How Long Does it Take to Declutter a House?

how long does it take to declutter a house

When you think about decluttering your home, you may be thinking about the time commitment it involves. But how long does it take to declutter a house?  When you make a choice to go through your possessions mindfully to sort through all the things that no longer serve a purpose, of course, it is going to take time.

But how much time? I wish there was an easy answer to this question, but every person’s home and the size of their clutter is not a one-size-fits-all. Not only that, but everyone also has different time commitments they have to work around in order to get it done. 

No matter how long it takes, I will tell you that decluttering is absolutely worth the effort. It helps you feel at ease in your space, and decluttering can have a tremendous impact on your quality of life.

 

How Long Does it Take to Declutter a House?

Although I can’t specifically tell you how long it takes to declutter your house, I can go over some of the biggest factors that will affect the time it takes.

decluttering closet after

Here is a photo of my decluttered closet before we moved to our current home.

 

1. The size of your home

The size of your home can impact how long it will take you to declutter. It seems only natural that a 2400 square foot home will probably take longer to declutter than a 1,200 square foot home.

You also have to consider each home’s storage space, such as an attic or a basement where clutter likes to accumulate. People even store much of their clutter in a garage. 

 

2. How much clutter or things do you own?

Clutter can come in all shapes and sizes. From piles of paperwork stacked in various places among your home that you haven’t made time to go through or clothes, you can’t seem to get rid of even though you never wear them.

People tend to hold on to expensive things just because their expensive or things they hold on to that may have sentimental value. 

 

3. How many people live in your home

The more people you have in your home, the more clutter you are bound to accumulate. When you have a larger family, decluttering is a bit tougher to stay on top of and feels like a constant task.

When you have children, they seem to collect toys they become attached to, and friends and family will shower them with gifts on special occasions that just seem to hang around. 

Declutter kids room

 

4. How long you have lived in the home

When you move into a place, the moving process itself is a natural time that you might take to declutter your home. Many people take advantage of that time to get rid of things they no longer need so they don’t have to move those items.

If you have been living in your home for some time, clutter tends to accumulate easily. There doesn’t seem to be a sense of urgency when you are living comfortably in your home. 

Declutter can take time because of all these physical factors, and the emotional toll decluttering can take on a person.

Sometimes it’s a little overwhelming to take time to get rid of the things in your home that you may have some emotional attachment to.

You may have to work on your mindset before you actually begin to tackle the decluttering of your home. 

minimalist living

 

How to Speed Up the Decluttering Process

While there is not a definitive amount of time it can take to declutter your home, I can give you some tips and tricks that can help you get through it effectively and maybe even speed up the process. 

 

Create a Plan

Come up with a plan that works for you and your life. Whatever it is, maybe setting aside 30 minutes a day, or every Saturday for the next month, commit to decluttering to simplify your life.

Take it one step further and create a visual representation of your plan so that you can easily track your progress. Visuals are powerful in helping keep you motivated and stay on task. 

Guilt free decluttering

 

Work on One Room at a Time 

Using this method breaks each room up into smaller tasks that make it easier to accomplish and help you keep your motivation. This way, you can knock out each room and celebrate your little wins as you go through the home. 

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Declutter a room in 30 Minutes

 

Set up a Sorting Area

Create a space or set up an area dedicated to sorting through your stuff. Doing this can help you quickly sort through where you want to send it, such as donations, give away, sell, or recycle.

This keeps everything separated, so you don’t mix anything up you are getting rid of and makes it easier to take to the goodwill or post on a marketplace. Be sure to set this space up in a place that isn’t an eyesore.

 

Get all the supplies you need ready

You want to ensure you are fully prepared to tackle your clutter. Make sure you have the essential supplies on hand before you begin.

Even if you don’t intend to, your mind might tell you to put off decluttering since you are not ready if you don’t intend to. Some handy things to have on hand are cleaning supplies, storage bins, and trash bags.

 

Set a date for a garage or yard sale

Setting a date for a sale can help be a gigantic motivator to get you moving to declutter your home. If you go about decluttering leisurely with no set deadline, it can take months to declutter your home as you may not prioritize it. 

Decluttering your home can feel like a daunting task, but if you approach it with a solid plan, you can come out the side feeling great about your home.

Approach it by taking it one day at a time and celebrating your little victories as you move through your home and declutter your space. 

Check out my DECLUTTERING EBOOK for more details on how we decluttered every room in our home!

declutter course

 

Check out my YouTube channel here for everything you need to know about decluttering your home. 

READ MORE DECLUTTERING POSTS:

7 Benefits of a Clutter-Free Kitchen

Declutter Motivation! 8 TIPS you MUST TRY!

5 Quick Decluttering Projects

 

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