I wanted to share with you 100 things to declutter from your home when you're preparing to sell. These are either things that you can completely get rid of or you can minimize greatly. There's different categories to go through and you can work through one at a time to declutter a few essentials quickly.
Paperwork and stationery - 24
- Magazines, newspapers, or leaflets.
- Opened envelopes where you've taken out the piece of information can go straight into the trash.
- Old paperwork from courses and receipts for items that you don't need to keep.
- Old membership cards.
- Old birthday cards.
- Pens that no longer work and pencils you don’t need.
- Old notebooks and old diaries.
- Used parcel packaging for resending things.
- Old calendars or old letters.
- Craft supplies you do not use.
- Used candles or ends.
- Books or textbooks that you don't need.
- Knickknacks? I suggest reducing all of those.
- Picture frames - you only need to have a few photo frames.
- Duplicate photos? Get rid of any duplicates or ones that are blurry.
- Seasonal decorations. Minimize down to a small basket or small box.
- CDs and DVDs. Think about what it is that you actually watch.
Electrical and organization - 8
- Extension leads. After a few years of using some, they can become faulty.
- Storage boxes. Donate extras.
- Unused subscriptions to the gym or memberships for TV, music, or movie subscriptions.
- Old phones or devices. Dispose of them or sell them.
- Games consoles that you no longer play.
- Unused cables. There are some cables that are worth keeping like a multi-use cable that works with a couple of devices.
- Remote Controls. I've never really had spare remote controls, but I know that this is a thing.
- Storage furniture. As you start decluttering, you'll find that you don't need many storage units.
Outdoor clothing - 9
- Have you got too many coats? You only need a light coat and a heavier coat.
- Same with shoes. I only wear five pairs of shoes and a pair of wellies.
- Sunglasses. Keep one pair in the car and have one in the house.
- Old glasses. If you wear glasses, you can donate your old pairs of glasses.
- Do you have spare purses or spare wallets? Use one until it no longer works or breaks.
- I don't tend to have spare hats, gloves, and scarves. I have two hats, one large scarf, one or two lighter scarves, and two pairs of fingerless gloves.
Kitchen items - 14
- Mugs. You only need a couple.
- Have you got any baking trays that you no longer need? You probably only need one or maximum, two.
- Glass tumblers.
- Out-of-date food or unused food in the fridge. Get rid of it.
- Kitchen appliances that you no longer use.
- Cookbooks.
- Recipe boxes and recipe cards.
- Takeout menus. Get them online instead.
- Cookie cutters. Choose your favorites and get rid of the rest.
- Food container boxes that you no longer use.
- A collection of plastic bags.
- Tea towels.
- Vases.
Pets - 7
- Declutter pet toys, pet carriers, pet baskets, pet towers, and pet scratching posts. Do you have ones that are not used?
- Pet leads. You only need one per pet.
- Pet coats. They could be repurposed or given to a shelter.
Garden - 8
- Old garden furniture that is no good or is broken.
- Plant pots that are not used.
- Do you keep tubs of paint in your shed? Do they need to be kept?
- Old bikes that are no longer needed.
- Dead plants. That is quite common for me.
- Broken pegs in your peg basket.
- Garden tools that no longer work or are broken or faulty.
- Car cleaning tools that you no longer need.
Bathroom - 5
- Out-of-date medicine.
- Medicine that you no longer need for being treated for something. Take them to your local pharmacy and they will dispose of them for you.
- Old sun cream. I highly recommend not reusing sun cream from a previous year.
- Travel-sized items.
- Do you have any extra shampoo or conditioner? Use it up or get rid of it.
- Exercise balls or exercise equipment that you no longer need.
- Sports rackets that are broken or damaged.
- Sports bottles that are old. You only need one or two maximum.
- Sports clothing either that no longer fits or that you no longer use.
Clothing - 7
- Worn through socks.
- Underwear that you have too much of.
- PJs - we need one or two pairs maximum.
- T-shirts and clothes that have not been worn in several years.
- Clothes that don't fit.
- Spare hangers in your wardrobe that you are not using.
- Suitcases that you no longer use?
Household items - 13
- Do you have any foreign coins? Foreign coins can be donated to some charities.
- Old makeup products that are out of date. Throw them away.
- Cleaning products that you no longer use. Use them up or donate them.
- Towels. Go through and see if you can declutter.
- I tend to only have two bedsheets. One that's on the bed and one spare.
- If you don't need spare pillows, donate them to a shelter.
- The same goes for blankets.
- If you change your curtains, could you sell the old ones that you don't use?
- Do you have too many cushions, cushion covers, or tablecloths?
- Coasters or placemats that you no longer use.
- Do you have side tables in your living room? Could you get rid of the ones you don’t use?
100 things to declutter
In total, here's about 100 things you can declutter in your home. I hope this helps to make decluttering your home a bit easier for you. Where are you in your decluttering journey? This doesn't need to wait for you to move either!