Clutter Report Australia

As a clutterfree life coach, I am, of course, very interested in any study or report that focuses on clutter.

However, that type of information is not so easy to find. The Choosi Clutter Report 2017 is one of the rare successes of my ongoing research.

The report has been published by Choosi (an insurance-comparison company) and summarises the results of a survey done by CoreData (a global market research consultancy).

CoreData surveyed 1,000 ‘typical Australians’ across the nation in October 2017 in order to explore the financial value of clutter in Australian homes.

I am not sure how representative the survey’s findings are, however, some of the research results are quite interesting.

These are some of the key findings of the clutter report:

Clutter occupies quite a lot of physical space of our homes, and the amount of our clutter has increased over the past years.

- 54% of the survey participants estimate that they can fill half of a room or more with clutter,
- and more than 25% say their home is more cluttered compared to five years ago.

Clutter is impacting on our health, wellbeing and relationships.

- 25% of participants say that clutter creates stress or anxiety in their lives
- and about 20% feel discouraged from inviting friends or family to their home because of the clutter.
- Nearly 12% claim that clutter-related issues have even led to separation or divorce.

Proactively clearing clutter from our homes has positive impacts on our emotions.

- The survey participants estimate that they get rid of approximately 6.8 large bin bags each year.
- Key reasons for decluttering include feeling refreshed (49%) and happier (44%).

What are your answers to the survey’s clutter-questions?

When I was reading the report for the first time, I soon started to think about what my answers would have been to the survey questions – an interesting and self-awareness-increasing exercise.

Take a few minutes to consider your answers to these questions before you then have a look at the survey results below:

- How much clutter do you currently have in your house? How much of a typically sized room could you most likely fill?
- What is the total financial value of the clutter currently in your home (i.e. considering the cost of purchasing these things in the first place)?
- How strong is the emotional/sentimental value of the clutter in your home?
- What’s the most cluttered space currently in your home?
- What impact does clutter have on your life?
- What do you feel are the greatest reasons for clutter in your household?
- What are the greatest barriers to decluttering your home?
- What is your most valued household item?
- How strongly do you currently desire to declutter your home?
- How does clearing the clutter in your home make your feel?