Could it be time for a Spring Clean?

During the Winter months it is hard to get the motivation and energy to declutter and sort our homes, and whocan blame us when the evenings are dark and cold. But now is the time of year when the evenings are drawing out, warmer weather is hopefully approaching and we are seeing the ever-optimistic signs of Spring.

And did you know that in fact this week is National Spring Cleaning Week so there couldn't be a better time to get started on freshening up your home!

We get enquiries at this time of year from people who want to sort out their homes for many different reasons. It could be anything from wanting to rent them on AirBnB during the summer months, and wanting to make it easy to pack away their personal effects, to those who just want their houses decluttered and organised so that they can spend more time enjoying being outside.

Of course while decluttering and cleaning are different activities, it's worth mentioning that a decluttered house is SO much easier to clean! Once clear and organised, it's so much easier to keep on top of and will take up so much less of your valuable time and energy.

Whatever your motivation here are some simple things you can do to make your home feel brighter and less cluttered.

• Walk round your home and note down, what we call the "quick wins". These are things that can be done relatively quickly and easily but will make a big difference. Things like removing obvious rubbish, out of date magazines or dead plants can have a big visual impact.

• Decide which area in your home needs most attention and then break the job down into smaller chunks. So if your spare room is particularly cluttered or untidy, take one cupboard, corner or shelf at a time.

• Don’t be restricted by the way you have your home arranged. Think about whether certain pieces of furniture would work better in other places, even if only for the summer months.

• Think about what things you didn’t use through the Winter, will you really use them next Winter or is it time to let them go? Things like coats you no longer wear or childrens shoes/wellies that no longer fit. You’d be amazed at how much space you can free up in your entrance hall just by ditching the out of use outdoor clothes.

• If things in the house feel stale and boring, consider changing cushion covers or throws to more summery colours. This is an inexpensive way to give your home a quick makeover and can be really satisfying.

Any or all of these things can help to make you feel less cluttered, uplifted and ready to take on the Summer, which in turn will cheer your mood until the good weather arrives. If you feel your home needs more than just a quick declutter and you feel the job is too big to consider doing alone, we are always here to give help and advice.

As professional declutterers we can bring a new perspective to your home, often we will offer ideas on better layouts or organisation which you may not have considered before.

If you think you would benefit from a chat with us visit our website on www.newleaves.info and you can go directly to our calendar here and arrange a time for us to have a phone conversation.

Best wishes

Claire & Sue