With minimalism creeping into popular culture through television programs like Tiny House Nation and books like Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, it’s no surprise that North Americans are putting more focus on organization. As a leading junk removal company throughout the United States and Canada, Junk Works understands better than most the impact an organized home can have on your lifestyle.

While the concept of minimalism is simple, the process of minimizing your life is not always so easy. Here, we have curated a list of our top tips to help you begin the process of compacting and creating space.

1. Determine what holds value, and what is taking up space

The first step to any move into the minimalist life is determining which of your belongings are necessary or hold value. For example, most North Americans have a junk drawer stacked with bits and pieces they might need someday but probably haven’t used in years. Most of these things are useless, and holding onto such items clutters your home unnecessarily.

What’s the fix? Go through drawers, closets, storage spaces, attics, basements, and garages, and look at each item you have been holding onto. Ask yourself these questions:

• What is this?
• Does this hold significance emotionally or practically?
• When did I acquire this?
• When was the last time I used this?
• Will I need this moving forward?
• Can I live without this?

If the answers to these questions point toward a need to hold onto the item, then it stays and should be repacked in a new box. If the answers suggest you do not remember what it is, where it came from, or whether it might be useful in the future, then it is likely time to say goodbye.

Starting with your storage spaces is the best way to free up space for other items that should be there, but do not fit. Seasonal belongings, for example, are a practical use of storage space, as you will need your snow shovel or gardening equipment at different times throughout the year, but you will probably never need that half-finished puzzle with the missing pieces.

2. Be prepared to donate, recycle, and sell

While sorting through items in your home that are no longer needed, it helps to know that they have a future purpose. Donating old toys, for example, takes the sting out of parting with old treasures because you know another child in need will get great joy out of those items. Similarly, belongings that are too damaged to use might be fit for recycling, which allows you to practice sustainability. You might be surprised to learn how many household items can be remade into something more useful. In the junk removal industry, we see a lot of belongings thrown out that could serve a better purpose.

There is also the option of selling belongings you no longer want. Online buy and sell groups have taken over the traditional yard sale concept and allow you to list belongings at reasonable prices to make back some of what you have spent on them in the past. This is another way to give unwanted belongings a new home and make money in the process.

3. Find a place for everything and put everything in its place

When the belongings in our homes have designated places to live, it helps us stay organized. Items that wind up on countertops, tables, the floor, and bookshelves, when they do not belong there, often circulate in our homes with no real organization. However, when you create a permanent place for every belonging you own, it becomes much easier to keep your home in order.

Making a list for each room or a sketch showing the basic layout of every room is a great place to start. Fill each room with the belongings that go there and ensure everything has a place that fits your decorating scheme and personal taste. If you have an item without a proper home, it may be unnecessarily taking up space, or you may need to create some new forms of storage.

4. Create storage within storage

The need for extra storage calls on your inner creativity. Finding ways to create more storage within the storage already available is a huge help in living the minimalist lifestyle. For example, the shelves in your bathroom, which hold toothpaste, combs, hair spray, makeup, and other essentials, can be further organized into baskets or bins. Specialized storage containers come in all shapes and sizes and can be found at a variety of home and office supplies stores across North America. Adding smaller storage compartments to these larger storage spaces compacts the clutter and hides it from view, making even the smallest space appear bigger.

A great example of storage within storage is a closet organizer. These organizational systems often include hanging and shelving sections for clothing, shoes, ties, purses, and more. By adding extra storage to your storage area, you can use space wisely and ensure everything has a proper place.

5. Call for junk removal

Clutter lives in and out of the home, and professional junk removal services can help you get rid of your excess waste. Whether you have been building an addition to your house and have an abundance of old siding to dispose of, or after organizing, you find yourself with a mountain of useless old electronics, Junk Works can minimize the mess. As well, we ensure that everything is disposed of legally and with green living in mind.

From full-service junk removal to self-service dumpster rental, we have a variety of products and services to ease your load and make your home a place you can feel proud of.

For more information on junk removal, we invite you to contact Junk Works at 1-888-888-JUNK. Our team of experienced junk removal experts are always happy to help you better understand how our services work and the best way to use them to your advantage. We wish you the best of luck with your minimalist endeavours!