Downsize, declutter, de-stress, delight

Nima Abu Wardeh explains that the new year is the perfect time to have a clear out and make some money in the process.

Gary Clement for The National

What better way to start the year than with a clear mind and surroundings.
So I'm decluttering. I thought I'd nailed this last year, but in reality there's still a long way to go.
Downstairs is great, but upstairs - oh my. The extra bedroom has turned into a dumping ground, and the landing to the roof is home to shelves that house any item if figuring out what to do with it involves effort.
So, declutter it is. Not only will this clear my head, but if I'm to believe various bits of research, then I will be bestowed with health benefits too. Stress levels will plummet and serenity will rule - at least once it's done.
This will earn me extra money, too. Not only from being super-efficient with a lazer-focused mind post-declutter, but also from selling things.
One friend recently made Dh3,500 from parting with a few choice items on ebay. It took her all of half an hour to point, shoot and upload the information. I too want to be on the receiving end of cash for once-coveted items. I've been putting things aside, and now must must finish the job by pricing and posting pictures. Which brings me to a failing we humans have - I need to price these items to sell, and not according to what I bought them for or believe they're worth. Here's a thought: instead of holding on to things, whether it's a party frock or property, take the (reasonable) money on offer, be free of the item and put the cash to work.
Back to my declutter job. This time I have been thinking through storage space, what I need, and what my home does for me.
First off, I work from home as much as possible, and keep my paperwork there. I'm still figuring out whether I'll get to enjoy the place a bit more if I am forced to work wherever takes my fancy instead of being squirreled away behind my dedicated work desk. It'll mean I get to see, use and enjoy my home more, but don't know how or if this could impact productivity - so I'm undecided when it comes to selling the desk. But what I do know is that I'm getting rid of my filing cabinet. So far I've done a magnificent job throwing out mountains of paper - after all, very little paperwork is needed when we can scan things and use the likes of Evernote. My son's drawings and stories are the things that will stay - very little else. So the cabinet is money in the bank.
Staying with this idea of removing extra storage space that inevitably gets filled with stuff, my bedroom no longer has a chest of drawers. Every item in it has been discarded, given away or put in a new place in built-in storage in the room. The only bits that are not built in are the bed-side tables, which have drawers. I read an interview with someone famous where he said he has no bedside tables as he believes having them is bad feng shui, but I'm not there yet.
The chest will be sold too.
The bigger point is this: our homes have adequate storage space. So how about keeping what we can store without buying extra places to put our stuff?
If we are to follow this simple rule, life immediately becomes lighter and more manageable. Especially if we have to downsize or move home - the need can sometimes arise overnight.
A neighbour just popped by and gifted me a jar that she has painted. Its top is broken, but it's just perfect for my garden.
She tells me she needs to downsize and declutter, and quickly. Her husband was laid off three weeks ago and they cannot stay on the compound.
Other neighbours who have just departed from the UAE left behind a mini-mountain of children's clothes and toys that they decided not to ship. Imagine not having to sift through them in the first place.
I'd best be getting on with my mission now. But before I go, I have a disclaimer: the Syrian antique mother of pearl chest of drawers will stay for ever, and the playroom is excluded. I will share what I do with it once I get to it. In the meantime, I'm avoiding going in it.
A place for everything and everything in its place.
Nima Abu Wardeh is the founder of the personal finance website cashy.me. You can reach her at [e-mail].
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