Downsizing by Decluttering

My husband and I are currently renting a 500 square foot casita (Southwestern cottage), which is much too small for two adults and a 90-pound German Shepherd. We also maintain a large storage unit a few miles away. The latter enables us to keep a minimal amount of furniture, kitchenware, clothing, etc. in the house at any given time. Because our casita is so limited in space, clutter is a constant battle. The worst clutter spots are our kitchen table (where the mail always seems to end up), my sewing table, the kitchen and bathroom countertops, and the bedroom closet.

I recently read somewhere that there is a connection between clutter and weight, and I can see why this might be true. Whenever my house gets cluttered with "stuff," it makes me feel weighed down and depressed. On the other hand, when everything is sorted out and put away, I feel lighter and happier.

Putting things away is not the easiest thing in the world when your house has almost no storage space. Since there are no shelves (except for a small linen closet), books tend to pile up everywhere. Since there is no room for my filing cabinet, papers tend to end up in piles all over the place. In some instances, space is available but it cannot be efficiently used. For example, the GE Spacemaker (compact washer/dryer combination) vibrates so hard during the spin cycle that it's impossible to keep any laundry products on top of the dryer. Consequently, they end up on the floor in the narrow hallway outside the tiny laundry closet. Kitchen cabinet space is extremely limited also; two of the cabinets, plus the shelf space on top of the cabinets, are inaccessible without a ladder.

Since we will inevitably be renting this place for another six months to a year, I am committed to decluttering once and for all. I'm not sure how much more downsizing we can do in the house, but I intend to find out. I plan to begin by sorting out any clothing that has not been worn during the past year. Those items will be removed to the storage unit or donated. Similarly, any books that have been read will be returned to storage or sold. These tasks should keep me busy for the next few days. Then, I will tackle reorganization.