5 Benefits of Decluttering Your Home

by Kristopher Samuels Writer

Are there stacks of boxes gathering dust in your attic? Do you have to tip-toe around old electronics to get to the desk in your home office? Is your kitchen packed wall-to-wall with appliances you barely use anymore? And is your backyard starting to look more like a scrap metal yard with each passing day?

If so, you may need to declutter. Spring may have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean the “spring cleaning” season is over. Decluttering your home is about more than just tidying up – it’s about re-evaluating your possessions so that you can live freer and clearer.

In this post, let’s explore five compelling benefits of decluttering your home.

Decluttering Relieves Stress

“Mess equals stress” is more than just an empty adage. As it turns out, several psychologists have studied the long- and short-term effects of clutter on people’s mental health, and have found that mess indeed equals stress.

What is it about clutter that makes people anxious? Essentially, it has to do with the way your brain computes outside stimuli. As clutter builds up, your brain has to work overtime to process the excess visual stimuli, which overwhelms your senses and triggers your brain’s stress responses.

Clearing the unwanted items from your home and the junk metal from your yard can have a profound, positive impact on your mental health.

You Can Make Money from Your Scrap Metal

Many homeowners are unsure where to take scrap metal when they declutter, and they end up tossing it in the garbage or recycling. Not only is this approach environmentally unfriendly, but it robs you of the opportunity to make a few extra bucks.

You can make money from your scrap metal by contacting a full-service recycling facility. They will buy your ferrous metals (iron, stainless steel, microwaves, appliances, etc.), non-ferrous metals (copper, brass, old batteries, catalytic converters, etc.) and old electronics like computers and TVs.

A full-service recycling facility personifies the old saying that “one’s man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” If you’re decluttering this summer, make some money in the process.

And Add Some Cash by Selling Unwanted Items

Once you get money for scrap metal by taking your clutter to a junk yard, you can turn your attention to other items. Perhaps you have unnecessary furniture, art, recreational items or textiles lying around. Before you throw them out or donate them, take the time to research prices online.

Online marketplaces are a fantastic way to unload items that the scrap yard can’t buy. No matter how small or seemingly inconsequential the item is, chances are there’s a buyer out there who will pay for it.

Decluttering Makes Your Home More Accessible

Especially for older adults, clutter poses an accessibility risk. When hallways are littered with cords and obstructions, they pose a tripping hazard.

Scrap metal indoors or outside can also be unsafe; one can easily nick themselves on the sharp edges and protrusions. Decluttering allows you to make your home safer, which is ideal if older adults or young children live there.

It May Even Improve Your Overall Health

According to the Mayo Clinic, decluttering may even improve your overall physical health. Research shows that clutter is linked to poorer sleep, which in turn is connected to poorer physical health. Additionally, clutter may also exacerbate allergies because of hidden mould and excess dust.

When people think of decluttering, they tend to focus (justifiably) on the aesthetics benefits. “How nice it must be to have a clean, clear home!” But decluttering also carries several other hidden advantages. You can reduce your stress, improve your health, and make money from scrap metal and unwanted items.