Moving (or downsizing) often makes you realize how much‘stuff’ you have.
And preparing for a move is a great time todeclutterfor a few reasons:
Reduces moving costs as there’s not as much stuff to move
Decluttering a home for sale prior to listing photos and showings can increase the home’s value
Reduces the amount of packing you’ll have to do when it is time to move.
Reduces your feelings of overwhelm when you arrive at your new home (and happily realize you didn’t pack all of those items you no longer used or needed).
Here are a few things you can declutter quickly:
Items on surfaces
Duplicates of items
items you haven’t used and likely won’t use again
items that won’t fit in your next home
items you don’t need anymore (i.e. shovels, rakes, etc if moving into a condo or residence)
As a general rule of thumb, decluttering before you move is always going to reaprewards: higher home sale value, less stress when packing and less feelings of overwhelm when you arrive at your new home.
Review these items one area at a time (ie. dining room table)
Sort items into ‘like with like’ categories
Review these categories and remove duplicates as well as items that are damaged or items that you already know you no longer need/want
Pack up any items that can be sold/donated or need to be recycled/trash
What you are left with are your ‘keeps’
Decide where these ‘keeps’ belong in your home (ie tech items to a ‘tech drawer’, kids clothing back to their rooms, out of season items in labelled bins in garage, closet or basement)
As a general rule of thumb when organizing and decluttering, if an item has nowhere to ‘live’ in your home it might be time to let these items go.
as featured in the OSCAR newspaper Aug 2024 edition
Stuff has a way of accumulating over time and then one day you look around and realize that you’ve got more stuff than you have space for. Piles have started in various corners of your home and you feel overwhelmed.
When you get to this point, decluttering is key. Many people tell me that one of the things that holds them back from letting go of items is that they are not sure where they can donate these items that they no longer want or need.
Donations of Items that are in good shape and working order can have wonderful second lives with others in need in our community.
Here is a list of some organizations in Ottawa and a sense of what donated items they accept. More information is available on their websites or at www.declutter4good.ca/charities/
Belong Ottawa (formerly The Well) – New and unopened toiletries
Caldwell Family Centre – Clothing, unopened personal care items, linens and kitchen dishes and small appliances
Habitat for Humanity – Gently used home goods and building materials, furniture, housewares & décor, home appliances, electronics, fixtures, flooring, lighting, doors and windows, in good condition and full working order
Hakim Optical – Prescription eyeglasses (including both prescription and non-prescription sunglasses)
Heartwood House – Computer equipment and other electronics for reuse, repair or environmentally friendly recycling
Helping with Furniture – small kitchen appliances, lamps, flatscreen TVs over 27′ and stands; couches, love seats and living room chairs; curtains, brackets and rods, bed frames, box springs and mattresses, and tablets and laptops
Letting go of items you no longer need or want is always a WIN-WIN-WIN: you are going to get more space and feel more calm, those in need in our community will get items they require and our planet will have less items going to landfills.
If you need some help getting started, reach out to me at Declutter4Good.ca and we can chat. All consultations are free and confidential.
Article written by Martha Tobin and featured in April edition of OSCAR newspaper
A gust of hope usually blows through as the longer daylight hours begin. It’s at this same time that many people have visions of their garages being well-organized, easily maintainable hubs for storing winter items away and resurrecting summer items.
A few things to keep in mind as you declutter and organize your garage:
Frequency of use determines degree of accessibility – move summer items to the forefront of shelving (i.e sports items, gardening tools etc) and winter items to the back areas.
For often-used items that you reach for from the home garage entrance, keep those close to that door for easy access.
Store ‘like with like’ – as you gather your winter items put them all in the same area of your garage. Go a step further and sort into sub categories corralling similar items into clear bins (i.e. winter car accessories, winter washer fluid, road salt, etc).
Declutter winter items – review these items as you gather them together and determine how often you’ve used them. Let go of those you no longer need and reclaim that garage space.
Exchange winter decor/decorations for summer ones. For anything electrical, test the items to make sure they are in working order.
Review hazardous waste and electrical items and declutter items that are no longer needed. City of Ottawa waste drop offs will start up again in April so have these items gathered together for easy transport.
Declutter any construction/renovation materials that you no longer need. Check ReStore Ottawa to see their list of donatable items.
As you organize your tools, consider donating any that you no longer need to the Ottawa Tool Library.
Your show-worthy garage will be even closer to realization by adding shelving. Many retailers sell easy-to-assemble, stand-alone shelving that can maximize your vertical space. Shelving will allow you to clear floor space so that you can not only park your car in the garage but also maintain this area more effectively and easily.
Spring is a great time of year to organize and declutter your garage, dust the cobwebs off your summer items and truly feel the warm air blow through.
Holding on to items “is like taking a deep breath, then holding it and holding it, refusing to exhale. If we won’t let go, we stop the natural flow of taking in what we need right now and releasing what we don’t. And if we won’t let go, we can’t make space for new breath.” (Peggy Fitzsimmons)
If you have decided that 2024 is the year you are going to tackle some organizing and decluttering it is always best to do it in bite-size chunks. By doing so, you avoid burning out or becoming overwhelmed by the process. Here are 5 organizing and decluttering tasks with each of them being able to be done in the space of a couple of hours: ● Do a closet audit: Most of us wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. In order to get a better idea of what you reach for regularly, try turning all your hangers around in your closet and then each time you wear an item, flip that hanger around the opposite way when you put the item back. At the end of the season this technique allows you to quickly see what you didn’t wear (and then donate, sell or gift them to someone else). For dresser drawers you can do the same thing by putting those items you wear the most often always at the front of the drawer. ● Expired items: Expired items can be a variety of things including pantry items, medications, makeup, spices, or unidentified items in your freezer, etc. Pick one area and focus on it for 15-30 mins. On another day do a second area and so on. (Note: check with your pharmacy to determine the proper disposal of medications.) ● Set up a ‘maybe’ box: Many people hang on to items because they aren’t sure if they’ll need them again. Go around your home and put items that fit into this category into a large box labeled ‘MAYBE’. Date the lid of the box for 3 months from now and put a reminder in your calendar to check the items in this box on that date. If there is an item you need before then, pull it out of the box and find a place for it to live in your home and then shut the box back up again. If after 3 months you didn’t need any of those items, put them in a donation box and drop it off. Items to consider for the ‘maybe’ box:
cookbooks, DVD movies, music CD’s, socks with no mates, mystery keys, jewelry, unknown cables and cords, etc ● Digital decluttering: Similar to the 20/80% clothing rule, the same can usually be said about our mobile devices in that most of us really don’t need, use or want the majority of the apps, files, emails, contact info, photos etc on our devices. By decluttering our devices we can gain more focus, more clarity and reduce distractions thereby improving our productivity. Another benefit is that your device will work more optimally due to increased storage space and less battery drain. Items to declutter on your phone: blurry or duplicate photos, unwanted subscription sign up emails, unused apps, duplicate documents, old emails, outdated contacts, etc ● Keep the memory and let go of the guilt: Throughout our lives we have all brought home items that we thought we’d use but then for one reason or another, we did not. And that’s okay. What’s not okay is holding onto these items because we feel guilty that we bought them in the first place. Letting go of these items either by selling or donating them will make you feel lighter because you’ll also be releasing any regret, unmet expectations or sad feelings that surround them. Items to consider letting go of: clothing that doesn’t fit or that we are constantly passing over, unused exercise equipment, unused kitchen appliances or gadgets, unused inherited items, etc. The key to decluttering is to make space for the person you are today. By doing so you’ll be more in alignment with the person you want to be now and going forward. Decluttering is empowering and gives you the opportunity to review those things in your life that are essential while letting go of those items that no longer serve you. Take a big breath, let it out and move forwards into 2024 with more energy, focus and calm.
(featured in OSCAR and Glebe Report December 2023 editions)
With so many holiday decor and decoration items available at this time of year, it’s hard not to buy a few more items for your tree, your tabletop, your front door or your yard. Often in our excitement for that ‘new’ holiday item we forget that we already had a similar one or we realize that we now have so much decor, we have run out of room to display it all. Here are a few tips and tricks that might help you to declutter and organize your holiday decor and decorations this year: Unpack first and buy second: -Wait until you have unpacked your current holiday decor and decorations so that you have a better idea of the categories and the volume of each category (ie. lights, ornaments, tabletop items, outdoor decor, etc). -By seeing the types of items you have and the volume per category, you can then pare items down accordingly based on the available space you have to display those items. -For any excess items, you can donate them and add them to someone else’s holiday season. What truly brings you joy now: -Over the years you’ve probably amassed lots of holiday decorations and decor. Some of these items may no longer bring you joy (i.e. ornament from an old boyfriend). Perhaps some of the items are outdated. Or you may realize that you have too many of a certain category (i.e. all your adult daughter’s grade school popsicle stick ornaments). -For ‘sentimental items’ that you no longer want, check with your children, other family members or friends to see if they’d like to add them to their holiday collection. If they do then you can create a labelled box of these items and include a dated note with a bit of the history that surrounds these items (especially if they are a family heirloom). -Keep your treasures and those you have an emotional tie to but consider taking a photo of the other less meaningful items so you can keep the memory but let the item go. Check functionality: -Determine which items work (ie. electrical, musical). Take the time to repair those that you want to keep and let go of those that cannot be repaired. -You can check out the City of Ottawa Waste Explorer site to find out how to dispose of these items. Rotate Decor each year: -If you have an excess of decor and decorations you may want to consider rotating your decor each year (ie one year you use the silver decor and the following year you use the red decor). -If you find that you are often passing over certain items each year instead of displaying them, donate those items or gift them to someone else. Packing up your decor and decorations for next year: -Use clear bins and store ‘like with like’ in them. And label each bin (ie. lights, tree decor, table decor, etc). Labelled, clear bins make it easier to see what you have and access those items more readily.
As wonderful as the holiday season is, the reality is that we live in a time of tremendous consumerism due to products being easily manufactured, marketed and sold on an enormous scale (and delivered to your door the next day). We also live in a world where our planet is suffering from excess so determine what you have before you buy and then donate, gift or responsibly discard those items that are no longer meaningful to you. By doing so, you can truly add to the health of our planet, keep items out of landfills and help others less fortunate who will no doubt have a better holiday this season because of you. And in the end, isn’t that the true spirit of the holiday season?
Now that mobile phones have become indispensable, there are many reasons to organize and declutter the data they store, send and receive.
Here are 5 tips and tricks for doing that:
#1. Make a note in your calendar each month to delete blurry or duplicate photos and organize any remaining ones into folders (i.e. work, personal, events etc.) This will make it easier to download the ones you want to transfer to a hard drive or USB.
#2. Review your apps and delete those you no longer need or use
#3. Unsubscribe to ‘junk’ emails as they arrive and/or ‘block’ those email senders
#4. Make a note in your calendar to turn off your phone for a few minutes every month so that apps can update properly
#5. Delete old contacts in your address book
A great time to do your ‘phone decluttering’ is when you are waiting (i.e. at a medical office, in an airport, etc). The key is not to try and do it all at once but rather, break it down into ‘bite size chunks’ so that it is a less overwhelming task.
As an added bonus, phone decluttering will help improve your battery life, optimize your device and save you time and energy when searching for items on your phone in general.
In fact, any decluttering and organizing journey is always going to simplify your life, reduce your stress and give you back more mental space and calm.
Article by Martha Tobin as posted in the August issue of the Glebe report and OSCAR paper
What if….Decluttering and Organizing was like gardening. This is the time of year when we all want to spend time outdoors and tending our gardens instead of tackling the ‘stuff’ in our basement, garage, shed or attic. In fact, the very thought of tackling those areas can seem very overwhelming. Here are a few tips and tricks for approaching decluttering and organizing as you would gardening:
Similar to pulling up those weeds that are strangling your other garden plants, focus on the items of trash in the area you want to declutter and separate those items out for disposal or recycling.
By preparing your soil with compost and manure, you increase your soil quality and give your plants the nutrients they need to thrive. Preparing to declutter and organize is key too when tackling an area of your home. Have some cardboard boxes, garbage bags and bins on hand so that you can sort items more easily.
Understanding your soil’s drainage in a garden contributes to a more lush garden. The same can be said when decluttering and organizing in that understanding what your vision is for that space you are working in, allows you to work towards that goal.
In your garden paying attention to how much sunlight your plants need is key. When organizing, ask yourself what items you need on a daily basis versus weekly or monthly and then set up your space so that the items you need the most often are the most accessible.
By clearing out those plants that are not thriving in your garden, you are able to showcase those that do. The same is true for decluttering and organizing in that by letting go of those items you no longer need, use, love or want, you are able to focus on those things that matter most to you. Gardening is good for the soul. It improves our overall wellbeing by increasing our optimism, our self-esteem and boosting our positivity. The same can be said about organizing and decluttering those spaces in your home that are making you feel fenced in and weighed down. By tackling these areas you will feel lighter, more focused with less feelings of stress and overwhelm. And like gardening, donating items is good for the soul as it ensures items have a second life with others in need in our community.
Martha Tobin is the owner of Declutter4Good Martha@julian
Article by Martha Tobin published by the April issue of the Glebe Report
The Great Glebe Garage Sale is happening this year on May 27 (8 am -2pm). This much-loved neighbourhood event is a wonderful opportunity to do some decluttering in your home in anticipation of the sale.
Our homes are supposed to be our sanctuaries – the place where we can recharge and relax. But when we have an excess of ‘stuff’, it weighs us down and fences us in thereby keeping us from feeling in control of our lives. Decluttering is a wonderful way to take back control of your life by purging those items you no longer need, use, want or love.
As you look around your home here is a quick and easy ‘5 Box method’ for sorting items:
Gather 5 boxes together and label them:
#1. Items to sell
#2. Items to trash, shred or recycle (ie. documents, old electronics)
#3. Items that belong elsewhere in your home (ie. child’s homework)
#4. Items that need to be returned (ie. borrowed book)
#5. The ‘Maybe’ items (ie. diplomas, awards)
This 5 box method will allow you to easily and quickly sort items in your home to determine the items you want to sell at the Great Glebe Garage sale (as well as knowing which items belong elsewhere in your home or need to be returned to someone else thereby not getting put out mistakenly on the day of the sale).
Typically items that are often of interest at the Great Glebe Garage Sale are furniture, small appliances, collectibles, sport items, clothing, LP’s, books, linens, art, dishware, jewelry, toys, etc.
Below is some information that will help keep your expectations realistic as well as align with the expectations of buyers that day:
Set up early so that you are prepared for the early birds.
Price items individually or in groups (ie. bundle of comics for $0.50)
Display items on tables or in boxes according to their category or price (ie. all scarves $0.75 each)
Have a secure/out of sight cash box or apron with lots of coins and bills for change.
Test the market demand as the day goes along and reduce prices accordingly. Items at the right price sell better.
If you have larger items that can’t be carted away by the buyer until later, tuck them out of sight and have an impromptu sales receipt available so that you can note the deposit given and exchange phone numbers to coordinate future pick up.
Working items in good condition sell. Damaged, unworking items don’t. (If you still think an item that is damaged or not functioning is sellable, be sure to note its condition clearly on the item so buyers are aware.)
At the end of the day tidy up and pack your things away. Recycle as much as possible.
Check out the Glebe Community Association link regarding where you can donate items that didn’t sell. Donating helps others in need in our community and diverts items from going directly into landfill sites.
Since 1986 the Great Glebe Garage sale has encouraged vendors to voluntarily donate 10% of their proceeds to the Ottawa Food Bank. You can find more details here).
Spring is a particularly good time to declutter as many of us feel energized at this time of year with the better weather and warmer temperatures. And most of us already associate this time of year with spring cleaning.
With the Great Glebe Garage sale just around the corner, there is no better time to let go of those items that are cluttering up your home. If the thought of doing some decluttering on your own is overwhelming, reach out for some help at www.Declutter4Good.ca.
