Clutter is something we deal with a lot at My Divine Concierge. Whether we are working on a hoarding resolution problem, helping an older person downsize or just pitching in to help a family organize at home, clutter is everywhere. Unfortunately, clutter can make the place where you live seem like just a house rather than your home. It is our goal to change that for our clients.
You can live in just about any house, right? With four walls and a roof, you can stay out of the weather and store your personal belongings. However, a house is not necessarily a home. A home is a place where you can feel comfortable; it is a place where you can feel safe and protected; it should be a place you always want to return to at the end of the day. However, clutter gets in the way.
Americans and Their Stuff
A 2012 report from the Department of Labor shows that American consumers spend nearly 10% of their income on things that are not considered necessities or intangible goods. Necessities would be considered food, transportation, healthcare, and investments. Intangible goods are things such as sporting events, concerts and going down to your favorite club. Just about everything else is included in that 10% figure.
This suggests that an individual making $50,000 a year is spending about $5,000 on stuff. Some of it is necessary stuff – such as clothing, furniture, and appliances. Nevertheless, a lot of it, as evidenced by the amount of clutter in our homes, is unnecessary. Moreover, that is really the root of clutter; having more stuff in your house than you really need.
Believe it or not, this has everything to do with the difference between house and home. When we spend money on stuff that we really do not need, there is no meaning or importance to our purchases. The things we buy are merely objects that take up space in the home. Moreover, the more of those objects we have, the more space is being taken up by things that really have no meaning or purpose. What used to be a home gradually becomes space filled up with stuff that is not important.
Losing That Good Vibe
There is another thing clutter does to turn a home into a house: it destroys that good vibe your home used to have. Clutter can make it difficult for you to move freely around your house. Clutter can provide so much visual stimulation that you find it impossible to just sit and relax. And of course, clutter makes cleaning an absolute nightmare. When a home becomes cluttered, it can cause a litany of negative thoughts and emotions in those that reside there.
We cannot tell you how many times clients have told us how much their houses felt like homes after we had helped them declutter. In many cases, the changes we made did not involve any purchases of new furnishings or storage solutions, nor did they involve repainting or replacing a carpet. We simply helped to get rid of all of those unnecessary things while properly organizing and storing possessions that were being kept.
Your house should be more than just the space you occupy. It should be your home. If clutter is preventing you from enjoying your home the way you should, we want to help. My Divine Concierge specializes in helping people organize their lives and their belongings so that both can exist in harmony together. You do not have to let your possessions deprive you of your home. Let us help you declutter instead.