We’ve all seen the show Hoarders and other shows like it. We always tell ourselves that “we could never live like that,” “the stuff we have has purpose” and “we could need it later.” The reality is, we all likely live in some degree (or know someone living) as a “hoarder.” This is not to say that we are all EXTREME hoarders, but studies have shown that in 2024, the average household in the United States is sitting on far more items in their homes than they need, and that they are “Robbing us of our life.” In a study compiled by the becomingminimalist.com, studies show that:

1.) There are 300,000 items in the average American home (LA Times).

2.) While 25% of people with two-car garages don’t have room to park cars inside them and 32% only have room for one vehicle. (U.S. Department of Energy)

3.) 1 out of every 10 Americans rent offsite storage—the fastest growing segment of the commercial real estate industry over the past four decades. (New York Times Magazine).

4.) Over the course of our lifetime, we will spend a total of 3,680 hours or 153 days searching for misplaced items. The research found we lose up to nine items every day—or 198,743 in a lifetime. Phones, keys, sunglasses, and paperwork top the list (The Daily Mail).

5.) Research found that the average 10-year-old owns 238 toys but plays with just 12 daily (The Telegraph) and 3.1% of the world’s children live in America, but they own 40% of the toys consumed globally (UCLA). For the full list see https://www.becomingminimalist.com/clutter-stats

For us hoarders out there (and yes we are implying that we are all hoarders) there are proven physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits of “Letting stuff go.” Robert S. Petercsak of the Old Bridge Medical Center describes 5 ways decluttering will impact your health:

1.) Decrease stress and anxiety. Clutter can cause stress and anxiety. By decluttering your space, you create a more calming environment that can improve your overall mood.

2.) Increase focus. It can be difficult to focus when clutter is all around you. By decluttering and organizing your space, you create a more peaceful environment that helps you stay focused and productive.

3.) Boost creativity. When you have too much stuff, it can be overwhelming and stifle your creativity. By decluttering, you can open up space for new ideas and creative expression. CHUCK IT BLOG 1

4.) Improve sleep quality. A bedroom that is cluttered with clothes and objects can be disorienting and negatively impact your ability to relax and get quality sleep.

5.) Enhance self-esteem. When you declutter your living space, you can gain a sense of accomplishment and control over your environment, which can positively impact your self- esteem.

If this task of decluttering seems daunting, or even if you’re just looking for a starting point in your home, please reach out to Chuck It Junk Removal for all of your hoarding needs. Chuck It, LLC specializes in hoarder estate clean outs, hoarder recycling projects and quantity material handling. If you are going to make the leap to reclaim your real estate, it is far better to use third party—impartial assistance—to help remedy the emotional ties to your stuff.

Your real estate and health is far more valuable than your junk. Chuck It Junk Removal can sort, recycle, donate and dispose of any quantity of items. We guarantee maximum recycling and least amount of landfill contribution of any other Junk Removal company. We feel this guarantee will help us “hoarders” out there feel better about the process of reclaiming our real estate and lives.