Do you store lots of stuff in your basement? A basement can easily become a convenient place to put things you don’t have room for in your house or apartment.

Here are some steps to take if you are ready to remove some of the clutter and junk.

1. Take your time uncluttering the basement – Busy lifestyles call for not rushing the clean up. If you have a full schedule, give yourself a goal of a few of months to accomplish this task. Like any big organizing project, break it up into time segments; anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed. If you have a good amount of free time, you may be able to accomplish this task in several weekends.

2. Group the storage items ‘like with like’. – Assign specific storage areas to keep things like cleaning supplies, craft supplies, construction tools, interior/exterior painting items, car supplies, and garden and yard tools. You may want to use shelving and/or hard clear plastic storage bins with tight lids to keep these items dry and off of the floor. Be sure to leave enough clear area around your furnace, hot water heater, washer & dryer, circuit breaker box and water valves.

3. Finished basement area – If you have a section of the basement that is refurbished and used for craft projects, kids play time, or recreation, keep this area clutter free of any unrelated items.

4. The basement de-cluttering process – Sort everything. Sort items into five piles; recycle, keep, donate, sell, and throw away. Use large heavy garbage bags or contractor bags for trash. Be merciless and throw out broken and rusted items. If anything is sentimental to you, take photos for the memories. Have recycle bins accessible, as well as boxes to put donations into. Then, put items you will be keeping into the ‘like with like’ categories, so you can easily place them in their specific storage area. If there are still boxes to unpack and sort, do that now.

Thinking of de-cluttering the basement? Take your time, follow these steps, and let me know how it goes!