Your biggest decluttering tip

[1AngelicFruitCake]

What's your biggest decluttering tip that helped you actually do something about the clutter?
(If possible try to avoid 'Just do it' and 'Hire a skip'!)

Think before you buy and if you do buy, follow a one in, one out policy.
Also, keep in mind decluttering is an ongoing process. You don't just decluttering once and never do it again. What's right now, might not be in a year.

Do it regularly - whether it's a weekly cull of paperwork, monthly go through cupboards or annual wardrobe sort out.

Kondo ;)

Keep at it. The more you do, the more you find you are willing to part with.

Use up all your FMCGs before buying new ones.

Don't have kids!

Stand over the bin with your post.

If you're thinking about whether to throw it out

THROW IT OUT

Don't try to tackle the whole problem in a day. Clutter doesn't really build in a day it accumulates over time.

Choose a high frequency area in your house i.e. dumping ground (kitchen side/ hall table etc) set timer for 15 minutes and see how far you can get in clearing it. Plan how you'll prevent that area cluttering again i.e. as previous poster handle post over bin.

Repeat on a daily basis and over a few months your home should be looking good, keep at it.

Don't t keep things that make your life more complicated. If you have to move a dish every time you ne d to open the microwave door, think whether you need that dish.

Don't keep things from the past or save things for the future that spoil the present. My best friend is a hoarder. She takes her pre teen son around garage sales every Saturday as she is collecting a certain pattern of china for when he gets married. In the mean time he is having a rubbish Saturday every week of his life. He also can't put anything in his wardrobe as it is taken over with baby toys and clothes.

Great big boxes are my weapon of choice. Lack of time, is most people's enemy. So when you decide to declutter put whatever you are tackling in a great big box. Clean the area it came from and veryslowly and gradually put things back.

Take your time, stop when you get bored. You will be amazed at how long things will stay on the box before you need them. Eventually you will find that you are using much less stuff and can throw away what is Still in the box.

Kondo :)

And I third: Kondo

I have spent a out two years decluttering (not literally but slowly but surely)

Its totally worth it.

Don't but stuff - today I nearly bought tanning products and stopped myself. No more until what I have has been used.

Keep a bag somewhere accessible that you can chuck stuff in for the charity shop.

Photograph paperwork then shred

You only need a few spare towels etc donate the rest

Make memory books and dump out old cards

Photograph sentimental items that you don't really want to keep but you (or children) are struggling to let go of e.g. children's artwork.

Scan as much paperwork as possible (and keep on top of that).

Enjoy it - don't force yourself to do too much in one session. When you feel yourself getting overwhelmed - stop, tidy up and deal with what you have already sorted.

Have a charity shop/sell box/bag/drawer on the go all the time - decluttering doesn't really end, it just becomes much easier and a habit.

If you find yourself getting frustrated by other people's clutter try and re-focus on your own (if you still have some to do!).

If children are struggling to let go have a six month holding box where you can hold stuff for 6 months...and if they don't ask for it...

When you are about to buy something question whether you really want/need it - imagine it in a few months time...

She takes her pre teen son around garage sales every Saturday as she is collecting a certain pattern of china for when he gets married

There's going to be an AIBU written about that by her future DIL in years to come

She takes her pre teen son around garage sales every Saturday as she is collecting a certain pattern of china for when he gets married

What would your friend say if you asked her, "What if he and his wife (in twenty years time, ffs) want to choose their own china?"

Blimey. Even if he started out quite liking the china pattern (does any teen give a toss about china patterns?) he's going to hate it by the time he's sacrificed his free time to the bloody stuff for years. That's going to get mysteriously 'broken' in a house move, I guarantee it.

I'm just trying to imagine my son's face if I told him we were going out to buy his wedding china when he wasn't even in his teens.

Can we know the pattern, OP? Maybe we could contribute!

Kondo

Be ruthless

I also read that post about the mum collecting for her son like this I actually find that really selfish as its all about her.

Thanks for all your tips! It's been really helpful reading all your ideas. I'm a reformed hoarder (or nearly!) and I'm finding the two things that have made a difference to me are

Keeping a simple decluttering log of what I've got rid of. This has spurred me on as I want to add to my list so I can feel I've accomplished something.

Visualising what I'll do with the space but being really specific so picking out paint I'll use when redecorating, imagining the books I'll read in a particular chair in the space.

I use OHIO, only handle it once. Nothing gets put down everything gets put away, binned placed in correct place to be dealt with. I also do a drawer, box, cupboard, shelf everyday. Everything out, clean put back only what you want or need. My car however seems to be a blind spot it looks like a mobile rubbish bin no idea why I can't keep it clean not even vaguely presentable

Lots of good suggestions on this thread - agree with all the Marie Kondo suggestions - she has a great philosophy.

I find it very overwhelming all in one go so I sort into categories while decluttering IYSWIM. So, piles of things to keep, deal with later and take to tip/charity shop. The 'keep' things get put away immediately and the 'deal with later' things will be in a box and I do usually decide quite quickly whether to keep or discard. I keep charity things in a bag by the front door so that whenever anyone goes out they can drop them off.

Set yourself a limited amount of time to declutter, for instance 15 min, ( i use a timer) and choose an area, can be a room, the ground floor, or a draw. In those 15 min and get rid of as much clutter as you can.
The stuff for charity goes straight in the car so I can drop it off at the first opportunity

Limited time has been working for me and I usually surprise myself and want to do more. Only dealing with something once is something I really struggle with, most work on this. Sorting into categories is where I also fall down as I end up with so many categories I get overwhelmed!

Great tips that are helping to keep me on track!