If you’re planning on moving it looks like home sellers will have their work cut out for them in the form of clutter: Nearly half of Americans say they consider their homes to be at least somewhat cluttered with items they no longer use.
According to a new report, “Buried: The State of Stress and Stuff,” which surveyed 1,000 adults they found that one in seven respondents say they have a room in their home that they can no longer use because it is too full of items that they rarely use, which would have to be cleaned up if selling a home. I have to admit I have one too, our guest room, that’s covered in clothes, staging accessories and other odds and ends. It’s true here is the proof.
What’s more shocking is that 72 percent of those surveyed say they would gain more space in their home by just getting rid of unwanted items. Yet, 41 percent say they haven’t decluttered their home in more than a year. We all know we have to declutter, but we’re allowing ourselves for items to build-up, take up space and cause anxiety. Clutter has been causing real issues for real estate agents who are at a loss on how to handle the mess with their clients who are desperate to get tips on reducing clutter.
My mantra on this is whenever you pick an item up decide immediately what you’re going to do with it and where it will go. This will actually help start eliminating clutter in your seller’s home and avoids having them leave things out on counter surfaces or even on the floor.
Here are four ways to stop clutter in its tracks:
Start small.
Organizing is an evolving process that changes as the needs of a home owner change. Start small: One room, one closet, one corner. Just start somewhere! To make it count, tackle the first cluttered area a home buyer would see as they walk into the home.
Schedule it.
Many times a home owner never starts the decluttering process because of time constraints. Schedule blocks of time (2-4 hours) or even just 15 minutes a day depending on what needs to be organized to make your goal a reality.
Find a home.
One reason why clutter can build up in a home is if an item is homeless. Creating a place for each item in your home is a crucial part to obtaining an organized home. Of course, keeping the space in order only happens when you return an item back to it’s home after use.
Adopt “good habits.”
By always returning an item home, you’re building in a maintenance system in your organizing process. Another good habit to adopt is to take 5-10 minutes every night and put items away. This way when you wake up in the morning, the house is ready to show off.
Want more tips on decluttering your home and maintaining an organized space? Check out our online self-paced Home Staging Mini-Course to get a complete organizing strategy with over 60 minutes of on-demand training videos, plus worksheets, checklists, planners and a private Facebook group to hold you accountable. And for a limited time get this mini-course for only $47 when you use promo code: ORGANIZEME click here to get started today.
Happy Organizing,
Source: “Americans Have Too Many Things and Not Enough Money, Study Finds,” PRNewswire (Aug. 29, 2016)
