Don’t let clutter get you down

Bank repo

Here’s a very insightful email I received recently from an Australian woman called Nadia, who has kindly given me permission to publish it. She says:

“As part of my work I repossess properties for financial institutions when the owners can no longer manage the mortgages.  It’s not a pleasant job but I do it with as much care and respect for people as I can.

A few weeks ago I had to repossess a huge house. Never in all my years have a walked into a property where every room was partly renovated with bare wall boarding and plaster….and crap from ceiling to floor! There were 6 bedrooms, 4 lounges, 3 bathrooms – all full of boxes of old clothes, papers and everything. Then there was the back yard, a triple garage with two carports and piles of pipes, timber, rubbish, old rusted everything. It was oppressive and deeply sad. The man’s girlfriend of 3 years said she didn’t even know there were 3 more bedrooms upstairs because she could never get past the piles of junk!

It struck me then that I have never repossessed a home which has been clutter free, tidy, in order, dusted or appeared happy to be lived in. The clutter in the house mirrors the clutter in every part of their lives, they are overwhelmed with debt and totally incapable of mentally climbing past it. How could they get any better when they come home and live amongst floor to ceiling clutter?

There are of course people who have well kept, clutter free homes who suffer property repossession. They just seem to deal with things differently.  They have usually contacted the bank to make payment arrangements, or listed the property for sale at the earliest chance, or re-financed.  If it does come to eviction, the property will be cleared and vacant before the day of recovery.”

It comes as no surprise to me to hear that forced repossessions all have some degree of clutter, although this is the first time someone in that profession has written to tell me their experience of it. As I explain in my book, clutter begins as a symptom of what is happening with you in your life and then becomes part of the problem itself because the more of it you have, the more stagnant energy it attracts to itself. No matter how tough life gets, you’ll have a better chance of weathering the storms if you can nip clutter in the bud before it accumulates to an out of control level.

Copyright © Clear Space Living Ltd, 2011


About Karen Kingston

Karen Kingston is a leading expert in clutter clearing, space clearing, feng shui, and healthy homes. Her two international bestselling books have combined sales of over three million copies in 26 languages and have established themselves as "must-read" classics in their fields. Her best-known title, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, is now in its fifth edition. She is best known for her perspective-changing insights and practical solutions that enable more conscious navigation of 21st-century living.
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2 Responses to Don’t let clutter get you down

  1. I love to hear someone say they are excited to get back to their clutter clearing. That’s the gift Karen’s book has to offer, motivation by explaining clearly the effects clutter can have. I had trouble with depression when I read Karen’s book, and strongly believed that getting things in order would make a big difference for me. I did not even have all that much clutter, except clothes and books I had not been using. I cleaned the whole closet and got rid of all the clothes and purses and books I didn’t care about anymore. My whole life changed after that. It was a miracle.

  2. Dear Karen,

    I recently got for myself your book on clearing clutter. Absolutely one of the best things I have ever done. I have worked really hard over the last week or so and have got rid of and passed on so much stuff it’s unbeliveable. I have also discovered a renewed energy and a somewhat more positive outlook. I still have a long way to go and I am giving myself 6 months to be clutter free. Thank you so much for writing your book, oh and since begining this process I have already been asked out to dinner with some girl friends I haven’t seen in a while and I also met unexpectedly some old friends from secondary school who I haven seen or been in touch with much in over 10 years and we’re going to be meeting for lunch soon.

    I’ve heard my grandmother say, ” What’s for ya won’t pass ya,” but I think you’ve got to make space for it otherwise it won’t even get through your front door.

    I am about to get back to my clutter clearing and I am so happy to be doing it and I am looking forward to a happier and more produtive life.

    Best wishes, P.H., Ireland

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