5 Questions to Answer the Question: Does Your House Have Too Much Furniture?

Wherever you look in the media, you’ll find someone talking about decluttering the home. The emphasis is usually on excess clothing, too much memorabilia, and too many decorative items. However, a person may have too much furniture and not even realize it.

When it comes to furniture, at what point does a person say that enough is enough?  How do you know?  Here are some questions to determine if reducing your furniture would help declutter your lifestyle.

#1 Are you having to slide around to get through rooms?

Each time your furniture forces you to turn sideways, that’s a sign there’s too much furniture. You may not be able to walk through a room without bumping into it. You may have to find a roundabout way to get anywhere. This may be true in the whole house or in a few rooms.

#2 Can you open closet doors and bureau drawers all the way?

In many cases, this means that the room is too crowded. You ought to be able to open every drawer and every door without moving something out of the way.

#3 Is your furniture ridiculously mismatched?

This is often a sign that you are keeping things for sentimental reasons. You ought to be able to settle on an interior design style and build around that style in each room. If you aren’t sure about which style suits you best, rent a storage unit and keep stray pieces.  You can change your mind and switch furniture again when the mood hits you.

#4 What would happen if you had a party?

Your common rooms should be able to host a party where people are standing up. This indicates that you have used all available floor space.

#5 Are all of your drawers, cabinets and closets in regular use?

If not, there’s a good chance you have more storage space than you need. Numerous empty cabinets and drawers indicate that your storage needs are covered. On the other hand, you may have bulging cabinets and drawers and still have too much furniture. In this case, you need to declutter and get rid of excess belongings before deciding on which furniture needs to go.

Now It’s Time to Move the Furniture

Before deciding what needs to leave, you should decide if all of your furniture is in the right spot. Rearranging may make it obvious which pieces don’t fit or are essentially useless.

You may have to negotiate with the others in the household about what furniture needs to go. To do this, you will need to be firm about the reasons that piece of furniture needs to go. You can write down a quick list of pros and cons, but make sure you emphasize the need to alleviate crowding. If you have a 10 x 10 storage unit, this will ease the tension because it can go there.

Even if everyone agrees, you will need two strong people and a truck or SUV to haul it away. To make it easier, you can list it on a marketplace with the message that whoever takes it must also move it. Whether selling or just giving it, it is logical to expect the recipient to be the one to move it. There are also charities that may be willing to pick up furniture.

Published in: Home advice | Author: Laura