5 Things That Make Your House Feel Cluttered
Clutter is a pretty common issue for homeowners, but it can be tricky to get rid of. That’s because clutter is hard to see.
All you know is that your home feels cluttered.
This article will help you attune your eye to the aspects that make your home feel cluttered. Take care of these areas to make your home feel more open and spacious.
1. Cluttered Surfaces
Surface spaces are prime real estate for clutter – especially areas that are a bit more out of sight.
Notice the surfaces around your home that hold forgotten piles of stuff (stacks of papers, books, or clothes.)
The kitchen counter is also a sneaky clutter hive. How many appliances take up space on your kitchen counter, but never get used?
Remove anything from surfaces that you do not regularly use.
Put unused kitchen appliances in cabinets out of sight (or donate them if you don’t use them regularly).
- Related: 21 Lazy Cleaning Hacks You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner (From a professional)
2. Items Without a Purpose
Ideally, every item in your home should either serve a purpose or decorate your home.
When decluttering your home, question those untouched items that serve no function. Donate them to give these items new life.
When it comes to décor items, follow Marie Kondo’s mantra and ask yourself whether the item brings you joy.
If it brings you joy, it can stay. But if it is just taking up space, say goodbye.
When you reduce your home to items that serve you and your home, your space becomes spacious and satisfyingly functional.
- Related: KonMari Method Organizing Ideas and Cleaning Hacks (This method may just change your life. No joke.)
3. Stuffed Closets and Drawers
A bedroom feels cluttered when the closet, dressers and drawers are overflowing with unworn clothes.
Look through your clothes. How many have not been worn in years? You may feel like you need to hold onto them “just in case,” but it’s causing your space to be stuffed, nonfunctional, and agitating.
Donate your unworn clothes. Let them bring joy to someone else rather than be forgotten.
It is a joy to keep a spacious storage. When you limit your stuff to the items you need, closets and drawers become satisfyingly functional.
- Related: How to Start Decluttering and Organizing Your Closet Fast (You can do this in a weekend!)
4. Dust
A quick and straightforward way to find your “clutter” is to look for dust.
Stuff that’s not being used (clutter) collects dust.
Find the dust, find the clutter. Sell or donate the clutter.
5. Things Lying Around
A go-to organization mantra is “a place for everything and everything in its place.”
Is your home hard to clean? Do you have things just lying around your home because you don’t know where to put them? Then you probably have clutter.
Pro tip: it’s probably not the stuff lying around that is the clutter.
The stuff that is out could be the stuff that gets used (which is why it is out, lying around).
Check out your storage areas. Are they full of stuff you haven’t looked at in years? Clear those places out to free up space. Now put your things away.
Not more stuff lying around the house.
- Related: How to Declutter Every Inch of Your Home (Plus 10 items to get rid of right now!)
Take Back Your Home Today!
Barbara Hemphill, author of Less Clutter, More Life, says, “Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.”
Stop postponing and start decluttering.
Now that you are aware of potential signs of clutter, use this list and hit these areas first.
Once you have cleared your closets, you’ll have the momentum to declutter the entire house!
Don’t stop.
Go through your home on a regular basis and get rid of anything that doesn’t serve a clear purpose.
Keep finding items to donate, sell, or throw away.
You got this!
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About the author Michelle Salater
Michelle Salater is a freelance finance writer with a passion for personal finance education. When she’s not in front of her computer, she’s reading biographies and exploring remote areas of the world. She also freelances for Wooster Media Group LLC.
