Find out how to declutter your home easily so that you can enjoy more space and less stuff – maybe even a bit of extra cash too!

Decluttering is a quick and easy way to make more space in your home, getting rid of items you no longer want or need. Of course, it isn’t always that easy – decluttering the whole house feels like such a big task, doesn’t it? The good news is that with these 10 easy tips, you can get rid of at least some of your unwanted stuff today easily and without any stress at all. So pop your Marie Kondo hat on, take a breathe and follow these 10 tips to help you declutter your home today:

1.   Declutter For 5 Minutes

Take five minutes and declutter anywhere – your bedroom, self storage unit, garage – anywhere. Set the timer and declutter for that amount of time, and even if you don’t end up decluttering anywhere in that five minutes – there’s always tomorrow.

2.   Declutter One Item

Pick one item to throw, donate or sell and that is all you need to do today. If you decluttered one item a day for a year you’d be free of a massive 365 items by this time next year – wouldn’t that be amazing!

3.   Aim To Gift One Item

Sometimes it helps to know we are gifting an item when we look to declutter. Has your friend always loved that ornament, your mum always loved that cushion? If you aren’t that attached to the item, declutter it and gift it on.

4.   Hold Back On One Purchase

Decluttering is as much about buying less as it is getting rid of items. Instead of decluttering today, maybe you can avoid making one impulse purchase if that is something you tend to do.

5.   Fill A Box

If you do want to make a decent dent on your clutter try filling one box with clutter today. It’s manageable but also feels like a really good achievement, too.

6.   Pick A Charity

If you need an incentive to declutter, maybe pick your favourite charity when you declutter and have them in mind. Maybe everything you can sell, you sell to raise money for them. You can do the same by choosing your own financial goal to raise money for if you don’t have a charity in mind or have a goal of your own that takes priority.

7.   Start

Sometimes just making a start is all you need to do. However that looks for you, whether you start to organise your self storage unit so you have everything laid out ready, or you make a path into your garage to enable you to declutter – that is a start. The momentum from that should be all you need to push you into more decluttering action in the coming days.

8.   Sort The ‘Birthday Bag’

Everybody has a Christmas or Birthday bag they haven’t sorted through. It still has the wrapping paper, the card and the gift in it, or maybe multiple gifts from the occasion. Why not just sort that bag out today, moving on items inside you know you don’t want (chances are if you haven’t tended to it months after being gifted you might not be too attached).

9.   Fill A Bin Bag/ Recycling Bag

Can you bag up real rubbish or recycling? Instead of items that are good for selling or giving to charity, maybe you can literally just bag up old paperwork (shred anything sensitive) or throw away literal broken items that have no use. That is an easy win and a quick way to quickly declutter a space.

10.  Declutter With A Pal

Maybe you need a friend to help you out and get you decluttering today. Maybe you can sit down as she asks you about each item of clothes, and you choose to keep, sell or give away. There’s some room for dressing up and fun here!

Hopefully the ten tips above will help you to clear your space today. Just one small change can have an incredible impact – try to just focus on one of those small changes today and hopefully it will become a habit for you, creating real progress over time. Before long the aesthetics and function of your space will be better, and you’ll be thoroughly hooked on decluttering.

Staging your home isn’t easy, but it is worth it for a quick sale. Here we look at the main ways to stage your home quickly, easily and cheaply.

Let’s be clear, selling a home is so stressful even if it happens quickly, let alone when the months are dragging on and you’re not even getting any viewings on a regular basis. It doesn’t have to be this way, staging your home can help you sell your home quickly and easily, and it comes with some other benefits as well.

Home owners faced with selling their home have an initial choice to make when they decide to sell – whether to ‘present’ the home for sale or not. Then after that decision is made, it is a case of deciding how much time, effort and cash to put into presenting the home to best effect. At the top end of the scale you have professional level ‘staging’ (whether actually done by a professional or not) and at the bottom end you have simply just a good clean and tidy up. Either way a lot of effort is still involved, but staging the home is definitely a rewarding option. It does involve doing some simple repairs and maybe even some decorating, and it will certainly involve a lot of organisation, but your house will look desirable enough to get snapped up so it is completely worth all the effort it will take.

Want to stage your home for resale but don’t know where to start? Here’s how:

Before You Do Anything Else

You must be prepared to work hard and look at the property through different eyes. It is SO easy to be defensive when we are faced with changing our home, but the end result in doing this benefits you, so it is worth taking the emotional hit and pushing through. You might have to take all your memories and mementoes out of the house so the buyer can imagine making new memories and filling it with their own treasures; you might have to make adjustments that you personally think look bland and boring, but if it sells your home quickly, it doesn’t matter – because you’ll be off personalising your brand new home faster than you expected.

Your Bathroom

Your key focus for this room is cleanliness. If you focus on that one thing with the cleaning, lighting and decoration you won’t go wrong. Buyers are not turned on by old, dirty bathrooms.

• Get rid of mould at any cost – if you have money to do basic repairs, then this is the place to invest. Maybe you could re-grout, or even re-tile or repaint – whatever it takes to get rid of mould and freshen up the whole room. You may well be able to get rid of the mould with special cleaning sprays or just some good old basic bleach will do the trick.
• Freshen accessories – replace your old towels with smart new towels (remember you can take them with you to your new home), buy a new toilet seat, a new shower curtain and rug – stained or dated materials just don’t sell a room.
• Look at the details – if the flooring is coming up at the sides or there are cracked tiles, or there is rust around the fixtures, think about cheap effective replacements you could make to remove those issues. Buyers will notice small issues like that and see them as bigger problems than they really are because they will be adding up the cost of updating everything and be planning on offering a price below the asking price.
• Make sure absolutely everything is working – if your shower is on the blink, one of the taps is loose or dripping, or the window doesn’t open (or doesn’t close properly), don’t assume the buyer won’t check all of these things – they will, especially if they are on a tight budget. Look to get these issues fixed quickly, cheaply and easily.
• Lighting – remember you want the room to look clean and spacious which it won’t do with a lack of natural light, or with one single unflattering downlight if potential buyers are viewing in the evening. Clean the windows thoroughly and let the light flood in for those daytime viewings. In the evenings ensure there are plenty of light sources – if you only have one main light and it is impractical or not cost-effective to install more then invest in some battery-operated stick on strip lights – or maybe even light a few scented candles to create a relaxing effect.

The Main Bedroom

Bedrooms need to look as spacious as possible, and they should also feel calm and relaxed so that potential buyers can imagine relaxing there after a long, hard day. Here are some ways to create a bedroom that is appealing to all types of viewer:

• Neutralise any feminine or masculine touches that might put off certain buyers. You want the room to appeal to as many people as possible so replace the frilly, flowery bed covers with something neutral – there are plenty of inexpensive options at the major supermarkets and DIY chains – and as with the new towels in the bathroom you can always take new bedding with you.
• Add a headboard to the bed – this will add finish to the room and draw attention to the focal point which will, clearly, be the bed. If you have some DIY and craft skills you can easily make a headboard from a piece of MDF cut to size (many DIY stores will do the cuts for free) and covered with fabric – all you need is a staple gun to attach the fabric.
• Get rid of anything that looks a bit dated or dirty. Although the buyer will know that most of the items there now won’t be in the room when they move in, subconsciously they will apply that old, unclean feeling to your entire home and it will influence their decision on whether to make an offer and what level of offer they might make. Simply creating a clean, fresh neutral space could be the difference between an offer or not.
• Add lighting – the room needs to look as big as possible so let the natural light flood in by cleaning or replacing any dark or dirty curtains. Also add extra lamps for viewers coming in the evening – and switch them on before they arrive.
• Make your bed look really nice (think boutique hotel) – this sounds obvious but many people just leave crinkly mismatched bedcovers on thinking it won’t make a difference – it does. Little over-sights like this help potential buyers for an unfavourable overall opinion of your home.

Kitchen

This needs to be looked at following the same principles as the bathroom – it simply must be clean. This is a practical space and an expensive one to refurbish, so you need to make sure you pay a lot of attention to this room. Make sure all the appliances that will be left in the home are working and are clean. You need to ensure ALL surfaces are clear of clutter, scrupulously clean and in good condition. Make sure the flooring isn’t peeling at the edges or tiles aren’t chipped, make sure the walls aren’t dirty, make sure the cabinets are clean (inside and out) and don’t have anything peeling or chipping. Remember to:

• Update the kitchen if you need to – it might seem expensive, but it could add so much value to your home if you budget it right – even new cabinets handles can make a difference and are something you could easily replace yourself.
• Add fresh accessories – add clean tea towels and plants to freshen the room up
• Tidy the cupboards – buyers will want to look inside them.

Your Living Room

This is likely to be the first room your buyer sees, so it needs to look great. You’re trying to make it look as big as possible, so again add natural light and then put extra lamps in for the evening. Remember to:

• Make sure the focal points are clean – this is usually the fireplace or the TV table.
• Play around with how your furniture sits to ensure it promotes the most spacious representation
• Ensure the carpets are clean and update them if needed

Outside

So the front of your home will be all about the kerb appeal. This means getting rid of any old toys lying around, tidying up bushes that might be out of control, and generally beautifying the space. Clean your drive, clean your door and garage and freshen up how it looks if you drive past. In the garden at the back you will want to make the space tidy and also make it look easy to maintain. You don’t want buyers looking at the space worrying about how hard it would be to manage. Of course, trim the bushes and the lawn.

Other General Tips for Staging Your Home

There are some important overall tips you need to know if you are staging your home:

Budget

You must set a budget for your home staging. This should include the cost of any repairs and any continual products you will need to buy like flowers. Make sure you budget for staging.

Maintenance

Once you have done all the hard work, you must maintain it. You must live in a staged home all of the time so it is always ready for viewings. Get used to tidying and freshening up all the time. It might sound tiring but it will be worth it – you don’t want to run around in a panic when the estate agent rings and asks to show someone round while you’re out.

An Opportunity For A Clearout

One major benefit of staging your home is it gives you chance to have a massive clearout before you move to your new house. Before you redecorate or clean, consider going through your entire house and bagging or boxing up all the items you no longer want. You can separate them into sell, give away or throw away piles and perhaps store some items in bedford self storage while you organise them (as long as they are out of your house it doesn’t matter). This is a good chance for you to shed all the rubbish you have collected over the years.

An Opportunity To Be Creative Without Consequences

It is often really nice to redecorate a home without having to worry about whether you will love it in five years and whether your family will love it. You are decorating it to make it look attractive for new owners and that is quite a fun job, like wiping the slate clean and allowing yourself to be creative for creativity’s sake.

De-personalisation

This is by far the most important thing you need to do. When your buyer walks in they will want to imagine themselves living in your home. With all your pictures everywhere, your ornaments, the way you like to have furniture set up, all the hobbies – they don’t stand a chance. They will only be able to see how you like your home to be. You must de-personalise your home.

Staging

You should get used to making your home smell and look desirable. Spray inviting scents like vanilla and bamboo around the house, arrange the dining table, put a pretty coffee cup and saucer under the coffee maker, place blankets over the edge of sofas, put flowers all over the house – make a show home, to show your home off!

Remember…

Don’t get stressed, you can easily stage your home for a small budget, just plan out what you want to do and put in the time and effort to do it – the payoff will be worth it!

Here are 10 small business types that would benefit from self storage.

Small businesses can benefit from affordable self storage in many ways. It’s flexible, affordable, accessible and free from a lot of the heavy commitment associated with office or warehouse contracts. Realistically, every business could benefit from some cheap storage space, but some are particularly well suited to gaining an affordable self storage unit to help with their day to day operations. As an insight, here are 10 small business types that would benefit from a self storage unit:

1.   Online Buy & Sell Trader

If you buy and sell on sites like EBay and Vinted you will be able to store your wares safely in local self storage. Even better, the unit will afford you the space to photograph the items well before listing them.

2.   Craft Business

Craft supplies take up a lot of space, which is why a self storage unit is the perfect place to keep all those supplies out of your home and in your own dedicated space. In your unit you can keep it organised, and sort out your packing as well, all in the same place.

3.   Seasonal Small Business

Seasonal businesses naturally need more space at some times of the year than others. This makes self storage a natural choice for seasonal small business owners who can move between larger and smaller units as and when they need to.

4.   Market Stall Holder

Market stall holders sell at certain times of the week, and then have stock they need to store between those times. They also have to sort out new stock, and prepare items to sell on market days. Self storage can store all of those items safely, and provide a space for preparation inbetween market days.

5.   Influencer

Influencers can start off making content in a bedroom or a spare room, but when real money starts to be made, a more established setup is needed. In a self storage unit you can set up the right lighting and background for your content, and could even edit it in the room, too, as some self storage facilities have electricity you can use. Most importantly, the security of the facility is far beyond what you will have at home, ensuring that your expensive lights, recording equipment and other tech is kept safe. Choose climate controlled units and you will also benefit from keeping a steady temperature free from extremes that prevents your gear from being damaged by the environment it is kept in.

6.   Gardener

Gardeners and landscapers may have a range of tools and equipment that is used for different jobs. These tools are expensive and keeping them in a van overnight is very risky, as is keeping them in a garage at home. It is expensive to get them replaced if they are stolen, and extreme temperatures could cause issues like warping of metal. The best thing to do is utilise local self storage for your tools and equipment so you can go to the unit in the morning, pickup what you need and then drop it off in the evening before going home. That way all of your gear will stay safe and in great condition so you can continue to do a great job landscaping or gardening. The one caveat is that some units may restrict the storage of flammables, such as fuel used for chainsaws or strimmers. You may need to discuss whether that is allowed or not, and if so, if there are rules around how you might need to do it. It is important to check so that you don’t accidentally break any rules and potentially lose your insurance cover.

7.   Decorator

Decorating is similar to gardening in that you use different tools for every job, tools and equipment that are expensive and risky to leave in a van or garage overnight. Just like gardening businesses benefit from self storage so too can decorating businesses. A self storage unit can be used in the same way as a gardener might use it, but it is wise to ensure that there are some protections in place because of the items you are using. Sheeting on the ground and other procedures will make sure you don’t accidentally damage the unit with spills and debris that are a natural part of your job. You’ll also need to check about flammables like certain paints and whether they can be stored.

8.   Cleaning Business

When you are a cleaner you can carry your kit with you in your vehicle, but if you clean multiple properties you may need a small unit to carry supplies like blue roll, specialist tools and equipment. Some small businesses will have several cleaners operating under their name, and so, a central hub is necessary. This hub can be accessed by all members of staff to collect things like uniform, cleaning equipment and other supplies. It’s an ideal alternative to a warehouse or office, when you don’t really need that kind of expensive and committed service – you just need a flexible, secure space your team can access as and when they need to.

9.   Food Truck

Many places that are now restaurants started out as food trucks. It is a cheaper way to build a food brand and get your name out there, but where do you store the truck and its contents between the times you are working in it? Not all self storage facilities allow you to store a vehicle, but many do. It is a great way to store your food truck safely at such a time when a break-in overnight could be disastrous for your budding business. You can also use the storage space for signage, tables and chairs, gazebos and other items you may wish to use sometimes as part of your food truck service.

10.  Party Businesses

Party businesses can often have a lot of stuff utilised for events. Chairs, tables, accessories, props, lighting, DJ equipment – the list is endless. Those items are very expensive to place and too big for a garage or home. Self storage is the perfect solution for storing these kinds of items safely, securely and in a place you can easily visit as and when you need to as you setup your latest event. You can also direct other members of the business, or other suppliers/ collaborators to the unit to drop items off, or pick items up.

Could Your Business Benefit From Small Business Self Storage?

Your local self storage company will be more than happy to give you more information and help you to find the perfect unit for your needs. Small businesses can benefit from a flexible, affordable service like self storage, so why not make an enquiry today to find out how it could benefit yours?