Expert tips on how to declutter your home with astonishing before and after pics

29.03.2022 - 18:25 / dailyrecord.co.uk

If you feel keeping a tidy home is easier said than done, a decluttering expert is here to attest to the fact.

Minimising clutter is a hurdle that can be emotional, sentimental and even rooted in trauma.

People hold on to their belongings for a multitude of reasons.

There's always the fear of tossing something you'll need as soon as you do, plus letting go of something nostalgic can be an agonising thought.

Sian Pelleschi runs a business called Sorted! that helps people declutter their homes and has some tips to share, CheshireLive reports.

Dealing with household mess is a common problem.

The average UK home loses 50 square feet to mess and a quarter of Brits admitted to cluttered homes, according to a Homebase commissioned report.

And more than a fifth said a messy house contributes to low mood and anxiety.

Sian, who is based in Stockport, Cheshire, said: "We are dealing with people and their lives and traumas. They're finding issues with hoarding and they vary from level to level.

"Hoarding behaviour is a mental health disorder, in its extreme cases it can be quite horrendous for people living in that situation because they're surrounded by things.

"Quite often hoarding behaviour is triggered by some tragedy or something where they've had a situation that's been a negative in their life. Some kind of trauma.

"People hold onto things - sometimes because it's sentimental or monetary value. We live in a world where we can easily access things quickly. When someone has something that could possibly be of use they don't want to let it go."

Sian is on the board for the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers (APDO), which is holding its conference in Manchester for the first time this May.

So how do you decide what