Declutter before Christmas with these top tips from a professional organiser!
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The holidays are just around the corner and for many of us, that means it's time to start preparing our homes for hosting friends and family.
If the thought of decluttering and getting your house in order fills you with dread, never fear!
We've got some top tips from a professional home organiser to help get your place spick and span in no time.
Rebecca Galligan is a 'natural-born organiser' from England who turned her passion into her career.
'I come home after an eight-hour decluttering session and I'm bouncing off the walls — I love it so much.’ she said.
She started her business named ‘Rebecca’s Home Sort’ after working for 14 years in marketing with a big toy company.
It started as a side hustle while on maternity leave in 2018, but after realising how much she loved helping people tidy up their spaces, she decided to make it her full-time job.
'The longer I was off on maternity leave, the more I was keen to carry on my side hustle full-time.’ Rebecca said.
'I'm an organised person in every aspect so I decided to make home organising and decluttering my focus.’
Nowadays, Rebecca provides long-term decluttering solutions for people all over the UK who want to 'fall back in love with their homes again'.
She usually charges her clients rates between $53 and $106 hourly, depending on the work required to organise and declutter.
The mother-of-two also shared her life-changing tips and tricks for people wanting to tidy up their homes before Christmas.
Read on for some seriously helpful advice that will have your house guest ready before you know it!
Declutter
This may seem obvious, but according to Rebecca, you cannot start organising without clearing out items you don't need or use first.
Not only will this make tidying up much easier (since there will be less stuff lying around), but it'll also give you an idea of what storage solutions you might need once everything has its place. Win-win!
Don't try to do everything at once
It can be tempting (and feel very satisfying!) to go through your entire house in one go when decluttering, but Rebecca says this isn't realistic or sustainable in most cases.
Instead of trying (and failing) to do too much at once, focus on one small area or part of each room until the job is done – trust us, your future self will thank you.
Use the 'rule of three'
This is one of Rebecca's golden rules when it comes to decluttering, ask yourself: Do you use it? Do you need it? Do you love it?
If an item gives you a ‘yes’ in the three queries, then she advises you to keep it.
But if you come up with a ‘no’, then these three categories should serve as your guide in sorting your things into three groups, one for recycling, one for donating, and one for selling.
'I try to recycle, repurpose and sell as much as possible but don't underestimate the third pile - sell.’ she said.
'There is money to be made on Vinted, Facebook Marketplace and eBay.'
Find storage solutions
Of course, you have to have places to store the items you organise in your home.
That’s why Rebecca stresses it’s important to find storage solutions.
'The solution may be under your nose, as you declutter you might find old boxes and jars to repurpose elsewhere in your home.' she pointed out.
If you don’t know where to look, you could also try shops that sell handcrafted goods like crates, wicker baskets, and trunks.
Ask for help
As tempting as it is to take on a home-organising job by yourself, it can also prove to be very tiring.
'Clearing out can be a daunting process — if you find it overwhelming, family, friends and professionals are there to help,' Rebecca said.
‘It's about finding a system or solution that works for you and your home,' she added.
'When you declutter and organise it's going to get worse before it gets better but trust me — there's a method in the madness.'
Is anyone feeling the itch to clean their home all of a sudden?
If you have time, check out our Food & Lifestyle forum for more home organisation tips such as these!
So, do you agree with Rebecca’s tips on how to declutter and organise your home just in time for the holidays? Or maybe you have some you’d love to share?
Tell us in the comments section below!
Source: YouTube/Kristen McGowan
If the thought of decluttering and getting your house in order fills you with dread, never fear!
We've got some top tips from a professional home organiser to help get your place spick and span in no time.
Rebecca Galligan is a 'natural-born organiser' from England who turned her passion into her career.
'I come home after an eight-hour decluttering session and I'm bouncing off the walls — I love it so much.’ she said.
She started her business named ‘Rebecca’s Home Sort’ after working for 14 years in marketing with a big toy company.
It started as a side hustle while on maternity leave in 2018, but after realising how much she loved helping people tidy up their spaces, she decided to make it her full-time job.
'The longer I was off on maternity leave, the more I was keen to carry on my side hustle full-time.’ Rebecca said.
One of Rebecca’s projects involved re-organising a shelf. Credit: Instagram/@rebeccashomesort
'I'm an organised person in every aspect so I decided to make home organising and decluttering my focus.’
Nowadays, Rebecca provides long-term decluttering solutions for people all over the UK who want to 'fall back in love with their homes again'.
She usually charges her clients rates between $53 and $106 hourly, depending on the work required to organise and declutter.
The mother-of-two also shared her life-changing tips and tricks for people wanting to tidy up their homes before Christmas.
Read on for some seriously helpful advice that will have your house guest ready before you know it!
Declutter
This may seem obvious, but according to Rebecca, you cannot start organising without clearing out items you don't need or use first.
Not only will this make tidying up much easier (since there will be less stuff lying around), but it'll also give you an idea of what storage solutions you might need once everything has its place. Win-win!
Don't try to do everything at once
It can be tempting (and feel very satisfying!) to go through your entire house in one go when decluttering, but Rebecca says this isn't realistic or sustainable in most cases.
Instead of trying (and failing) to do too much at once, focus on one small area or part of each room until the job is done – trust us, your future self will thank you.
Use the 'rule of three'
This is one of Rebecca's golden rules when it comes to decluttering, ask yourself: Do you use it? Do you need it? Do you love it?
If an item gives you a ‘yes’ in the three queries, then she advises you to keep it.
But if you come up with a ‘no’, then these three categories should serve as your guide in sorting your things into three groups, one for recycling, one for donating, and one for selling.
'I try to recycle, repurpose and sell as much as possible but don't underestimate the third pile - sell.’ she said.
'There is money to be made on Vinted, Facebook Marketplace and eBay.'
After applying her methods, Rebecca made the shelf magazine-worthy! Credit: Instagram/@rebeccashomesort
Find storage solutions
Of course, you have to have places to store the items you organise in your home.
That’s why Rebecca stresses it’s important to find storage solutions.
'The solution may be under your nose, as you declutter you might find old boxes and jars to repurpose elsewhere in your home.' she pointed out.
If you don’t know where to look, you could also try shops that sell handcrafted goods like crates, wicker baskets, and trunks.
Ask for help
As tempting as it is to take on a home-organising job by yourself, it can also prove to be very tiring.
'Clearing out can be a daunting process — if you find it overwhelming, family, friends and professionals are there to help,' Rebecca said.
‘It's about finding a system or solution that works for you and your home,' she added.
'When you declutter and organise it's going to get worse before it gets better but trust me — there's a method in the madness.'
Is anyone feeling the itch to clean their home all of a sudden?
If you have time, check out our Food & Lifestyle forum for more home organisation tips such as these!
So, do you agree with Rebecca’s tips on how to declutter and organise your home just in time for the holidays? Or maybe you have some you’d love to share?
Tell us in the comments section below!
Source: YouTube/Kristen McGowan
