Declutter your life in 2018

As the nights get lighter and the days get longer, now is the perfect time to declutter - whether it's your home, your finances, your wardrobe or your life in general, decluttering is good for the soul and helps clear away the cobwebs - sometimes literally!

The most daunting part of a declutter is where to begin. The trick is to start off small. Decluttering can take some time, especially if you have years worth of clutter to sort through, so set aside a couple of hours a week to get you started and the more you progress the more motivated you'll become.

Here are our top tips for simple ways to declutter in 2018:

ROUND THE HOUSE

WARDROBE

A wardrobe cleanse is always a good idea and should be done at least a couple of times a year.

Pull out everything you've not worn in the last year and take them down to your local charity shop or clothing bank, or sell them on eBay if you have the time and want to make a bit of spare cash.

Chuck out shoes that rub, or you can't walk in, bags that are falling apart and any odd socks or old underwear, meaning you can treat yourself to something new for the new season without feeling guilty!

UNDER STAIRS CUPBOARD

Be honest, when was the last time you cleared this space out? Most under stairs cupboards offer a lot of space, so need to be cleared out and organised properly.

Throw away all the junk you've accumulated and invest in some racks and storage units to house things like shoes, bags, scarves etc, and make sure things you use regularly, like your hoover, mop bucket or ironing board are easily accessible.

You can create extra space by using wall mounts to house your iron or mop, or hooks for coats and hats.

KITCHEN

Often overlooked, once you start clearing out your kitchen you'll never know what you'll find!

Be ruthless and get rid of anything you haven't used/don't use regularly (cafetiere, sandwhich maker, chipped crockery etc) and create some much needed space. Clear drawers and use drawer dividers to make small items (cutlery, string, wine stoppers, food bags, bins bags etc) easier to find when you need them.

It's also worth checking sell-by dates on tins and packet food as there's bound to be something old lurking in the back of a cupboard!

OTHER AREAS

CAR

With a busy lifestyle it's often easy to overlook clearing your car, but with the summer fast approaching it's worth making checks both inside and out.

Check your car every month for signs of wear and tear on your tyres and make sure you adjust the air in them according to your load once a week. Also check that your headlight and tail-light bulbs are working, and it's very important to check your oil, water and screen-wash levels on a regular basis.

Grab a bin bag and clear out any rubbish, toys and food that may be lurking under seats - get your mini vacuum out to reach the fiddly bits - then add an air freshener to rid your motor of any stale smells!

Finally, grab your pressure washer or a good old bucket of soapy water and give your car a good clean on the outside - the kids will love helping and you'll be the envy of your neighbours with a gleaming car on your drive!

FINANCES

Whether you're wanting to save up for a big holiday or home improvements, needing to make serious cutbacks or simply want to get the best value for money on your monthly expenditures, decluttering your finances is well worth doing and won't take as long as you may think.

Spend a couple of hours on websites like moneysavingexpert.com or moneysupermarket.com to see what you can do to overhaul your finances. Make a list of what you're spending each month - including your daily coffee fix - and look into where you can realistically make savings. Even minor amounts can add up over the course of a year.

Get rewarded for switching to a better bank account and check out comparison sites to find out what you could be saving on household bills, broadband, home, car and travel insurance and much more.

Do this at least once a year to get the best savings.

GARAGE/SHED

Sheds and garages can be useful spaces, but most become dumping grounds for all that stuff you just don't know what to do with. Start by removing everything so you can look at it outside and then be ruthless. You don't need a spare lawnmower, leaky hosepipe or a broken bike after all.

Invest in some plastic or metal shelving units from your local DIY store to neatly store tins of paint, plant pots, small garden tools and weedkillers, lawnfeed etc - this also keeps them out of reach of little hands. Wall hooks are perfect for keeping your large garden tools off the floor and make sure the items yu use most often - your lawnmower or bike for example - are kept nearest the door.

If you find that nothing in your shed or garage is worth keeping, you could always convert it into a more useful space - a playroom for your kids or pets, a home gym or even a home office - think big and make use of the space you have.

BACK TO RAPPORT HOMEPAGE