© VintageCashCow Guide | April 2023
Declutter like a pro
“In this guide, we’ll help you to start your decluttering journey. You’ll master the art of clearing any space in your home, discover life-changing organisation tips and learn how to declutter like a pro.” Vicky Silverthorn , Professional Organiser
The Benefits Household clutter can seem relatively harmless. But research has found that decluttering can not only help to boost your mood but ease mental health conditions like anxiety, and improve productivity, too. Mental Health 48.5% of respondents agreed that having unwanted clutter in the house made them feel stressed. - Budget Dumpster Finances The average Briton hangs on to £514 worth of unused goods that simply lie dormant, gathering dust. - BHF Time Getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40% of housework in the average home. - National Soap & Detergent Association
Where to start Room-by-room When decluttering any room, a great place to start is by defining the purpose of your space. This will help you to better understand how you wish to use the room while guiding your clear-out and enhancing your experience in other rooms.
For example, returning those used mugs and rogue bananas to your kitchen from your office will instantly enhance your workspace and eliminate unnecessary Top tip: When clearing a room, we recommend dividing it into multiple sections and only progressing to the next space when you’ve finished detoxing the previous area. distractions. It’s a win-win situation.
Kitchen
1 | Think practically about where you place things. Placing infrequently-used items on your countertop while having to run around several cupboards and drawers for the essentials probably isn’t the best use of your space or time. Start by planning out where you want your most practical items to go (think: kettle, cups, cutlery, glasses etc.) and work out from there. 2 | Don’t double up. Got yourself a shiny new blender but keeping your old, trusty one in the cupboard, just in case? If it’s been untouched for more than 3-4 months, consider donating it to a charity shop, friend or member of
your family who might be in need of one. 3 | Plan a monthly food clear out.
Whenever we clear out our pantries or fridges, we tend to find several items that have gone bad. Having a monthly clear out means these things don’t sit rotting in the back of your cupboard for months on end, taking up valuable space and potentially contaminating other food items.
Bedroom
1 | Make your bed. It’s impossible to feel any progress with an unmade bed at the centre of the room. 2 | Break it down. Don’t overwhelm yourself by pulling the entire contents of your bedroom out in one go – it’ll take much longer than you expect. Start with your nightstand, and remove or relocate any items that don’t belong there; books you’ve finished reading, used candles or empty lotions, magazines, old cups and tissue boxes. 3 | Tackle the dressing table next. Resist the urge to hide things you don’t have a home for in drawers; instead, throw away, recycle or donate anything or anything you haven’t used in more than six months.
Bedroom
4 | See your wardrobe and dresser as a separate task. Don’t start them at the same time as the rest of your bedroom. Complete the above tasks, then stop. Start fresh with your clothes another day when you have a solid chunk of time to dedicate to them. Organise by clothing type, for example, start with denim, jumpers or t-shirts. It’s much easier to decide if you need a pair of jeans if you can see all the pairs you own at once.
Then put each item into a designated pile:
• Keep
҇ Repair ҇ Laundry • Throw away • Donate • Sell
Office
1 | Assess every item as you go. Sort things into three piles – keep, archive and dispose. Items in the ‘keep’ pile will be used daily or weekly, like a laptop, mouse or notepad. Stuff in the ‘archive’ pile may include spare pens or important documents, which can be placed in short-term or long- term storage. And things in the ‘dispose’ pile can be sold, donated or thrown away. 2 | Analyse your layout. Consider rearranging furniture. The purpose of this activity is to help you maximise your space and work as efficiently as possible. For example, you can maintain a clear desk by storing rarely used items in drawers, dividers, or shelves. And if you’re left with any unused furniture, consider getting rid. 3 | Put everything in its rightful place. Once you know what you wish to keep, give everything a home. Consider how frequently each item will be used; for example, pens in a pot are usually kept within arm’s reach, whereas a rarely used file can be placed in storage. Finally, add some personal touches, like plants, family photos or art prints.
Kids Room
1 | Begin by introducing a ‘box’ system. Simply tidy away that day’s toys into one box, and monitor them over several weeks. Then sell or donate unused toys and games to friends or good causes. A great time to do this is before the holiday season or birthdays. Dispose of any broken toys. 2 | Maximise your floor space. Choose wall-mounted storage solutions. As well as vertical activities like wall-mounted easels for creativity. This frees up more floor space for your child to play and will keep their room looking and feeling larger and tidier. 3 | Organise toys into clear bins or buckets. Using clear containers will help your child quickly locate the toy they’re looking for and minimise the frequency of unplayed toys being dumped on the floor. 4 | Introduce a tidying schedule. Nurture your child’s sense of understanding and independence. To make this a fun activity, play some music and create a game around who can tidy items the quickest.
Garage
1 | Begin by clearing floor space. Gather strong bin bags, facemasks or safety goggles, to dispose of those old, broken, hazardous or dusty items. You may also require a mop, bucket, broom, dusters and spray for cleaning or spillages. 2 | Take your sorting seriously. Assess items by category, i.e. sort through all your expired paint cans in one swoop. Donate or dispose of identical products. Pick which old pieces of sports equipment you wish to keep. Keep one rust-free version of each gardening tool. 3 | Rethink your layout and storage solutions. All your items should be easily locatable. To help you find items with ease, it’s worth considering your garage’s layout and incorporating storage solutions like ceiling hooks, shelving, work bins, cupboards, pegboards or toolboxes. 4 | Top tip: Garages are cleaned less than other rooms in your home, it’s worth cleaning surfaces and the items you wish to keep as you progress.
Why Declutter? You may wish to declutter your home for many reasons; however, the four most common are… Downsizing Children flown the nest? Looking to make your home easier to maintain? Downsizing is an great opportunity to consolidate your things. Before you start, consider the layout of your home and work your way from room to room, organising items into ‘yes’ or ‘no’ piles. Desire for extra money There are millions of ways to fund your activities. But one of the simplest ways to do this is by cashing in on unwanted vintage items that are collecting dust around your home. To get started, focus on clearing one room, and take note of the items you haven’t used for a while or no longer bring you joy.
Clear-out Did you know detoxing your home is scientifically proven to improve your mental and physical well-being? This allows you to reclaim space, making you feel mentally calmer, and it enables you to remove old bits and bobs hosting thousands of unknown allergens. Inherited items Grief is a journey that affects everyone differently and should never be rushed. When you’re ready to start the clearing process, begin by sorting through the least sentimental items. Next, speak with friends and family to see if anybody has emotional ties to knickknacks. Then, sell or donate the remaining items in a way your loved one would appreciate.
4 decluttering habits our experts swear by
1 | A place for everything & everything in its place. “As an antique collector and owner of an antique business, my house is susceptible to looking and feeling cluttered. To keep my space - and mind clutter-free, I live by the rule “if there’s no place for it, it has to go.” If I can’t get use out of it or doesn’t bring me joy, then it doesn’t stay.”
Antony Charman , Co-founder Vintage Cash Cow
2 | Look at your home differently. “Open the door to a room and take note of the items the room holds like you never have before.” 3 | Start small & build up. “Begin in one room - perhaps the room that’s been annoying you the most and then choose a corner, a cupboard or even just a shelf to get started.” 4 | Empty the space & clean it then make your decisions. “Don’t forget to re-house anything that’s been sitting in the wrong location.” Vicky Silverthorn , Professional Organiser
50 things you can declutter now
BROKEN JEWELLERY
OLD TOYS
OLD JEWELLERY
CABLES & WIRES
COMPUTER
CDs & DVDs
OLD PHONES & TECH
OLD MAKE-UP
CLOTHES
OLD TOOLS
BOARD GAMES
GLASSES
BOOKS
CUTLERY
WATCHES
SUNGLASSES
PENS
CAMERAS
SPORTS GEAR
MUGS & PLATES
TUPPERWARE
VIDEO GAMES
BEDDING
FOOTWEAR
COAT HANGERS
MEDICINES
CRAFT SUPPLIES
27/50
50 things you can declutter now
USED BATTERIES
LUGGAGE
OLD CURRENCY
PAINT SAMPLES
UMBRELLAS
GIFT SETS
FOOD CANS & JARS
OLD TOWELS
CLEANING STUFF
GU POTS
CUSHIONS
OLD BOXES
PET STUFF
PLANTS & POTS
OVEN TRAYS
LANDLINE PHONES
HAIR STUFF
BICYCLES
HANDBAGS
CLOCKS
PAPERWORK
GREETINGS CARDS
OTHERS
50/50
Now you’ve decluttered, what should you do with your items?
We’re the number one online place to sell your old items.
Selling on eBay With a quick and easy service like Vintage Cash Cow, decluttering your home can be as simple as packing all your old, broken, scratched or tangled things in a box and requesting a free home collection. However, if you’re only getting rid of one or two items, selling them through an online marketplace like eBay may be worthwhile. To get started, just… Create a listing.
Add specific details. This additional information can include brand names, colours, styles and more. Describe the item. Define its condition (new, used or refurbished), then explain its features in as much detail as possible. Choose the selling format and price. Decide ‘auction’, ‘buy it now’ or combine the two and enable an auction listing to be bought for a set price. Then, decide if you will add a
You can do this by tapping the ‘create listing’ button in the Seller’s Hub tab in the dropdown menu. Explain what you are selling. To do this, begin typing the name of your item or any key identifiers into the search bar, and then eBay will recommend some relevant listing titles. Add media. The more accurately your item is displayed via quality photographs and video, the easier it will be to sell while avoiding unnecessary returns. Specify the category and provide titles. This extra information can be up to 80 characters.
reserve price or accept offers. Set shipping details.
Specify the regions you will ship to or offer a local collection service for large or bulky items.
Finally, check all the information is correct and then list your item.
How to keep your home clutter-free “Keeping your home clutter-free really is easier than it sounds. All you need is a bit of time and a handful of principles to guide you on your way. Take a peek at our top tips...”
1 | Clear out regularly. Set time aside every few months to dispose of the bits and bobs you no longer use. Popular items include photos, piles of papers, childrens’ toys, books, sentimental items. If you haven’t used something for over six months, you’re probably safe to get rid of it. 2 | Give everything a home. Once everything has a clear home, tidying becomes easier. Top tip: If you have more items than you can home, introduce additional storage, e.g. under-bed boxes, a console or a storage chest. 3 | Put everything away. Once you’ve finished using an item put it away in its home. This principle works for clothes, kitchen appliances, gym equipment, you name it. And the more you do it, the sooner this will become a habit.
4 | Live within your means. Let your home dictate your lifestyle - not the other way around. For example, if a bookcase is stacked high with mountains of books, consider donating the ones you no longer read instead of buying a larger bookcase. 5 | Store items smarter. Take some time to thoughtfully arrange your items in the rooms they’ll be used most frequently, you won’t need to walk between rooms to find and tidy them. 6 | Go digital. Do away with those piles of papers by storing your documents digitally. Plenty of apps can help you, while some, like Evernote, allow you to search certain words. 7 | Always maintain a junk drawer. It’s worth accepting that some items never will have a home - pencils, pens, string, twist ties, etc. So, instead of spending time creating homes for every individual thing, just scoop all your odd little bits and bobs into one junk drawer. 8 | Ask yourself if an item sparks joy. The final question to ask, if you’re unsure whether to keep an item, is whether it sparks joy. We can feel a sentimental bond with many things, but ultimately, if something doesn’t spark joy, we recommend against keeping it.
Selling your items in bulk to
We accept thousands of items, all fully insured and with free postage or collection. Simply, box it, send it, sell it. We accept boxes in all shapes and sizes. We recommend reusing any sturdy box, like Amazon packaging, a wine case or a shoe box. All we ask is that it safely holds all your valuables and doesn’t exceed 1m X 1m X 1m. If it’s larger than this, please call our friendly customer support team and ask about the best way to transport your valuables. Arrange your collection or delivery. We go above and beyond to make your experience as easy as possible. So, if you cannot take your box to a local Post Office, we’ll collect it from your home. Just call us between Monday and Friday, 9am and 5pm, and choose a day and time that suits you. Easy peasy. Send your box to us. Take your box to a local Post Office or arrange for it to be collected from your home. On entering our HQ, our logistics team scan the barcode to log its arrival.
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© VintageCashCow Guide | April 2023
Go for it!
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