Getting rid of clutter in your home is good for your health

Did you know that getting rid of clutter in your home could actually be good for your health? According to a recent study by researchers at UCLA, clutter can cause or contribute to elevated stress and depression and aggravate illnesses and allergies. The study showed how living in a cluttered environment is much worse than it appears to be, especially if you are considering selling your home. Clutter is actually considered a triple threat to your health, causing physical, emotional, and mental harm.
Try these six steps to de-clutter your entire home once and for all, whether you are selling or staying put:
1) Get an outside perspective
Invite a friend or professional to visit and offer their opinion. Look for someone who has not been at your house before. If you are listing your property, your Realtor can help survey the scene and make suggestions on where to begin.
2) Clean for a cause
As you get rid of clutter, make sure to have a pile to donate to a non-profit. You can hand your donations to someone who regularly takes items to local charities, to make the process even easier!
3) Let it go
Not everything should be donated. Wherever I get the de-clutter bug, I end up throwing out many of the used items I seem to collect without realizing it.
4) Put stuff in 3 piles
So, you have your donation pile, your trash pile, and the pile of stuff you want to keep. Here’s a hint: make sure this is the smallest pile!
5) Get rid of health hazards
Did you know that Americans spend up to 90 percent of their day indoors, with half of that time at home? Any moldy or dusty piles of stuff can lower the air quality in your home and can ultimately, cause or aggravate illnesses and allergies.
6) Reclaim your home
Like most problems, it is either getting better or getting worse. Don’t let the clutter in your home continues to grow. Don’t get comfortable with, or even desensitized to clutter. Get rid of it once and for all and reclaim your home.
For more insight into why getting rid of clutter in your home is good for your health, read the Trulia article “Ready to Declutter for Good? 6 Ways to Help You Start Today.” If you are planning to sell a luxury property in Montecito or other upscale Santa Barbara communities, I suggest you start by de-cluttering your environment and giving me a call at 805.886.9378 or emailing me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com. With more than 25 years in the industry, I have the experience and knowledge to help get your property sold in record time!