The spring cleaning continues in our household (see tips below!) and we’re donating and selling stuff we no longer have use for. Neither Casey or I likes to collect stuff and I would consider myself a master declutter (moving from Sweden with only a few precious items helps) but it all adds up after years of living together, like the expensive cooling system Casey used after his surgery or the three guitars he is no longer playing. Not to mention all the old brochures and other marketing material I no longer use for the studio (bye bye hundreds of dollars).

Would you bring this with you if you moved cross-country? That was the question an expert on decluttering suggesting asking when trying to get rid off/sell things. So that’s what we’ve been doing and it really works! It really puts things in perspective.

Selling on ebay or craigslist is a lot more work then donating or tossing as you have to take good photos and write good descriptions and research a good price point. I’ve found that it’s worth it for certain items  – especially for old electronics!  I’ve sold off my digital camera lens that was broken ‘for parts or repair,’ the pedometer I’m no longer using, and our old Wii system that we haven’t played for the last 5 years just to name a few things.

Here are some more tips if you are looking to declutter and clean your house of stagnant energy:

• Work in Reverse: What would you replace if you lost everything?
• Declutter in small, focused bursts: Make each session a spring, not a marathon
• Think of your things in terms of utility first, and sentimental value second
• Use the 4 box method: Keep, Sell/Donate, Store, and Trash
• Find new ways to keep the things you love, i.e. digitize photos, take a photo of sentimental items and let them go

If you want to go to the extreme and live a very minimalist life, then this 30-day challenge is a great start:

• Remove one material possession – just one – from your life each day for 30 days. Ask your self, Does this thing add value to my life?

We collect so many things over the years and this is a wonderful way to get rid of stuff and stagnant energy that is bogging us down.

Are you spring cleaning? Leave a comment and share your story or any great tips! I’d love to know what your trick is.