Decluttering checklist - how to declutter your home fast

Decluttering your home is not a job that anyone particularly enjoys. But if you feel stressed and disorganised, it might be because you haven’t addressed the pile-up of clutter in your home! There’s nothing quite like a home cleaning session to clear the mind and make you feel refreshed. After all, a clean house is a clean mind!

Want to declutter your home but unsure where to start? We’ve rounded up some of the best decluttering tips so you can enjoy a sparkly clean apartment:

Tips to declutter your home:

• Create a decluttering checklist 
• Do a little every day 
• Put on a decluttering playlist 
• Recruit a friend to help 
• Invest in clever storage and cleaning supplies 
• Donate things you no longer use 
• Get into the habit of keeping things tidy 

Create a decluttering checklist 

A lot of people want to tidy their home, but spend ages working out where to start. Instead of wasting time, create a thorough decluttering checklist based on need. If you have a checklist of what rooms and areas to prioritize, you’ll be a lot more disciplined, and much more likely to complete the job in record time.

Do a little every day 

Decluttering your home is a big task to tackle, especially if you haven’t done so in a while. Though you want to complete the job sooner rather than later, don’t expect to do everything within a day! If you start by doing around 5 minutes to start with, then adding on an extra 5 minutes per day, you can slowly build momentum as you go along. You’ll be powering through your cleaning tasks in no time.

Put on a decluttering playlist 

The prospect of tidying your home in complete austere silence is enough to put anyone off. So, make the job fun by creating a playlist of your favourite tunes - ideally ones that will motivate you to get the job done as soon as possible. Just try not to get too caught up in belting out the lyrics! 

Recruit a friend to help 

Decluttering your home doesn’t have to be a one person job. Ask a friend or family member to help you out, and you’ll be surprised how much easier the job gets. But getting someone to help doesn’t just mean extra carrying power. It also means you have an impartial observer to help you decide what to leave and what to keep. If you can’t justify keeping something to your friend, it’s time to let it go! 

Invest in clever storage and cleaning supplies 

Unless you want to lug rubbish around in your hands, getting some garbage bags and cardboard boxes will make your life a lot easier. Once you’ve done this, think about any storage solutions that you can buy to ensure your home stays tidy in the long-term - for example, clever storage containers, door hangers and furniture that doubles as storage. 

Donate things you no longer use 

Work out what you want to keep and give away, and sort into separate labeled piles - donations, rubbish and things to keep. One fast way to declutter your home is to start donating or selling items you no longer need. Aim to give away your unwanted items as soon as you can and avoid the mentality that you might have a use for something one day. If it doesn’t have a use in the present, it’s probably time to get rid.

Set some cleaning ground rules

Decluttering your home doesn’t need to stop when your home is tidy. Now is the time to develop some ground rules and habits to save you the big job of tidying your home in the future! This could be buying some new storage baskets to avoid a buildup of clutter, keeping any flat surfaces clear, or organizing a twice-weekly clean-up of certain rooms. 

With Square Roots, you can enjoy a tidy and spacious apartment in the hustle and bustle of London. Available through Shared Ownership and Affordable Rent, find out more about our affordable new homes here.