Once stuff starts piling up, it seems easier to keep adding to it than to call a halt. But help is at hand ...

1 Set a deadline A goal will keep you motivated to finish the job.

2 Get organised Enlist helpers for heavy work and maybe a couple of friends to spur you on. Get a good supply of garbage bags, and if you know there’s a huge amount of rubbish, hire a skip. Contact your local charity to see if they’ll come to collect your stuff. And check the date of your next council cleanup and time your big clear-out to coincide with it.

3 Sort things out Choose a large area and divide it into four sections. The first section is for things to be thrown out; the second for things to go to charity; the third for things to be sold; and the fourth for things to keep.

4 Listen to music Your favourite upbeat tunes will keep you motivated while you work.

5 Work quickly Decide immediately which pile something should go in. If you find yourself wavering over a decision, leave it and move onto the next thing. As the piles build up, you’ll get a terrific sense of achievement. Come back to the harder things later.

6 Toss it out Lots of us hoard broken items because we’re going to fix them later – chuck them out. If you haven’t fixed them by now, it’s just not going to happen, is it? There will also be things that you haven’t seen for years. If you’ve been able to do without them for this long, chances are you’re not going to miss them. Out they go.

7 Stay focused Avoid spending time poring over old photos, diaries or love letters. Pop them in a box for sorting later.

8 Be ruthless It can be hard, but try to remain unsentimental. You don’t need to keep every painting your child ever did. Try photographing the artworks and saving them to disk.

9 Pass it on If something has given you pleasure but you really no longer need or want it, imagine the pleasure it will give someone else.

10 Remember the reward It’s easy to become dispirited and give up. Try to visualise the space you’re going to have and how good it will look. If you have things to sell, think about what you might spend the money on.