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Tales from the trenches – typical declutter clients

People often ask me what a typical declutter client looks like. The truth is, they come in all ages, genders and demographics, but have a common goal – to live better.

Angela – has tried and failed

Ang has read Marie Kondo’s book and watched The Home Edit. She has bought the tubs and drawer dividers and tried to implement techniques. It just doesn’t stick and she doesn’t know how to go deeper and maintain a decluttered, organised space. She needs more in-depth knowledge. She needs tailored coaching and maintenance strategies. She wants to start with the kitchen and use what she learns to chip away at the rest of the house.

Tam – wardrobe and pantry pain points

Tam doesn’t want to declutter the entire house. She knows her pain points – wardrobe and pantry. Those two areas are high-access, which means she could really benefit from decluttering them. She gets dressed and eats at least once a day and it has become a drag fossicking and rummaging and making more of a mess. Organising has never been her strong point so she wants to have it set up by a professional.

Sally – busy and cluttered

A professional in a nice suburb, Sally is spending too much time managing her stuff. Looking for the right work outfit, rummaging through the pantry to feed her kids and keeping stuff off the floor. It got worse during lockdown. She thought sh’d have time to tackle it, but the problem only got bigger. She knows it’s time to declutter but she doesn’t know where to start. She wants a professional organiser to gradually get through her entire house over a few sessions. Sally is one of many typical declutter clients.

Chloe – additional needs and NDIS

Having four kids and two with additional needs is bloody busy. The two younger ones have NDIS plans which is great, but managing their needs, appointments and plans is a full-time job in itself. Chloe knows that having a calm, organised home will help to support her children. Luckily she can direct some of her NDIS funding towards getting decluttered and organised over the course of 10 or so sessions. She is looking forward to ticking this off, managing her days better and helping her kids to flourish.

Dani – shifting house

Shifting house is in the top five of life’s stressful events. Dani wants to get rid of all the crap and make a fresh start of it. There are only four weeks to go to moving day and the more time that passes, the tenser she becomes. How will she have time to go through everything as well as organise the move and work full time? Every cupboard she opens fills her with dread. She needs help.

Seb – just shifted

Having just shifted apartments, Seb is another typical declutter client. He is still living out of boxes and hasn’t had time to think about how to unpack and where to put things. The boxes were packed in a hurry by the removalists so aren’t categorised properly. Junk drawers put into boxes are just boxes full of junk. Therefore finding what he needs is difficult. But throwing everything onto random shelves won’t be a long-term solution. Seb knows this, but needs help to solve the problem. He wants to make a fresh start with his belongings.

Tammy – working from home

Tammy is a typical declutter client in that she wants to live better. She is tired of having her Zoom meetings in the kitchen with pots and pans in the background. She wants to use the spare room as a home office, since working from home is an ongoing prospect and apart from her cluttered kitchen she quite enjoys it. She never thought she could do without her ‘junk room’ as a storage space. But her friend told her a professional organiser could help her transform that dead zone into a functional work space.

Beth – downsizing

Beth has accumulated a lifetime of stuff and it’s time to downsize. She is yet another typical declutter client. She needs to halve her belongings in two months in order to fit into the retirement village. Her kids live interstate and say they don’t want anything. What can she do with all her ornaments? Is anything sellable? It seems like such a shame to throw it in the bin. She needs help as her shifting day approaches.

Trav – spare room

Too much stuff has piled up in the spare room. It has been the dumping ground for two decades and Trav’s young teen wants his own room. Is this even possible? Where on earth will Trav put all his camping gear and the treadmill though? Trav is a typical declutter client. He needs someone to project-manage this for him.

Bo – ADHD

With a recent diagnosis of ADHD Bo now knows that organising is never going to be her strong point. Her atypical executive function means she doesn’t naturally assign places for her belongings. Then when her stuff gets out of control she is paralysed by overwhelm. This just exacerbates the problem, and the result is that she feels like a failure and is too embarrassed to have people over. Bo needs to break the back of this seemingly insurmountable task.

Baz – disability and access

Recent disability means that Baz is now in a wheelchair and can’t reach high cupboards. He wants to streamline his living situation so that everything he needs is accessible but can also be put away. He’d love the place looking nice and needs bench space to make a sandwich but also can’t be putting things away in high places. Someone needs to pull everything down, simplify and organise his living spaces so he can function happily and safely. He thinks there will be NDIS funding as well, which is a bonus and means he can book in a few sessions.

Alana – hoarding

Over the past year her stuff has gotten out of control to the point where her neighbours are complaining and she can’t have her grandchildren over. The kitchen is not functional and is nowhere near safe. Her kids say she is a hoarder and it’s true that she loves her stuff. Her support worker has suggested that she gets in a professional organiser and declutter coach to help her make her home safe and functional. Is Alana a typical declutter client? Yes she is one of many.

Eva – pantry and cooking

Growing up, Eva’s mum was always a keen cook. These days she has a bit of dementia but still likes to prepare meals for her husband. Eva would love to have the kitchen simplified and organised to support her mum to continue to cook her favourite dishes. This will also help to slow down her dementia. Eva and her mum are typical declutter clients.

Bijal – rehousing and selling

Over the past six months Bijal has been going through the stuff in her bedroom and identified what needs to go. Some extra pocket money from all her designer clothes and handbags would be great, since she doesn’t go out much any more. But is it even worth selling and what’s the best platform to use? She doesn’t know where to start but wants to clear all of this stuff out of the living room so she can start having people over again.

Are you a typical declutter client? Do you recognise any parts of yourself in these people? Reach out for a free consultation.

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