With 2021 starting with another lockdown, it is likely many people have spent a lot of time at home. If you are looking for an activity or project to fill your time while at home, have you considered decluttering your home?
Spring cleaning time is fast approaching, and this is an ideal opportunity to transform your home. There is a great deal to be said for freshening up your home, and if you are looking to create more space, this is a hugely effective practice.
Of course, at Williams of Petersfield, we believe the decluttering process is crucial when it comes to selling your home.
Decluttering your home before listing it for sale delivers the following benefits:
- Your home will look larger, which should make it more attractive to prospective buyers
- The process adds perceived value to your property
- A decluttered home offers fewer distractions to prospective buyers
- A decluttered property helps prospective buyers imagine themselves in the home
All homeowners can benefit from decluttering
However, you don’t need to be in the process of selling your home to benefit from the decluttering process.
A study in 2019 asked people what motivates them to declutter their home, and give their house a spring clean. The following answers were recorded:
- To reduce stress or act as a mood booster – cited by 35%
- To create a minimalism style at home or to help build sustainability – cited by 21%
- More space was needed around the home – said by 19%
- To refresh the property for the spring season – listed by 12%
- To increase productivity – named by 6%
- To find and then sell unused items – cited by 6%
Decluttering might change your shopping behaviour
If you are looking to change your shopping behaviour, you might find decluttering is of benefit to you.
The same study also uncovered people’s thoughts on their shopping habits after the decluttering process:
- 5% of respondents said they stopped shopping after decluttering their home
- 34% of respondents said they shopped less often after decluttering their property
- 30% said they shopped more mindfully after decluttering their house
- 30% said there was no change to their shopping behaviour after decluttering their home
- 1% of respondents said they shop more now after having decluttered their property
Lizzie Grant, is the founder of organisation site Declutter on Demand and self-proclaimed professional organiser. She spoke about decluttering as a great way to start the New Year or start a spring clean.
Lizzie spoke to the Independent, saying; “A wardrobe is a good place for many to start as it’s sometimes easier to pull out things to get rid of that are too tight or old. Make sure you sort them into piles and put into bags straight away. Create a ‘keep’ pile, one to donate (or sell) and then a recycling one for old clothes. Stick to this so that you don’t fall into the trap of deliberating and dithering over times.”
Lizzie also recommends tackling your ‘junk drawer’, saying; “Let’s be honest, everyone has one where items that don’t have an official home get shoved. Try getting everything out and throwing away things that are no longer useful to create a ‘useful drawer’ instead.”
At Williams of Petersfield, we aim to support the Petersfield community as much as we can, and we know this is an extremely trying time. A lot of people are looking for support and guidance, and if you have any property or housing related questions, we are more than happy to assist you, so contact us today.