ICEBREAKERS

Hunt & Peck

Sometimes a homeowner may be overwhelmed both emotionally and physically, which means you might need to let them ease into the process versus pushing them into the deep end. Using an Easter egg hunt approach where you survey a room for items to get rid of or a trash bag therapy where you just look for trash in the space can be a quick way to make a dent and get the decluttering wheels greased. Other methods to consider are the 12-12-12 (have the homeowner find 12 items to toss, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to rehome), the FlyLady 27 Fling Boogie, Five Item Rule (get rid of five untouched things in every room).

 

FOUR CATEGORY

(aka Four Sort, Four Core, etc.)

The gold standard of decluttering is the four-category method where you create bins, piles or areas for four categories: Donate/Sell, Keep, Trash and Rehome. Whether you and/or your client empty a space completely or sort as you go, each item is designated a category and dealt with accordingly. The keep pile is then sorted and organized back into the space — we'll get to that later!

 

BOXING

(aka Pack-up Party, Box & Banish, etc.)

Boxing up items for later is a method that works well in some situations. It is particularly help for the following two situations: first, when the client cannot or doesn't want to be involved, and second, when emotional attachment becomes an immovable obstacle to decluttering. Boxing items for clients to address later removes some of the pressure of letting go — but it is imperative to label the contents and assign an expiration date for the client to reference.

 

KON MARI

Sparking Joy

This method requires you to empty a space and gather all items related to those you will be decluttering (such as gathering all the clothing items throughout your home regardless of where you will store them to avoid duplicates). You will then touch each item, determine if it sparks joy and keep or donate accordingly, while giving thanks to the item for whatever service or purpose it fulfilled.

 

PETER WALSH METHOD

5 Step Declutter

The Peter Walsh Method uses five steps instead of four:

1. Clear the space completely

2. Create a vision for the space

3. Sort everything into two piles: "vision pile" or "out-the-door pile" 

4. Donate or trash OTD items immediately

5. Rebuild the space with items from your vision pile 

 

MINIMALIST

90/90

As you begin decluttering with your client, ask them if they've used the item in the last 90 days and will they use it in the next 90 days. The rule is a "no" to both means the item goes. (Warning: This doesn't work so well with seasonal items.)

 

20/20

The 20/20 rule is more of a guilt-free philosophy whereby any item that can be replaced for less than $20 and under 20 minutes is fair game to declutter. This is more or less a means to get clients to let go of "what if" or "maybe someday" items they aren't currently using.