lives in your home needs to have a specific place where it is stored so that you know where to put it when it is not in use. For instance, your keys should either be in your hand turning a lock or they should be in their home (hook, bowl or bag for example). Throwing them on the kitchen bench and hoping that you will then be able to find them again when you’ve also piled the unopened mail and the shopping on top of them, is generally not going to work. You see where we are going with this… so this has to be applied to everything in your home. A home for everything and everything in its home.

Once you have decluttered, a good rule is to live by the “one in = one out” rule. So when you buy a new pair of jeans, you need to choose one that you will either donate or put in the bin. Now we’re not saying that you all have to become minimalists and live with just one of everything but if you are serious about living an organised and decluttered life, we promise you that having 8 pairs of jeans is not going to help move you forward in this lifestyle change! When you purchase a new crockery set, rather than keeping the few pieces left of the old set, you can donate them to the local op-shop. When you purchase a new phone, don’t keep your old one at the bottom of your bedside drawer, sell it or recycle it and keep just the phone you’re needing and using.

We hope these tips and tricks will give you the motivation and encouragement to do some Spring Decluttering in your home.

About the Author

Kirsty Farrugia of The Art of Decluttering is a leading Professional Organiser and Declutter Coach in Australia. Together with her business partner Amy Revell they are successful authors, podcasters, bloggers and love equipping people to find freedom and joy through decluttering and organising their homes.

You can connect with them and listen to their #1 podcast on their website www.theartofdecluttering.com.au