Whether you’ve been meaning to clean your basement for years or recently noticed the clutter building up, don’t put off the inevitable. Clutter doesn’t have to take over your ideas or plans for how you’d like to use your space, so get tidying your basement as stress-free as possible with these seven great tips.
Once you start, it’ll be hard to stop!
6 Tips for Decluttering Your Basement
- Prioritize
Prioritizing should always be the first step in cleaning out your basement. This means that before you begin moving or throwing things away, consider what you want to use your basement for.
Basements are ideal spaces for:
- Storing items
- Making a games room
- Expanding your office space
- Creating extra living space
- Providing utility space
- Acting as a laundry room
Depending on what you want to use your basement for will alter how much decluttering you need to undergo. For example, would you like to use your basement for storage purposes? In that case, you’ll have different decluttering priorities than if you’re going to make the space suitable for an extra bedroom or living space.
Whatever you decide, having a specific goal to work towards will make the decluttering experience more efficient and far less overwhelming.
- Divide Your Basement Into Sections
Knowing where to begin may feel like an overwhelming task depending on just how cluttered your basement is. Do you start with grouped items? And do you group things based on who they belong to?
While categorizing items will come in handy once you’ve decluttered, to begin with, we recommend dividing your basement into areas. You could do this by imagining the room split into quarters, or you can go by items near prominent landmarks, such as items by the door or on shelves.
- Start in One Area
Start in one area, and then move on to the next. If you lack motivation due to the scale of your decluttering project, write the divided areas on a list, and once you’ve completed an area, tick it off so you can see your progress and adhere to your specific goals.
Experts on motivation highly recommend that you monitor your progress intermittently after setting your goal. The danger of not completing one area at a time is that you’re likely to lose motivation, and without your list, you’ll be unclear as to what needs doing next.
- Deal With Large Items First
Once you’ve divided your areas, made your list, and chosen your first area, it’s best to tackle the large items first.
As with many different tasks, starting with the more complicated things when your motivation hasn’t yet waned means you’re more likely to make progress on your decluttering mission. Basements often have large items such as old washing machines, furniture, lawn equipment, or broken devices. In your area, hunt out these items first.
- Create a Sorting System
Remember, there’s no point in decluttering if you’re moving items from the basement to clutter your house or garage. So ensure you have a sorting method. It can be as simple as the three categories:
- Keep
- Junk
- Donate
If you no longer use the items in your basement, but they work, consider donating them. Remember, donating items, like clothes or other goods, is excellent for the planet because it prevents a build-up in landfill sites.
If you’re struggling to let go of items for sentimental reasons, ask yourself:
- Will you use it?
- Have you used it recently?
- Do you love it?
- Do you have room to keep it?
If the answer is no, it’s best to donate or put it in the junk pile.
- Use Boxes and Containers
So grab some boxes or trash bags and immediately utilize your system! Once you’ve taken an item out of the basement, don’t leave the organizing until later in the day – by then, you’ll be tired and might be lacking in motivation. Instead, put an item straight into the keep, junk, or donate box.
- Hire a Basement Cleanout Service
If you’re decluttering yourself, you’ll need to allow yourself plenty of time. An hour out of your day isn’t likely to give you enough time to do all the tidying you need to accomplish, especially if your basement is one of the messier ones. While not everyone can take a couple of days out of their week to sort through everything, that doesn’t mean you can’t get the tidy basement of your dreams.
Instead, could you ask for help by hiring a basement cleanout service? Enlisting the help of professionals like Nixxit’s Basements Removal Service means you don’t have to do any of the heavy lifting. And with Nixxit’s commitment to donating reusable items, you don’t have to worry about your impact on the planet for extra peace of mind!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does It Take To Declutter a Basement?
It depends on how much clutter is in your basement, what needs removing, and if you’re tackling your basement by yourself or enlisting the help of professionals. Doing the latter will be a far quicker, more efficient, and less stressful experience.
Need Basement Junk Removal Help? Get in Touch!
Don’t let the thought of decluttering your basement distract you from a much-needed tidy! Enlist the help of the pros at Nixxit Junk Removal and book your window today!
Need Help with Junk Removal in the Bay Area, CA?
Nixxit Junk Removal can help with your junk removal needs in the Bay Area.
- Full-Service Junk Removal and Sorting
- We Do the Heavy Lifting and Loading
- Locally Owned and Operated
- Donation and Recycling
- Same Day Appointments Available!
