Feel better, de-clutter!

Clutter! All those unloved possessions, that are neither use nor ornament, and that constrict your living space.

Life's 'excess baggage'. The objects that weigh you down, slow you down and stop you moving on. Clutter's horrid, isn't it?

Here are ten tips to help you de-clutter, feel better about yourself and make money:

1. Set aside some 'quality time', or a series of 'quality times', for de-cluttering. Stick to those times.

2. Start with the areas of your life that are the least chaotic and cramped. Then tackle the areas that are the most 'challenged', progressively. Look for the big and easy disposal decisions in each area first.

3. Don't panic if you find that up to half of your possessions are redundant! It's quite normal. Hoarders will find that over half of the objects they live with are surplus to requirements.

4. Give other people's clutter back to them, or at least ask their permission first, before you dispose of it!

5. Keep serviceable objects that you've used in the past six months and/or that you're likely to use in the next six months. Find qualified trades people to repair the broken or damaged objects that you want to keep.

6. Keep objects that you and your loved ones are attached to emotionally, like photographs. Emotional clutter is different to physical clutter. Physical clutter has lower value.

7. Keep other cherished objects too: heirlooms and long-term investments, an inherited stamp collection is a good example. Only dispose of such objects if you're sure that they really are clutter and you need space and cash now.

8. Store all of the precious objects that you want to keep tidily, in places where you'll be able to find them in future. Buy additional storage (boxes and shelves), if needs be.

9. Only send to landfill sites unwanted possessions that are not recyclable. A large percentage of household 'waste' can be turned into something else. Dispose of hazardous items correctly. If you're unsure, ask a waste expert.

10. Give low value objects to charity shops, so that they can generate cash for good causes. Sell everything else using small adverts in your newspaper or on the Internet. In liberating your living space, who knows how much cash you might make!