How to Help Your Clients Declutter
Find out ways to help homeowners let go of their clutter so you can move ahead with their projects
Laura Gaskill
June 14, 2019
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
It’s an all-too-common scenario: A client wants your help transforming a home, but doesn’t seem to realize that his or her clutter is (literally) standing in the way of implementing your design. If you approach the issue too forcefully, your client might end up feeling offended, or even back out of the project. But saying nothing isn’t a real option either, because the bottom line is, that clutter has to go. What to do? Consider these eight steps your blueprint for gently guiding your client in the right (clutter-free) direction.
1. Acknowledge the Challenge and Empathize
Most of us become emotionally attached to our belongings on some level. For clients who are older or who have lived in the same space for many years, those emotional attachments can run very deep. Decluttering is a challenging process, and it’s very common for people to have a hard time letting go of excess stuff, even when they know they should.
How to begin: A wonderful way to begin a discussion about clutter is by empathizing. Let your client know you understand that decluttering is hard, both physically and emotionally. Acknowledge that this is a very common issue, and that many other clients face the same thing. Try not to refer to your client’s excess stuff as clutter or, worse still, junk. Focus instead on how you’d love to see some more breathing space in the home.
Most of us become emotionally attached to our belongings on some level. For clients who are older or who have lived in the same space for many years, those emotional attachments can run very deep. Decluttering is a challenging process, and it’s very common for people to have a hard time letting go of excess stuff, even when they know they should.
How to begin: A wonderful way to begin a discussion about clutter is by empathizing. Let your client know you understand that decluttering is hard, both physically and emotionally. Acknowledge that this is a very common issue, and that many other clients face the same thing. Try not to refer to your client’s excess stuff as clutter or, worse still, junk. Focus instead on how you’d love to see some more breathing space in the home.
2. Assure Clients You’re Not Going to “Make” Them Get Rid of Anything
The choice of what to keep and what to let go of is ultimately your clients’; you’re just here to help them achieve their vision. It’s easy to want to swoop in and simply tell clients what you think they should get rid of, but unless they are very open to that specific sort of help, it’s more likely to make them shut down.
What you can do: Learn more about what matters most to your clients. If they’ve collected a lot of stuff related to a passion or hobby, assure them you want to make room for what’s most important to them in the finished space. Explain that it’s a matter of setting priorities: You have a finite amount of space to work with, so for a pleasing result, some things will have to go — but they get to choose what.
The choice of what to keep and what to let go of is ultimately your clients’; you’re just here to help them achieve their vision. It’s easy to want to swoop in and simply tell clients what you think they should get rid of, but unless they are very open to that specific sort of help, it’s more likely to make them shut down.
What you can do: Learn more about what matters most to your clients. If they’ve collected a lot of stuff related to a passion or hobby, assure them you want to make room for what’s most important to them in the finished space. Explain that it’s a matter of setting priorities: You have a finite amount of space to work with, so for a pleasing result, some things will have to go — but they get to choose what.
3. Focus on the Big Picture
It’s often easier for people to let go of clutter when they can visualize the result. Help your clients focus on the big vision for their spaces by looking at inspiration photos and any plans you have ready.
Try this: If a client is having trouble “seeing” the clutter, it may help to look at photos of the space as it is alongside any inspiration images. The shift in perspective gained by seeing the images together often makes it easier for someone to notice the excess stuff.
It’s often easier for people to let go of clutter when they can visualize the result. Help your clients focus on the big vision for their spaces by looking at inspiration photos and any plans you have ready.
Try this: If a client is having trouble “seeing” the clutter, it may help to look at photos of the space as it is alongside any inspiration images. The shift in perspective gained by seeing the images together often makes it easier for someone to notice the excess stuff.
4. Encourage Clients to View This as an Opportunity
Remodeling or redecorating a home is a big change — and because of this, it creates an opportunity for your clients to create even bigger changes in their homes and lives. Encourage them to look toward the future and consider what they want to bring with them into this next life phase or season, and what they are ready to let go of.
Remodeling or redecorating a home is a big change — and because of this, it creates an opportunity for your clients to create even bigger changes in their homes and lives. Encourage them to look toward the future and consider what they want to bring with them into this next life phase or season, and what they are ready to let go of.
5. Share Strategies
Decluttering can be hard, but it’s not impossible. Offering proven strategies can help clients get off to a good start. Suggest they try one or more of these:
Decluttering can be hard, but it’s not impossible. Offering proven strategies can help clients get off to a good start. Suggest they try one or more of these:
- Start with what feels easiest to part with, and work up to the harder stuff.
- Use a timer to stay motivated while decluttering. Try 30 minutes at a time or even 15 minutes to begin.
- Choose the best representative item or small group of items from a collection to part with, instead of the whole collection.
- Decide not to keep things you don’t really want simply because you think you “should” keep them. This applies most often to gifts and things that cost a lot.
- Save sentimental items for last. These take the most emotional energy to sort through, and trying to go through them first can derail the process.
- Take photos of sentimental items and write down the stories associated with them. Then save the album instead of the items themselves.
6. Offer a Resource List
Decluttering is a big project, and your clients are likely to need help of some kind. Be prepared for this and take the time to compile a comprehensive resource list of local service providers and organizations that you’ve vetted. Be sure to include all the needed info, including phone numbers, email contacts, websites and hours, if applicable.
Decluttering is a big project, and your clients are likely to need help of some kind. Be prepared for this and take the time to compile a comprehensive resource list of local service providers and organizations that you’ve vetted. Be sure to include all the needed info, including phone numbers, email contacts, websites and hours, if applicable.
Resources to Include
Find professional organizers on Houzz
- Professional organizers
- Estate sale companies
- Junk removal companies
- Storage services
- Charity donation centers
- Consignment stores
- Digitizing services for old home movies and printed photos
- Document-shredding services
Find professional organizers on Houzz
7. Ask Questions
Decluttering is a personal process, and because of this, it’s nearly impossible to tell someone else what to get rid of (even if you would really like to). It can help to ask questions that gently guide your clients to reflect on what they honestly want. Here are a few questions to ask about an item someone wants to keep.
Decluttering is a personal process, and because of this, it’s nearly impossible to tell someone else what to get rid of (even if you would really like to). It can help to ask questions that gently guide your clients to reflect on what they honestly want. Here are a few questions to ask about an item someone wants to keep.
- Is this something you personally love?
- If you don’t love it, is it important to you for some other reason?
- Do you feel like you “should” keep it, and if so, why?
- When was the last time you used this?
- (If there is more than one item in question:) How would it feel to just keep one instead of the whole group?
- How do you feel about the amount of space this is taking up?
- Is there someone else who could really use this right now?
- If you want to keep this, would you be willing to let go of something else to make room for it?
8. Set Up a Project Timeline and Check-Ins
Decluttering an entire home (or even a few rooms) is not something that can realistically happen in a matter of days. Share your own project timeline with your client, and suggest several points along the way to check in on the decluttering process. This creates accountability and helps break down what can feel like an overwhelming project into smaller, more manageable bites. Each time you check in, you may also want to remind your client about the help that’s available — sometimes a client may think at the outset that decluttering can be done alone, and later realize some outside assistance is needed. And it’s better to know this before work begins!
Your turn: What strategies have you found helpful when it comes to getting clients to declutter? Share your tips in the Comments!
More on Houzz
Designing a Business: How Do I Deal With Client Sticker Shock?
Pro Panel: How Do You Know When a Client Is a Good Fit?
Read more articles about decluttering
Decluttering an entire home (or even a few rooms) is not something that can realistically happen in a matter of days. Share your own project timeline with your client, and suggest several points along the way to check in on the decluttering process. This creates accountability and helps break down what can feel like an overwhelming project into smaller, more manageable bites. Each time you check in, you may also want to remind your client about the help that’s available — sometimes a client may think at the outset that decluttering can be done alone, and later realize some outside assistance is needed. And it’s better to know this before work begins!
Your turn: What strategies have you found helpful when it comes to getting clients to declutter? Share your tips in the Comments!
More on Houzz
Designing a Business: How Do I Deal With Client Sticker Shock?
Pro Panel: How Do You Know When a Client Is a Good Fit?
Read more articles about decluttering
Dave Fox is a design/build remodeling firm with a customer focused process, an incredible staff and a close knit... Read More
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This topic is a “biggie” and always needs to be handled carefully. There are many great tips in the article. I recently had a client where too much clutter and stuff was an issue. We started in the great-room kitchen, family area. Since we were painting everything had to come down anyway. As we started to re-decorate I highly edit what was brought back. My little trick is I tell the client let’s do it this way first then if you don’t like it after I’m long gone you can do what you want because, after all, it’s your home not mine. This way the room gets decorated “correctly” but gives the homeowner an out by knowing they ultimately have full control. Usually once they see how the room can look they’re thrilled and leave it that way.
Creating a list of resources is an excellent idea. I remember when I started decluttering my bedroom months ago that I could've used the names of shredding companies. Piles of paper had collected throughout the years and my personal shredder would've taken me forever to use. I'm going to start working on my resource list today. Thanks for posting this.
You rocked it with this one girlie!!! Bravo !!!!