We live in a fairly small space as this area has really high cost of living.... we have around 700 sqft for a family of 3. Our apartment is a MESS...and I can't stand it anymore! We have so much stuff!.... I've been thinking about moving to a bigger apartment ~1000sqft....but moving is a hassle...is there anyway I can stay and have the place be in a liveable condition? What do I need to get rid of...and what do should I keep....I really want a home that doesnt look cluttered with crap all over the place...sigh...
Minimalists/decluttering experts I need your help!
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I like to start with a project that is small, but will still yeild encouraging results. One of my favorite starting points is the kitchen. Go through the cabinets and drawers and put aside any tools or extras or whatnot that you haven't used or don't think you will. Pare down to the necessities.
Or try the bathroom first. Toss (or recycle) old toilettries, makeup, shampoo, etc. Refold the towels organize under the sink. In our 800sqft place the bathroom is the size of a postage stamp and is done very quickly.
Maybe a small project can start you on your way. Then move on to donating clothes/shoes, or unused toys. Then make a plan for sorting paperwork/mail as soon as it comes in the house so it doesn't pile up.
We're a family of 4 in about 800sqft. You can do it!
Or try the bathroom first. Toss (or recycle) old toilettries, makeup, shampoo, etc. Refold the towels organize under the sink. In our 800sqft place the bathroom is the size of a postage stamp and is done very quickly.
Maybe a small project can start you on your way. Then move on to donating clothes/shoes, or unused toys. Then make a plan for sorting paperwork/mail as soon as it comes in the house so it doesn't pile up.
We're a family of 4 in about 800sqft. You can do it!
Do you mind sharing how you manage a family of four in 800sqft? For example...how do you store things? It seems like things just add up and theres not enough storage space for us. I dont think we have more stuff than the average person but we have less space....
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Originally Posted by woodchick  I like to start with a project that is small, but will still yeild encouraging results. One of my favorite starting points is the kitchen. Go through the cabinets and drawers and put aside any tools or extras or whatnot that you haven't used or don't think you will. Pare down to the necessities. Or try the bathroom first. Toss (or recycle) old toilettries, makeup, shampoo, etc. Refold the towels organize under the sink. In our 800sqft place the bathroom is the size of a postage stamp and is done very quickly. Maybe a small project can start you on your way. Then move on to donating clothes/shoes, or unused toys. Then make a plan for sorting paperwork/mail as soon as it comes in the house so it doesn't pile up. We're a family of 4 in about 800sqft. You can do it! |
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someone here had posted a great idea:
Going one room at a time, empty out EVERYTHING and take it our of the room. Carefully sort through it and only bring back into the room things that you truly love and use. And stop if you find that there is no longer an appropriate place for the things you are bringing back.
So for the kitchen, empty out all the cabinets and clear all the countertops and spread it all out in the living room. One by one, choose the pieces you use daily. Anything you haven't used in the past few months, either get rid of it, or store it for a few months (dating it) and if you don't have to go retrieve it, then it's safe to get rid of.
The most important part of this technique, I think, is that as you return things, you find a home for that object, and that object alone. Everything needs to have its own space reserved in your house, and it needs to be in the most sensical space as well- where it is used and easily accessed. With this, cleaning is easy because you know exactly where to put everything and you don't accumulate piles of "where the heck should I cram this" stuff.
And before you look into storing, do all your purging/decluttering. There's no need to figure out organization/storage for something you no longer own!
Going one room at a time, empty out EVERYTHING and take it our of the room. Carefully sort through it and only bring back into the room things that you truly love and use. And stop if you find that there is no longer an appropriate place for the things you are bringing back.
So for the kitchen, empty out all the cabinets and clear all the countertops and spread it all out in the living room. One by one, choose the pieces you use daily. Anything you haven't used in the past few months, either get rid of it, or store it for a few months (dating it) and if you don't have to go retrieve it, then it's safe to get rid of.
The most important part of this technique, I think, is that as you return things, you find a home for that object, and that object alone. Everything needs to have its own space reserved in your house, and it needs to be in the most sensical space as well- where it is used and easily accessed. With this, cleaning is easy because you know exactly where to put everything and you don't accumulate piles of "where the heck should I cram this" stuff.
And before you look into storing, do all your purging/decluttering. There's no need to figure out organization/storage for something you no longer own!
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What to get rid of? Anything that doesn't fit in your house!
I also like to start with the bathroom. Anything you're feeling obliged to keep and don't actually use goes out. Find a charity that takes toiletries and go wild.
Or the bedroom. I hang all my shirts, so every so often I take them all off the hangers and fold them. As I wear them they get put back hung. Then I know it's something I wear and like. Any clothes that don't fit get donated/sold.
I also like to start with the bathroom. Anything you're feeling obliged to keep and don't actually use goes out. Find a charity that takes toiletries and go wild.
Or the bedroom. I hang all my shirts, so every so often I take them all off the hangers and fold them. As I wear them they get put back hung. Then I know it's something I wear and like. Any clothes that don't fit get donated/sold.
Our bathroom is actually not bad...since we only have one and its not too big...we keep it fairly clean....the worst part is our living room and our bedroom.... I think part of the problem is our hobbies...sure we can live comfortably in a one bedroom apt with just our needs but when we add me and my dh's hobbies...plus dd's toys...well its a nightmare...
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Originally Posted by Delicateflower What to get rid of? Anything that doesn't fit in your house! I also like to start with the bathroom. Anything you're feeling obliged to keep and don't actually use goes out. Find a charity that takes toiletries and go wild. Or the bedroom. I hang all my shirts, so every so often I take them all off the hangers and fold them. As I wear them they get put back hung. Then I know it's something I wear and like. Any clothes that don't fit get donated/sold. |
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I think alot of it has to do with layout. We have two small bedrooms with teeny closets so we're able to separate kids bedroom stuff from parents. The girls share a dresser and DH and I share one as well. There are boxes under the bed for some out of season stuff (and we do have a crawlspace attic where we store things as well)
DH has an 'office' corner in the living room and I have a sewing desk with shelves above that keep our hobbies somewhat contained. We keep DD's toys to somewhat of a minimum and try to keep them in her room whenever possible.
Years of playing Tetris have made it possible to get a ton of use out of our few kitchen cabinets and the shelved pantry. And we installed shelves in the kitchen that can hold the weight of cookbooks, small appliances and ceramic mixing bowls.
We try to keep our stuff to the minimum and work at putting things back in their place ASAP after using them. The house isn't always pristine, but we're comfortable.
Originally Posted by Godaime Do you mind sharing how you manage a family of four in 800sqft? For example...how do you store things? It seems like things just add up and theres not enough storage space for us. I dont think we have more stuff than the average person but we have less space.... |
DH has an 'office' corner in the living room and I have a sewing desk with shelves above that keep our hobbies somewhat contained. We keep DD's toys to somewhat of a minimum and try to keep them in her room whenever possible.
Years of playing Tetris have made it possible to get a ton of use out of our few kitchen cabinets and the shelved pantry. And we installed shelves in the kitchen that can hold the weight of cookbooks, small appliances and ceramic mixing bowls.
We try to keep our stuff to the minimum and work at putting things back in their place ASAP after using them. The house isn't always pristine, but we're comfortable.
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I would highly recommend reading It's All Too Much. First off, it's an inspiration to declutter. But more importantly, it walks you through designating the purpose of each room/space and figuring out what belongs there. It's about creating a vision for how you want to live. I really like how the book packages organizing/planning/decluttering into one big package.
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