Sort your bedroom out

Generally, the bedroom is not a place visitors see so it can fall to the bottom of the list when it comes to keeping it tidy. It’s easy for clutter to get out of hand. If you’ve been inspired to do some decluttering, here are a few of our favourite tips to help you sort your bedroom out.

Making a start

• A plan of action: making a start can be the hardest part. It often pays to have an idea of how you want to tackle the work. Defining a specific timeframe and breaking the work into sections can help you achieve your goals. For example, you might want to spend an hour a day for two weeks decluttering, starting with, say, your wardrobe, then moving around the room to the bedside tables, the space under your bed, and so on.

• Bring in the sorting boxes: grab a few boxes to help you sort through the items in the room. This could be 1) things to put away, 2) things to donate, 3) things to recycle, 4) things to repair, 5) things that belong elsewhere.

Divide and conquer your wardrobe

• One in, one out: going through your clothes regularly can help prevent clutter from accumulating. Some people abide by the “one in, one out” rule; for every new item, an old one goes into the “to donate” box. If you can’t remember when you last wore an item, it might be time to pass it on to a friend or donate it to your local op shop.

• Tackle by type: decluttering by category of item can make it feel more manageable. Take shoes, for example. Putting them all in a pile and going through them all at once will quickly reveal whether you have too many of one style, and help you pick out the ones you haven’t worn in a while, that you know are uncomfortable, or that are past their best.

Location, location, location!

• Smart storage: adding smart storage solutions to your room can help keep things tidy in the long run. Over door hangers and hooks are a particularly efficient way of hanging jackets, coats and scarves, and multi-layered hanging storage shelves make it easier to store shoes neatly. Baskets, trunks, bowls and trays are other practical storage options to consider.

• Rearrange your favourites: do you wear the same pair of shoes, jacket or earrings most days? Make it easier for yourself and move items you regularly use so you have easy access to them without having to pull apart your nicely arranged space. Packing away your seasonal stuff in, for example, a vacuum storage bag can help free up space for the things you need right now.

And finally…

You might be surprised at just how much you own when you start decluttering. You might not think your stuff is worth much, but it could cost you more than you expect to replace it all at once. That's where contents insurance comes in. At AA Insurance, we have two levels of contents insurance available to suit your needs and budget. You can use this handy contents calculator, independently provided by Sum Insured, to help you calculate the value of your contents so that you have enough cover to replace your belongings if you come to make a claim. If you have an existing contents policy with us and you need to amend your cover, you can do that online through My AA Insurance, or over the phone on 0800 500 213.