The Art and Necessity of Decluttering
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Barcelona Chair - 1929
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Did you ever hear of Mies Van Der Rohe?
Perhaps not, unless you have an interest in
architecture.
(He also designed the “Barcelona
Chair” around 1929 .) Mies Van Der Rohe died in 1969, a German
architect who did many works in the U.S., and often aspired to the ideal of “less
is more”, a saying about
the ideal of creating something so beautiful it cannot be further reduced.
Opinions may differ, but there are many
people who would say that the type of stuff in the next photo could be reduced –
quite a bit. “Decluttering” is the word
most familiar to people.
Whether you’re moving, or just wanting to move your stuff, decluttering can
bring improvements to your daily life, and most probably to your outlook in
general.
All you have to do is watch the TV series about hoarders to view the
extreme situations. Most people are not
this extreme, but neither were the people in the TV show at one time. But whether you’re at the low end or the high
middle of the distribution curve on junk,
the process can take a lot of work, because that stuff may have meaning
to you, or you think it does.
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Garage tools piled on top of each other
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If you do put your home on the market, having too much stuff in your house
or condo can detract from the buyer’s ability to see and focus on the property, and in the
end could hurt you financially.
There are people, such as Marie Kondo, who specialize in decluttering,
but really most people can tackle this themselves if they keep in mind:
- There’s
a financial advantage in keeping only what you use.
2. That
breaking down the clean out process into smaller tasks can lighten the load.
3. 3. That
selling, donating or sharing are three primary ways to lighten your inventory—sell to consignment
shops, Facebook groups, estate sale specialists, or donate to a halfway house,
charity groups, neighborhood yard sales.
1-800-GOTJUNK is a resource for taking away stuff that cannot be
donated, or, pick a self-storage site for later attention.
Decluttering may also mean a transformational
growth process, which can lead to establishing more effective daily routines,
simplifying meals and grocery shopping, and quieting the noise in your life. More resources on
simplification are found here.
If cleaning out is a task you would like to
leave to a professional, the national hourly rate for a member of the National
Association of Professional Organizers , for example, would be between $50 to
$100 an hour. It might be worth a consultation to help you get started and
actually speed up the process.
The key is, don’t try to downsize in a
month. You may give up something you wish you’d kept (but thinking you need
everything doesn’t work either). It’s
essential to start developing the habit of reviewing your possessions and think
of when the last time was you wore an item of clothing, or used a tool or appliance,
or are you keeping items you inherited that may only be taking up space.
Your home should be seen as beautiful in the eye of the beholder. Get started on your plan, your goal is
reachable!
Mies Van Der Rohe
Julia Huntsman, REALTOR, Broker |
http://www.juliahuntsman.com |
562-896-2609 |
California Lic. #01188996
