There are 300,000 items in the average American home, and reports estimate that getting rid of clutter eliminates up to 40 percent of housework. With a rise in the minimalism trend, as well as an aging baby boomer generation increasingly seeking to downsize, decluttering is becoming a popular and necessary activity for many Americans.

Decluttering can be a very stressful and overwhelming process. Considering you can own upwards of 300,000 items, it’s clear that decluttering can take some work. Many find it difficult to complete the task of decluttering a home alone. To help those who have trouble figuring out how to start decluttering, there is a company available to offer suggestions with the process. Blue Moon Estate Sales, the leading estate sales franchise in the country, specializes in organizing and preparing homes for estate sales, setting fair market value prices for items and conducting estate sales.

With a love for discovering the value in ordinary items and helping clients sell and customers buy items, my son and I decided to join the Blue Moon Estate Sales team as owners of Blue Moon Estate Sales of Goldsboro in October, 2016.

Being an estate sale business owner has helped me realize how important it is to declutter. Organizing your home, even if you are not planning to move or downsize, is a great method for everyone to adopt. It helps clear the mind, and allows you to focus on what’s important, such as spending time with family and friends rather than with material items.

There are several pieces of advice for those preparing to declutter their homes. First, when starting the decluttering process, store items you must keep in drawers, cabinets, baskets or other storage units. Second, for items you wish to sell or donate, group like items together, and use baskets and boxes to organize such categories. As for what to keep and what to get rid of, ask yourself if it does or does not have sentimental value. If it does not have sentimental value and is not a necessity, strongly consider getting rid of it.

Finally, I recommend having ample time to declutter a home; that is key to properly organizing. Create a schedule or set time each week to spend on the decluttering process. Otherwise, you may become overwhelmed and give up.

Try these tips at home to see how much clutter you can organize and what you can discard. You will be glad you did. And, of course, if these tips do not work out, you can always call me at Blue Moon Estate Sales of Goldsboro for assistance!

American homes contain an average of 300,000 items and can be decluttered by following a step-by-step process.
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_books-1.jpgAmerican homes contain an average of 300,000 items and can be decluttered by following a step-by-step process.

Pierce
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_Olivia-Headshot-1-1.jpgPierce

By Olivia Pierce

Guest columnist

Olivia Pierce is with Blue Moon Estate Sales of Goldsboro, http://bluemoonestatesales.com/goldsboro/