With just weeks to go, Christmas is fast approaching. You need to buy new decorations, make space for new toys, clean the house for the big Christmas Day lunch, prepare the kitchen for dinner and clear out the spare room for the inter-state or overseas family visit.
With so much to do and so little time, you need a plan of action to tackle the mammoth pre-Christmas clear out and prepare for the festive season with gusto!
To help you get Christmas ready, here are my handy hints:
1. Plan it
Just jumping on in and clearing out in any haphazard way isn’t going to get you anywhere fast. In fact it'll leave you feeling fed-up and frustrated. So the first thing you need to is plan a strategy. Decide what day you’re going to dedicate to the clear out and makes sure it’s a day when most people are free (you’ll see why in tip 2) Look at which rooms requires the most work and allocate adequate time to clear out each room. Working meticulously and methodically will help you stay on track and actually speed up the process.
2. Ask for help
Clearing out the house needn’t be a lonely and tiresome activity. Turn it into a fun activity by roping in family and friends. Lure them in with the prize of good food and drink afterwards and get all hands on deck, turning your house from grotto to that awesome house in Home Alone (or near enough!)
3. Declutter as you go
As you go about your clearing duties, de-clutter as you go along. You’ll realise just how much stuff you have that you no longer want. Throw your stuff from each room into piles for rubbish, to donate to charity, re-cycle or sell your unwanted items online. Christmas is a particularly good time of year to sort out these items and is a great way to make space.
4. Give away to charity
Get in the festive spirit and donate your unused items to charity. There are so many charities here in Australia that are crying out for white goods in working condition, clothing, books and toys for children and all other perfectly useable items you no longer want or need but that would go a long way in making Christmas special for someone else.
5. Re-gift it
Yes it can seem like a miserly thing to do but if you think about it, it’s actually just another form of recycling! Someone out there may love that present Aunty Maud sent you. Re-wrap it, add in a little something else and give it to someone who who will really appreciate it.
6. Consider the environment
We’ve all seen the plight of sea-life drowning in a tide of plastic and we all agree that it’s important to do our bit to help save the wildlife and our environment. The easiest way to do this is by simply recycling your rubbish. Separating recyclables and green waste is just something little that goes a long way, but there’s so much more you can do. Up-cycling is one of my favourite things to do with old furniture, clothes and shoes.
Another way to protect the environment is make home-made non-toxic cleaning sprays using everyday household items like vinegar, Coke and Bicarbonate of Soda.
7. Don’t neglect the outside
Kerb appeal is so important. It’s the first thing people see when they pull in and all those fancy lights and santa’s legs dangling from the roof won’ hide the weeds and broken plant pots. Mow your lawn, plant some new seeds for blooms that will grow during the summer and give the outside of your house a quick lick of paint.
8. Bonus
A bonus tip I’m throwing in is that you can make money from scrap metal. There are many places that will buy scrap metal from you. So you can afford to buy that extra-special bauble for your Christmas tree after all!
And Finally…
Don’t forget to jump online and look for the cheapest skip bin hire in Perth. WA Skips Online offer the lowest price skip bins in Perth, Western Australia. When you hire a Skip bin, you’ll be able to choose the type and size you need. WA Skips will deliver a skip bin anywhere in Perth metro and take it away to dispose of the rubbish… All you need to do is fill it!
