1. The Two Year Rule.
   If you haven’t used it in the past two years it’s time to give it away, sell it or toss it.  Unless the item has significant value to you, get rid of it.
2. Be Selective In What You Keep.
   Sentimental value is subjective.  Wedding dress?  Have it professionally preserved and keep it.  High School Letterman jacket?  Really now, what do you need it for?  Toss it.  The kids toys?  If they have out grown them and you don’t plan on having more kids, out they go.  Toys take up a lot of space but if it is special and handmade by Grandpa, keep it to pass on to your children’s children.
3. One in and One out.
   Buying something new?  Toss something old.  This is especially true in the bedroom closet so when you go shopping keep in mind what your closet holds that you are replacing and replacing means
   giving the old item a new home.  Outside of yours.
4. Storage Options for More Space.
   Find items for storage that serve dual purposes like a coffee table with drawers under it, or an ottoman that opens up to hold things.  The space under most beds is sitting empty and there are
   many different kinds of storage containers designed to sit under the bed and hold out of season clothing or bedding, toys and other items you use infrequently but annually.
5. Organize in Small Increments, One Room at a Time.
   If you have a house full of stuff that needs to be removed it will seem overwhelming unless you take small bites room by room, or even area by area.  Tackle the smallest room first.  Once you’re done move on to the next room and so forth.  The garage is generally the hardest and most cluttered space in a San Mateo County home.  Tackle that last.  DO NOT move things from your house into the
   garage.  You must be brutally honest in your selection of things to toss.

The, hopefully large group of items that you want to sell, can be sold through a garage sale, Craigslist, eBay or yahoo auction.  Post it on Smalltown, a website for our local communities.

If you want to donate your items, I like to give things to PARCA, but there are many charities and non-profits in San Mateo County that need items.  You help someone in need and clean out your clutter.  What’s better?

The average home built in the US in 1970 is about 1400 square feet.  Most of the homes in Foster City
were built around then.  The homes in San Mateo built after WWII are around 1000 square feet unless added on to.  Burlingame homes were built in the early 1900′s on up and unless the house is fairly new
your square footage is about 1800 if you’re lucky.  We all need to reduce consumption and make room for our daily lives.  Won’t you join me in my effort to do this?  Let me know how you’re doing and what you are giving away.