If you have a tendency to collect things, you probably have some issues with space and clutter. This is especially true if you live in a small space. A room or a studio apartment can easily become overrun with Elvis tribute records, Beatles songbooks, or Tori Amos cd singles.
Whatever your particular collecting preference, these clutter problems may occur. Whether you have a purposeful collection, such as vintage action figures, or an accidental one, such as the pile of magazines from the subscription you never signed up for in the first place, it can be easy to suddenly wind up with more stuff than you have the space to deal with.
People often joke about becoming "hoarders"- a fate that no one actually wants. Your home displays your personality to the people who visit you, and when you are bringing people home, especially potential significant others, you want to make a good impression. Of course it's okay to put your interests on show, but you want this person to think you put some effort into organizing you living space. Here are some ideas for reducing clutter and making that evident.
1. Get rid of things you do not need. Be brutal about this. Even as far as your collections go, there are inevitably things that you can afford to get rid of. Perhaps you bought something that you thought was more valuable than it turned out to be. Or maybe something is damaged, and no longer hold the value it once did. Scan your collection for these items, and throw them away.
2. Consider selling things. When you were a teenager, this might have seemed like sacrilege. But now, you probably have all of those Tori Amos songs on your iPod or stored in your computer. Do you really still need the cd singles? Consider putting them up for sale on eBay. You can make some money at the same time you create more space in your home.
3. Place some stuff in storage. There might come a time when you really do have the space for all of your stuff. For this reason, it is worthwhile to keep things that really are important to you. However, they do not have to be in your immediate living space. You can reduce your clutter by storing them in a rented storage locker or an attic or basement. You can always bring them back out when you have the space to deal with them.
4. Display things purposefully. Even if you follow all of the above tips, there may still be a few things you just need to have in your eyesight. Make sure that these things are displayed in a way that looks deliberate, rather than just lying around in random piles on the floor. This will help your living space to look neat and organized.
Do not let your stuff take over your life. A collection of rare books or Elvis tribute records, as cool as it may be, should not have that kind of power over a person. When you live in a small space, you have to minimize the amount of stuff you have in order to keep things neat. Make your home welcoming and organized by following the tips above.
Whatever your particular collecting preference, these clutter problems may occur. Whether you have a purposeful collection, such as vintage action figures, or an accidental one, such as the pile of magazines from the subscription you never signed up for in the first place, it can be easy to suddenly wind up with more stuff than you have the space to deal with.
People often joke about becoming "hoarders"- a fate that no one actually wants. Your home displays your personality to the people who visit you, and when you are bringing people home, especially potential significant others, you want to make a good impression. Of course it's okay to put your interests on show, but you want this person to think you put some effort into organizing you living space. Here are some ideas for reducing clutter and making that evident.
1. Get rid of things you do not need. Be brutal about this. Even as far as your collections go, there are inevitably things that you can afford to get rid of. Perhaps you bought something that you thought was more valuable than it turned out to be. Or maybe something is damaged, and no longer hold the value it once did. Scan your collection for these items, and throw them away.
2. Consider selling things. When you were a teenager, this might have seemed like sacrilege. But now, you probably have all of those Tori Amos songs on your iPod or stored in your computer. Do you really still need the cd singles? Consider putting them up for sale on eBay. You can make some money at the same time you create more space in your home.
3. Place some stuff in storage. There might come a time when you really do have the space for all of your stuff. For this reason, it is worthwhile to keep things that really are important to you. However, they do not have to be in your immediate living space. You can reduce your clutter by storing them in a rented storage locker or an attic or basement. You can always bring them back out when you have the space to deal with them.
4. Display things purposefully. Even if you follow all of the above tips, there may still be a few things you just need to have in your eyesight. Make sure that these things are displayed in a way that looks deliberate, rather than just lying around in random piles on the floor. This will help your living space to look neat and organized.
Do not let your stuff take over your life. A collection of rare books or Elvis tribute records, as cool as it may be, should not have that kind of power over a person. When you live in a small space, you have to minimize the amount of stuff you have in order to keep things neat. Make your home welcoming and organized by following the tips above.
No comments:
Post a Comment