Shea Simmons
If you’ve been on a decluttering journey, you’ve probably heard of the one in, one out method. Those who are really looking to downsize, though, might want to take the rule to the next level.
Just in case you’re not familiar, the one in, one out rule just means you declutter one item for every new item you bring into your home. If you buy a new pan, get rid of an old one. According to one expert, though, the rule might not help you hit your goal.
Monica Collins, a home stager with Snapshot Staging, said you should employ a one in, three out method if you’ve got some serious decluttering to do.
Shifrah Combiths, a contributor with Apartment Therapy, explained she hired Collins since she and her family will be selling their home soon. As they were working together, Collins explained the one in, three out method. By using the original method, you’ll be able to prevent clutter from building and maintain the state of your home. However, if you’re looking to decrease the amount of stuff you have, eliminating three things for every one item that’s brought in is the way to go.
By upping the ante on this method, you’ll be able to edit down your possessions which means a constant state of decluttering. This is handy as it means no more taking whole weekends to go through your things and declutter.
Eventually, a time will come when you can slack off your one in, three out method and go back to the original (after all, you don’t want to get rid of all of your stuff). For those who have more than their fair share of possessions, this might be one decluttering method to try, but don’t forget to plan your donation, recycling, or selling options before you start.
[Via Apartment Therapy]
