From A Woman's Perspective: October 19th, 2024 "You can't buy your way out of clutter"

You can't buy your way out of clutter

Good morning, Marilyn. Today I would like to share an observation I have recently made about people like myself who struggle with clutter: 

We have a tendency to believe that buying more storage containers or shoe racks or shelving units or other gadgets and doo-dads will help us finally get organised. But my personal and professional experience has taught me that you don’t need more shelves or cabinets or closet organisers, you need less stuff. 

Decluttering is not rearranging piles, it’s reducing the overall number of items your home contains. I read somewhere that the average American home has 30,000 items, and I can attest that this seems also to be true in Canada. If you counted up every spoon, sock, and hardware item, you can see how it all adds up. 

Here are the items that I frequently see too many of when I visit clients’ homes and help them prepare for sale. I’ll go room by room, and listeners can decide if any of this applies to them. 

• Kitchen: bakeware, coffee mugs, cutting boards, tupperware containers
• Living room: magazines, tchotchkes, CDs, books
• Dining room: vases, candle holders, serving trays, more tchotchkes
• Bedroom: clothes, purses, ties, belts, and more books
• Basement: duplicate hand tools, random pieces of wood and fasteners, old paint, uncompleted craft projects, bags of bags 

Oh my gosh, Marilyn, I don’t mean to step on toes, but the amount of stuff we have in our homes is now or will be a problem. Ask yourself: Does the amount of stuff in your house make it difficult to keep clean? Do you look at the basement and have a pang of anxiety? Are you harbouring fear that it will be impossible to one day move because of how much stuff you have?

It bears repeating: you don’t have a disorganisation problem, you have too much stuff. And you have too much stuff because you’re procrastinating on the sorting process. In our guide, “The Decluttering Battle Plan,” we have a straightforward strategy for overcoming the overwhelm. It will help you let go without guilt, and streamline your stuff down to what you use and enjoy. We’ll give you suggestions about what to do with the surplus, and help you with accountability in our “30-Day Decluttering Challenge,” which is a free email campaign to get you started. 

We offer this guidebook for free because I see too many seniors who put off downsizing to a new smaller home with less work and worry because of their clutter. They simply don’t know how to start, and so the decision is deferred until something happens and there is suddenly an urgency to get this all sorted through. I’d much rather see seniors taking control of their environments, making proactive decisions, and working at their own pace. There isn’t a short cut, but there is a strategy that will help you be effective with your effort and efficient with your time. 

To request your copy of “The Decluttering Battle Plan” simply visit smartrealtysolution.com or call me, Sharon, at 416-460-5636. You can also sign up for the “30-Day Decluttering Challenge” on our website, and receive a daily task, tips and inspirational quotes for a month. It’s the perfect way to start on your new lighter, brighter living environment.
 

While you’re at our website, be sure to check out our other resources geared towards downsizing seniors. Some of the titles you can select are:

• Downsizing Done Right - a beginning guide to catching a vision of what downsizing can do for your health, lifestyle and financial goals
• Best Renovations for Return on Investment - a realtor’s eye view on the free and low cost home improvements that boost resale value
• Condo Considerations - everything you wanted to know about condo living but weren’t sure who to ask
• Staging Secrets on a Shoestring Budget - tricks and tips from the experts to create visual appeal and attract more buyers.

That’s it, Marilyn. My name is Sharon Parenteau, and these have been your smart realty solutions for today.

 

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