The Art of Decluttering

Latest Episodes:

Storage Units Oct 05, 2025

Show notes

One in 10 Australians use a storage unit - and these figures are pretty consistent for our US listeners. Storage units can fill a gap, meet a need, and save you when you're in a bind... but left unattended their cost can far outweigh the benefit.

Before you put things into storage, ask yourself some questions

- Does that value of this item justify spending thousands of dollars per year to store it?

- How will I feel about this item in 2-3 years when I've invested so much more money to keep it?

- Would I be better off donating these items and just repurchasing them in the future if I really need them?

Once you have a storage unit, see if these questions help you make the next right steps

- Could I consolidate my storage unit into a smaller space to save money?

- If I go through and declutter what I no longer need, could I save money by downsizing my storage unit or eliminate my need for it?

- What else could I do with the money I'm currently spending on storage?

Thanks to Prudence Madigan from Shift Your Storage for the helpful conversation and professional insights

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Thank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio.

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Wall Clutter Sep 28, 2025

Show notes

Today we're talking about seeing the vertical walls in our home with fresh eyes. Oftentimes the art/ pictures/ decor on our walls becomes invisible to us as we've become so used to it our brains don't even register it anymore.

Take a slow walk through your home, noticing everything on your walls, doors and front of your fridge, without touching anything, just noticing.

You might like to change up some of your photos/ art around the house, or you may be inspired to clear spaces and enjoy them blank for a while. Maybe you're creative and you want to create some art for yourself, or be on the look for ways to decorate your walls in a fresh way.

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Thank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio.

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Later Never Comes Sep 21, 2025

Show notes

Until this week I never understood the saying, "later never comes" I just thought it meant procrastinators will always procrastinate, but it means that the time right now is literally never later (perhaps obvious to most!)

Later is an indefinite postponement, which has real life impacts on our homes and lives when we continually put things off to an indefinite future. Learn today some strategies for getting things done like a boss and what to do when you can't tackle something straight away, but you also don't want to kick it down the road to later.

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Small Kitchen Appliances Sep 14, 2025

Show notes

Every kitchen I've ever been into has at least one (and usually many more) small appliance that they are no longer using that is taking up precious real estate in their kitchen cupboards.

Todays challenge is simple - take out every small appliance in your kitchen, lay it out on your benchtop or table and make honest choices about whether you use it enough to keep it (and allowing the space for it) or if it's time to let it go. When you're putting back the items you're keeping, put the most used at the front and set an alarm in your phone for 6-12 months time and if you haven't used the items at the back in that time, you can declutter them too.

To get you thinking, here are some ideas of what small appliances might be hiding in your kitchen cupboards:

Toaster

Sandwich press / jaffle maker

Blender

Stick (immersion) blender

Food processor

Hand mixer

Stand mixer (e.g. KitchenAid)

Coffee machine (pod, espresso, drip, plunger etc.)

Coffee grinder

Kettle

Slow cooker / crockpot

Rice cooker

Air fryer

Deep fryer

Bread maker

Ice cream maker

Waffle maker

Juicer

Electric frypan / skillet

Multi-cooker (e.g. Instant Pot, Thermomix, Ninja Foodi)

Electric griddle

Dehydrator

Popcorn maker

Milk frother

Yoghurt maker

Egg cooker

Pie maker

Food steamer

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Lost Value Sep 07, 2025

Show notes

If you have any items in your home that you *thought* would be valuable but find out aren't then this episode is for you. It can be disappointing, frustrating or even devastating when you find out that items that you've kept because you were told they were valuable turn out to have very little monetary value.

It might be coins, stamps, collections, antiques, vintage items or maybe just an appliance you paid a lot for and intended to sell. Sometimes they're not valuable anymore because too much time has passed and you missed the boat, and sometimes it's just how markets work and if there is no demand then your supply isn't valuable.

My challenge today is to identify if there is a category or item that fits this in your home and take the next right step. Maybe it's getting an official valuation, maybe it's just checking ebay and seeing if other people have had success in selling the item... and maybe (probably?) it is making the decision to donate it or sell it for cheap so you can let go of the mental load and reclaim the freedom of the physical space, and brain space these items of lost value have been taking up.

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Thank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio.

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Gift Giving and Receiving Aug 31, 2025

Show notes

Has giving or receiving gifts been an area of tension for you? Do you find the kids get way too many toys for their birthday or Christmas? Do you get stressed at the time and money it takes to get the perfect gifts for friends and family?

It can be a challenge to navigate keeping an organised home when it comes to gifts. Add in the desire for minimalism and frustrations can flare.

Learn in this episode how to have helpful conversations that balance values and community.

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Thank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio.

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Exceptions to Minimalism Aug 24, 2025

Show notes

Thanks for the listeners who have asked what to do when life happens and you need to make exceptions to your minimalism? Living life as a minimalist is all about knowing your values and balancing that with your desire for minimalism, which sometimes means having items you need for a season or reason.

Sometimes you need to have excess to cater for the season of life that you're in. More sheets, more toys, more clothes etc. When you're unsure what to keep or how much of something to keep, go back to your values and make intentional decisions that fit with your stage of life and current need.

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Thank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio.

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Rightsizing with Jeannine Bryant Aug 17, 2025

Show notes

My guest Jeannine has been helping seniors downsize (or rightsize as she calls it) for over 15 years and Jeannine shares her wisdom for how to prepare for and downsize well. Whether you are the older adult downsizing, or you are a family member supporting someone through this transition there is so much in this episode for you.

Discover healthy ways to talk about keepsakes and memories, hint: it's not just about things that are expensive!

Don't leave the decluttering until your house is sold and you're about to downsize - start today and you will find the process can be healing as well as giving you space to remember and document a life fully lived.

Practical, caring, honest, and supportive, Jeannine is a great coach to have alongside you while you step confidently into the next season of downsizing your home.

Follow Jeannine Bryant

Website: www.EasyRightsizing.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EasyRightsizing

Jeannine's Book: https://easyrightsizing.com/book/

Jeannine's Online Course: https://jeanninebryant.podia.com/ready-to-rightsize?coupon=THEARTOFDECLUTTERING (use this link to receive 25% off just for our listeners!)

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Thank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Van Life Aug 10, 2025

Show notes

One of our team members Bec shares with us today the adventure of building and living in a van for 6 months as she and her partner travelled Australia.

Learn what it was like to live as a minimalist on the road, and how even when living in a van they found they had items they didn't need.

Bec shares some of the life altering and career changing lessons she learnt while on the road that she now carries with her and shares with clients in her work as a Decluttering and Organising Expert.

Maybe you'll be inspired to make the plunge to living with less and experiencing more too!

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Thank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loneliness Aug 03, 2025

Show notes

I've been thinking a lot about the correlation between clutter and loneliness. I speak to so many clients who are suffering from loneliness and often one the significant factors contributing to their loneliness is the clutter in their house.

Do you avoid having people over because you're ashamed of the state of your home?
Do you avoid going out because you feel bad that you should instead be tidying up?
Do you say no to invites to other people's homes because you know you can't reciprocate?
Do your children not have play dates because you don't want the parents seeing your home?

Although you might not instantly draw the line between clutter and loneliness, once you see it you realise the power it holds over so many people's lives. Loneliness is a silent killer and if by engaging in decluttering (or making peace with the clutter) you can reduce your social isolation then I think it's definitely a conversation we should be having.

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