Dear Heather,

It’s a new year and with all the celebrating out of the way, I plan to declutter my house. Do you have any advice on where to start?

Resolve to Declutter

Dear Resolve to Declutter,

January is an excellent time of year to tackle this onerous task. Take it one day at a time and try and tackle a drawer, cupboard or item every day. You will feel better once it’s done.

One of the biggest reasons we hold on to clutter is because we’re not sure when we can get rid of stuff. Most items don’t come with an expiration date and once we take something into our home, we tend to want to make use of it — even if we clearly have no need for it.

I’ve created a list of things you can get rid of right now. You may want to toss, recycle, donate, consign or even sell these items — old electronics, not ketchup packets!

— Broken or old-fashioned, cheap sunglasses. You say you’re going to buy one of those kits to fix them but you haven’t yet, so toss them.

— Eyeglasses with the wrong prescription. Donate these immediately, someone else could be using them.

— Old pens. If the ink has run dry, or the plastic grip has deteriorated ... toss. Easy.

— Food storage containers you never use. People usually have way too many of these. Keep a few, toss or donate the rest.

— Old-fashioned clothing that no longer fits. Are you really going to be a size four again? And if you are, chances are you won’t want to wear THAT item. Too big? If you toss it you will be less tempted to gain weight as nothing in your closet will fit. Old-fashioned or not age appropriate? Should you really wear a leather miniskirt or would something else be more appropriate?

— Soy sauce packets. You’re not going to use these. Buy a bottle at the supermarket. The same goes for ketchup packets, mustard packets and packets of salt.

— Scarves. Be ruthless. If you haven’t worn it in a year, there’s a reason. You really only need between five and ten. Donate ones you haven’t worn in years, clean and store the ones you actually wear. If you have a designer scarf like a Louis Vuitton or Salvatore Ferragamo, donate or sell.

— Old newspapers and magazines. They love to have these at doctors’ offices and hospitals. Don’t keep inserts for any more than a week; glossy magazines two months max. Exceptions would be issues you really, really love and refer back to often. If you haven’t read it in two months, you’re not going to; if you love an article tear it our and put it in a file.

—Plastic cutlery. Unless you entertain regularly or eat on the go, you don’t need these packets taking up space when you already have proper silverware in your home. Take them into work and stash them in your desk for when you might need them or just recycle them!

— Old remote controls. Everything comes with a remote control these days: iPod speakers, air conditioner, fan, TV, etc. If you don’t use it, trash it. Label the others so you can tell at a glance if you have the correct one.

— Mismatched socks. Keep a small basket handy and if after a month you haven’t found a match toss them or repurpose them as dust rags.

— Last season’s sunblock. Toss it. Sunblock slowly decays over time.

— Waffle makers. I use waffle makers as a stand-in for all those kitchen appliances you never use. Don’t waste valuable storage space — recycle it, donate it or consign it.

— Mismatched Tupperware. Why do we hold onto these for so long? Do we think the missing bottom or top is going to find its way home? It’s not. Recycle it.

— Random cords you’ve been holding onto because you’re not sure what they plug in to. If you’re really not sure if you can throw it out create a storage bin but I think it’s safe to toss these. Store any you keep inside paper towel or toilet roll cardboard tube.

— Leftovers more than five days old. This one is self-explanatory!

— Containers, or anything that doesn’t work properly. Recycle anything that’s a pain to use, anything you don’t plan to use and anything that’s not doing its job.

— Old make-up. You wouldn’t slather two-year-old cream on your face. Dump any cosmetics that have changed colour or consistency or emit an unpleasant odour. If you haven’t used it in over a year, or if you can’t remember the last time you used it, dump it.

— Get rid of gum that has started to harden, or worse, ooze.

— Throw away old shoes. Particularly ones that pinch your big toe, are uncomfortable, no longer project the image you want to project or any you haven’t worn in five years. The bottom line is your shoes should fit well and project the right image If they do not, donate or consign them.

— Greeting cards. I don’t know why people keep them, but they do. It’s okay to toss them after a few weeks.

— Old mobile phones and cases. There’s no good reason to keep these as they are likely outdated and just taking up space. Donate them!

— Last year’s calendar or diary. People hang on to these, I think in the hopes that they will transfer important dates from one year to the next. You have until January 31 of the new year to complete that task, but if you take longer than that guess where it goes?

I am going to take this list home myself and work through one thing at a time. A new year is for letting go of those things or emotions that are no longer serving us and making room for new, more interesting and more exciting things.

Wishing you all happy, healthy homes in 2016.

— Heather Chilvers is among Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty’s leading sales representatives. She has been working in real estate for nearly 27 years. If you have a question for Heather, please contact her at hchilvers@brcl.bm or 332-1793. All questions will be treated confidentially. Visit Heather on Facebook: Ask Heather Real Estate