10 easy steps to declutter your entire home

Decluttering your home is a daunting task.

All those drawers, the suitcase full of your kid's drawings and the wardrobe full of clothes that you VOW to fit into one day.

Then there are the boxes of toys, cases of precious moments and that 'hardware' drawer in your house that just about everything gets flung into.

Well, we've been there and done that and here are our top tips for organising your annual declutter ahead of Christmas.

1. Plan ahead

This may seem obvious, but once you start this epic chore you need to finish or things will get MUCH WORSE, FAST. Ship the children off to their grandmother's, put on your comfiest clothes and stick on those tunes. Box off the entire day if possible. Get your organisational tool of choice - mine are black bags but some prefer boxes or plastic containers. I usually label them 'charity shop', 'bin', or 'storage'.

2. Be ruthless

Are you really going to wear that sparkly dress you got in Rome on honeymoon ever again? Perhaps saving it to the 'storage' box for memory sake is more realistic than having it mocking you at the back of your already overspilling wardrobe. Those 57 thousand pictures the kids did for you at Montessori are adorable but perhaps choosing the best and scrapbooking the rest is a better idea.

3. Stick to schedule

Don't forget that your home is a giant time warp and decluttering is a vacuum that will suck your time. So what feels like 10 minutes in decluttering time is actually 2 hours in 'real' time. With this in mind, set a timer when you enter each room for the amount of time you set aside for that room. Make sure when the timer is up, you move on to the next room. Simples.

4. Stick to the plan

When you’re finished one room, make sure you actually get rid of the things you planned on getting rid of so they don’t end up back in your home. Then move onto the next.

5. Use your imagination

If you really don't want to get rid of that teddy or baby blanket or skirt you wore on a first date - either take a picture of it and email it to yourself with the date and the memory for a future browsing session. Or send it off to be made into a memory quilt. This is a lovely idea for all your old baby bits and pieces. A memory they will have forever. Frame the best of your kid's paintings and make a photo feature wall to use all those photos you have been stockpiling over the years.

6. Don't forget the garden

When my house is tidy, my garden's a mess and when my garden is neat, my house looks like a bomb has hit it. Even if you have a small outside space or a balcony, it is nice to include it in this epic reorganisation session. Fix old flowerpots, sweep up the leaves and hose down your patio if you have the time. Go big or go home.

7. Deep clean

Now that the house is free from clutter - it is time to give it the clean of its life. Use a damp cloth to wipe down all shelves. Tidy out the linen press, vacuum under that bed. Get rid of any old products like shampoo you don't use anymore - I usually donate these to my little sister. If you are really serious about this you will even get a grout cleaner for your bathroom. Why are we getting so excited about this?

8. Reorganise

Why is the giant dollhouse in the living room? Time to move it to the bedroom. Why do you have sports clothes taking up the best shelf in your wardrobe when the last fitness class you did was over 6 months ago? Do you really need 27 black cardigans? My husband insists on keeping all his old runners just in case he needs them for 'painting'. I've been with him 10 years and I've never seen a paintbrush in his hand, ever.