How to declutter: experts offer tips for organising small flats

One wonders why so many words are spent advising on how to declutter. Do we really need entire websites of tips, or even this newspaper article, to state what seems obvious? Just buy less. If only it were that easy.

Going down the road of reduced consumption brings benefits in the long run, but it doesn't deal with the existing stockpile of old clothes, unused gadgets, and mementos.

In the middle of the Extra Space National Organising Week in Singapore, from September 3 to 9, we asked a handful of declutter authors for their best advice.

"[Empty] the contents of the room, drawer, or closet. Then carefully consider each item in turn, and decide if you really want to return it to the space. I think decluttering is much easier when you're deciding what to keep rather than what to toss," says Francine Jay, author of The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organise, and Simplify Your Life.

"Be nice to yourself in the letting-go process," says Brooks Palmer, author of Clutter Busting Your Life: Clearing Physical and Emotional Clutter to Reconnect with Yourself and Others. "We often feel overwhelmed when we see all of our stuff. So be easy on yourself and pick one small area to begin. Pick up one thing at a time and ask, 'Do I still love and use this, or can I let it go?'"

Debbie Lillard, author of Absolutely Organised and Absolutely Organise Your Family, advises resisting temptation in the first place. "Always shop with a list and buy what you need," she says. "[And] find a charity or donation bin that is convenient to you. Make it easy to purge."