Renovations will change your entire life and home while they’re going on. You will lose a lot of floor space and if you’re not prepared, the clutter being moved out of the work area can take over what little space you have less.

Here are some tips to keep you on top of the rising junk:

1. Start As Soon As You Book a Contractor

As soon as you know when your renovations are happening, start preparing. No time is too early, and the earlier you start, the better the chances are that you will sell unneeded objects instead of just throwing them out.

2. Estimate What You Will Keep

Some people make a keep pile, but this can just be overwhelming. If you know in advance how much you will keep, then you can book a storage unit early and move items there as they add up.

3. Find a Temporary Home for Your Stuff During a Renovation

Whether it’s the attic, a storage unit, or a very obliging friend’s basement, having a new home lets you move the clutter right out of your space as soon as it is sorted. Try to get a space according to your estimate of how much stuff you want to keep. Pay particular attention to furniture and other bulky items.

4. Move Room By Room

Any decluttering expert will tell you that it works best when it is planned. Work out a plan of attack, fully managing each room in the renovation area first, then taking care of any clutter that might have piled up in the rest of the house.

5. Figure Out Where the Trash is Going

You’re probably going to find a lot of things that you won’t need after the renos. Some of these things will be big, some will be heavy, and some might even be hazardous waste. Old appliances, in particular, will need a lot of work and care just to get them out of your home and into an e-waste bin somewhere. So before you start, figure out how you will proceed. Ask yourself:

• Do I want remove these items myself? If not, you should consider hiring a full-service junk removal team.
• Do I want to take all these items to the correct waste facility? If not, you should consider a self-service junk removal option, in which you rent a dumpster, fill it, and have it picked up and sorted by a professional team.

If you give yourself lots of time, move room by room, and have a destination worked out for both the “keep” and “trash” piles, your home renovation decluttering process will be easy.