Have you decluttered recently? What are the criteria for
decluttering? What do you think of the boom? [Survey results] *Dream Planning Co., Ltd.*
Press release: September 2, 2024
**
Have you decluttered recently? What are the criteria for decluttering? What do you think of the boom? [Survey results]
*URUHOME, a real estate trouble-solving site operated by Dream Planning Co., Ltd. (Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa
Prefecture/Representative Director: Juto Takahashi), conducts a survey of people who are interested in everyday life issues. carried out* When using the survey results and images in this release, please use the URL of URUHOME (URUHOME) where survey results are published. Please provide a link to https://uruhome.net/dan-sha-ri/
*Publication permission from our company is not required.
* [Survey overview] *
〇Survey target: “People who are interested in issues of daily life” 〇Valid responses – 500 people
〇Investigator – Dream Planning Co., Ltd.
〇Research method – Internet questionnaire survey
〇Survey period-July 15th to July 17th, 2024
Have you decluttered anything within the past year?
Have you decluttered anything within the past year? n=500 (single answer) * -Cleared comments-*
“I love decluttering and have almost completed it. I regularly look for things that can be thrown away. (Male, 50s)”
“I want to cut down on too much stuff for the rest of my life. (Male, 40s)” “Organize your collection to add to your retirement funds (man, 50s)”
It seems that many people who are decluttering are not just those who simply throw things away, but also those who sell them on flea market apps.
* -Uncut comments-*
“Because I live a zero-waste lifestyle (male, 30s)”
“I feel like it’s a waste and I can’t throw it away.” (Male, 50s) “I don’t have too many things than I need. I believe in things that are good to have, and things I don’t need.” (Male, 30s)
Among the people who say they don’t declutter, it’s not just that they can’t throw things away, but that there are also people who don’t buy anything other than what they need.
What have you decluttered within the past year?
What have you decluttered within the past year? n=500 (Number of answers: 981, multiple answers possible)
1st place is “Clothing” 53.4%
* ★ 1st place: 267 people (53.4%) who got rid of clothes ★*
Of all the items people disposed of, the most common item was clothing. I tend to buy items one after another based on the latest trends or seasons, but end up not wearing them right away.
* -1st place: Comment about getting rid of clothes-*
“My clothes that I no longer wear were taking up space, so I sent three bags to the neighborhood association for recycling.” (Male, 60s) “I’ve been wearing more and more clothes that don’t suit me (female, 20s)” “I try to throw away clothes I no longer wear once a year. (Male, 30s)” “I got rid of clothes from my youth that I no longer wear and things that are out of fashion. (Female, 30s)”
“I learned that I could take my clothes to the local district center for recycling, so I took them in several batches. (Female, 50s)”
Clothes are bulky and take up a lot of space, so it’s a good idea to get rid of them instead of letting them clutter your wardrobe forever.
2nd place is “Books” 22.8%
* ★ 2nd place: 114 people (22.8%) who got rid of books ★*
Books also take up a lot of space. Along with clothes, these items tend to become targets for decluttering.
Clumps of paper are surprisingly heavy, and it can be difficult to throw them away in cardboard units.
* -2nd place・Comment about discarding books-*
“I got rid of the comics and novels I no longer read. I put the books I could buy back for sale and got rid of the books I couldn’t buy. (Male, 40s)”
“I love books and buy them often, so I put the books I finished reading up for sale.” (Female, 30s)
“I buy books on flea market sites and sell them almost immediately after reading them. I only keep the ones that stick with me, but I end up not reading them, so I feel like I end up selling them about a year later. (Female, 30s) )”
“I read about 100 books a year, so I sell them at least once every six months.” (Male, 30s)
“I try to sell books that I’ve finished reading or that I’m no longer interested in when reading as a hobby. (Male, 40s)”
If reading is a hobby, you will accumulate a huge amount in a few years, so it is a good idea to digitize as many books as possible.
3rd place was “miscellaneous goods” at 20.4%
* ★ 3rd place: 102 people (20.4%) who got rid of miscellaneous goods ★*
It’s easy to get excited when buying miscellaneous goods, but when you leave them at home, they tend to get scattered and bulky.
It’s tempting to stuff every single item into a cardboard box and get rid of it all at once.
* -3rd place・Comment about getting rid of miscellaneous goods-*
“I’m always worried about unnecessary things, but every once in a while I intensively look over the house and declutter regardless of category. (Female, 40s)”
“I threw away a lot of CDs from artists I used to be into that I no longer listen to (male, 40s).”
“I heard that the more things you own, the more housework you have to do, so I throw away things that don’t make me happy. (Female, 40s)” “If things accumulate, money won’t come in, so I threw away things I haven’t used in a year (female, 30s)”
“I threw away a lot of CDs from artists I used to be into that I no longer listen to (male, 40s).”
It’s true that the amount of housework you have to do increases with the number of items mentioned in the comment, and it’s worth decluttering just to cut down on maintenance costs.
4th place was “I can’t throw it away” (18.4%)
* ★ 4th place: Can’t throw anything away 92 people (18.4%) ★*
As the Japanese spirit of mottainai shows, there are many people who find it difficult to throw things away.
However, keep in mind that storing things you don’t use will cost you space.
* -4th place・Comments that can’t be thrown away-*
“I keep accumulating things because I can’t throw them away.” (Male, 40s) “I don’t throw away anything other than broken or trashed items in the name of decluttering. (Male, 30s)”
“It’s a pain to throw something away, and I don’t throw it away because I feel like I might use it after all.” (Female, 30s) “I feel like it’s a waste and I can’t throw it away.” (Male, 50s) “I always wanted to declutter, but I was so busy with work and housework that I didn’t have the time. (Female, 60s)”
There are many people who think, “I might use it after all,” or “I can use it if I fix it,” but get distracted by the busyness of their daily lives and end up leaving it as it is.
5th place is “Daily necessities” 14.6%
* ★ 5th place: 73 people (14.6%) who got rid of daily necessities ★*
It’s convenient to have, but its uses are limited and I don’t often use it. There are many such items in daily necessities.
When purchasing daily necessities, the trick to reducing unnecessary purchases is to consider whether they can be replaced with other items.
* -5th place・Comment about getting rid of daily necessities-* “I got rid of everything based on items that I haven’t used for two years or more. (Male, 30s)”
“Decluttering is something you should do. If you have too many things, it will be a problem for the bereaved family. (Male, 40s)”
“I sold everyday items that I didn’t need on Mercari. (Female, 40s)” “I’m thinking of decluttering as I approach the end of my life. Ultimately, I want to live as minimally as possible. (Female, 60s)” “Decluttering relieves stress and helps save your life. (Female, 40s)”
It is a good idea to organize as much as possible while you are still healthy so that the family left behind will not have any trouble cleaning up the mess.
What are the criteria for decluttering?
What are the criteria for decluttering? (n=1211, multiple answers possible) 1st place was “Is it necessary?” 56.6%
* ★ 1st place: Get rid of things if they are not needed 283 people (56.6%) ★*
What criteria do you use to declutter (in short, dispose of)? When asked, the most common answer was “Is it necessary?”
It’s a waste to keep things you don’t need at home, so we recommend giving them to someone who needs them or throwing them away.
* -1st place/Comment to discard if unnecessary-*
“If I don’t need something, I keep it and think I might use it someday, but I never end up using it.” (Female, 30s)
“It made me realize that I had been buying a lot of unnecessary things.” (Male, 30s)
“When I carefully considered whether it would be necessary in the future, I came to the conclusion that it was unnecessary. (Male, 50s)” “Even if I keep things I don’t need, I end up not using them.” (Female, 50s) “Is substitution effective? (Example: If you have a knife, you can substitute an apple cutter.) (Male, 30s)”
If you can substitute other tools, there is no need to prepare one for each purpose.
2nd place: “Have you used it recently?” 33.6%
* ★ 2nd place: If you haven’t used it recently, get rid of it 168 people (33.6%) ★*
If you haven’t used it recently, it won’t be a problem to get rid of it. If you need it, you can just re-procure it.
* -2nd place/Comment about decluttering if you haven’t used it recently-* “I think about whether I haven’t used it recently or if I plan on using it in the future, and if I don’t think I’ll use it, I throw it away right away. I throw it away without hesitation. (Female, 30s)” “If I haven’t used an item for a year, I won’t have a chance to use it. (Female, 50s)”
“There are many cases where items that are not used will not be used in the future, but the current situation is that it is difficult to throw them away.” (Male, 60s)
“If I don’t like something that I haven’t used recently, I won’t use it in the future.” (Female, 40s)
“If you haven’t used it within a year, you won’t be able to use it again, so throw it away.”
If I don’t use it but have fond memories of it, or if I want it again after giving it up but it’s difficult, I’ll wait and see for another year or so (female, 20s).
Even if you think “I’m sure I’ll use it someday,” don’t worry, “someday” probably won’t come.
3rd place: “Have you used it within the past year” (29.6%)
* ★ 3rd place: If I haven’t used something in a year, I’ll get rid of it 148 people (29.6%) ★*
Many people seem to define “recent” as one year. Depending on the person, it may last for 2-3 years or more, but once you have reached the point where you have decided, it is time to declutter.
* -3rd place/comment about discarding if you haven’t used it for a year-* “I try to throw it away if I haven’t used it for a year. (Male, 40s)” “If I haven’t used it for a year, I don’t think I’ll use it. You can throw it away surprisingly easily if you put it in a garbage bag. (Female, 20s)”
“If I don’t use it for a year, I think I’ll never use it again.” (Male, 40s) “I plan to get rid of things that I haven’t used within a year.” (Female, 30s) “If you haven’t used something in a year, there’s basically no problem in getting rid of it, so don’t hesitate.” (Female, 40s)
Indeed, once you put it in a garbage bag, your attachment to it disappears, so please try it too.
4th place is “Do you like it or not?” 23.0%
* ★ 4th place: If I don’t like it, I’ll get rid of it 23.0% ★*
Throw away what you don’t like. Many people said that they should throw away things that don’t make them excited.
* -4th place/Comment that if you don’t like it, get rid of it-* “In the past, if it wasn’t broken, I couldn’t throw it away, but recently I’ve started letting go of things that no longer bring excitement to me.” (Female, 30s)
“I don’t need anything that doesn’t make my heart flutter (female, 40s)” “It would be easier if I could get rid of things based on whether I like them or not.” (Male, 30s)
“Do you feel excited or not?” (Female, 20s)
“I decided whether I liked it or not.” (Male, 60s)
In other words, does it make you feel excited when you hold it or use it?
5th place: “Does it take up space?” 21.6%
* ★ 5th place: If you want to take up space, declutter 108 people (21.6%)★*
Storage space is limited, so it’s best to get rid of bulky items as much as possible.
* -5th place/Comment about decluttering if it takes up space-* “If you have too many things, you feel oppressed and it doesn’t look good or feel good, so I think it’s very important to take up space. (Male, 40s)”
“Storage space is limited, so I try to get rid of things that take up as much space as possible.” (Female, 40s)
“If you get rid of large things that get in the way, you’ll feel better, so get rid of them as soon as possible.” (Female, 30s) “I want to actively let go of bulky items. (Male, 40s)”
“If you’re taking up space for storage, you’re a candidate for decluttering.” (Female, 20s)
Clearing out large items will free up space, so you’ll be more likely to notice the results of decluttering.
How do you feel about the decluttering boom?
How do you feel about the decluttering boom? n=500 (single answer) 1st place: “Life becomes simpler” (35.2%)
* ★ 1st place: Life can be simpler 176 people (35.2%) ★*
What do you think about the recent decluttering boom? The most common answer was “It makes life simpler.”
* -1st place: Comments that make life simpler-*
“The brain gets tired when there are too many things, including information. The simpler the society, the easier it is to live, so I would like it to become simpler. (Female, 50s)”
“I think I no longer feel irritated by unnecessary things because I have fewer things.I feel that my house has become cleaner and has a calmer atmosphere.Decluttering is probably a positive thing for many people in the world. (Female, 60s)
“If something happens and you die, you won’t cause trouble to those around you.” (Female, 40s)
“If my life becomes simpler, I can do what I want to do as soon as I can.” (Male, 30s)
“I realized how much people buy things they don’t need and are fooled by marketing. (Male, 50s)”
When things are cluttered, it’s stressful. I want to live as minimally as possible.
2nd place was “I feel mentally refreshed” (24.4%)
* ★ 2nd place: Feeling mentally refreshed 122 people (24.4%) ★*
Many people commented that decluttering gave them a refreshing feeling.
* -2nd place・Mentally refreshing comment-*
“I feel that decluttering has many benefits because I feel mentally free when my space is cluttered. I also think that increasing social interest is a very good trend. (Male, 40s) ”
“When things I don’t use accumulate in my house, the air feels stagnant. I feel refreshed by throwing them away. (Female, 50s)” “You might find yourself unable to clean up at any time, so doing it while you can still move will give you a sense of security. (Male, 40s)”
“I think it’s a blessing to be able to live a clean and tidy life.Thanks to the spread of the word “decluttering,” my parents, who were reluctant to throw things away, have started cleaning up their homes. (I’m in my 30s.) ·woman)”
“Having too many things can put a strain on your mind, so I think it’s good to get rid of things you don’t need and keep your room tidy because it will help you feel refreshed.” (Male, 40s)
Although it may be suitable for different people, it may be worth a try.
3rd place: “Difficult to implement” (10.0%)
* ★ 3rd place: I think it is necessary but difficult to implement 50 people (10.0%) ★*
There are many people who want to declutter and think it is necessary, but are unable to do so.
What about you all?
* -3rd place – Comments that are necessary but difficult to implement -* “I think you should declutter as much as possible considering what will happen after you die, but when you start organizing it, you feel like it’s a waste to throw it away, or you wonder if you’ll use it someday, so it’s hard to take the plunge.” (Female in her 40s) ” “I think it’s necessary, but I haven’t been able to take action yet. I’ll do my best in the second half of the year. (Female, 30s)” “I think it would be nice to have a simpler life if I decluttered, but I just can’t get rid of things.” (Male, 20s)
“I want to learn from someone who is good at throwing things away.” (Male, 60s) “It costs too much to throw things away. (Male, 40s)”
When it comes time to dispose of it, one of the hurdles is that it costs more than you expected.
4th place was 8.0%, “Nurtures the spirit of valuing things.” * ★ 4th place: Developing a heart of valuing things 40 people (8.0%) ★*
There was also an opinion that by not having unnecessary things, children will develop a mindset of valuing the limited possessions they have.
* -4th place・Comment about valuing things-*
“Thoroughly disposing of unnecessary items means thinking carefully about whether or not they are necessary before making a purchase, which reduces wasteful consumption and helps society avoid wasting resources.” I think so. (Male, 40s)
“You’ll understand what you really want to cherish. That’s why you won’t buy things that aren’t important.” (Female, 20s)
“I think it would be ideal if we lived in a world where things we don’t need go to people who need them. I realized this through Mercari. When you declutter, you realize that you were spending on things you don’t need, and you stop wasting money. (Female in her 40s) “I think that by taking care of things, we can contribute to a sustainable society.” (Female, 20s)
“I don’t understand excessive minimalist thinking, but I think it’s good for the environment and for your mental health to have fewer possessions and take good care of things that are of good quality or that you like and use them for a long time.” (30 2019/Male)
By taking care of things, you can also contribute to the SDGs.
5th place: “It’s just a temporary boom” (4.6%)
* ★ 5th place: This is only a temporary boom 23 people (4.6%) ★*
While decluttering has been gaining popularity, some have expressed skepticism that it is only a temporary fad.
* -5th place/Comments that see it as a temporary boom-*
“I think it’s more of a fad thing (female, 40s).”
“I think there will be a boom, so I don’t know what will happen when it stops (female, 50s).”
“It’s a boom created by Mercari and second-hand dealers, etc., just sucking up the sweet juices” (Male, 40s)
“I think it’s good for giving yourself some peace of mind.However, there are cases where people are selling everything on flea market apps, either for perks or as a trash can. (Male, 40s)
“I feel like it’s a benefit because it gives me an opportunity to reevaluate my life.However, the recent boom in decluttering is just throwing away “things,” not “stuff.” I also feel that there is a background that encourages private sales on sites such as Mercari, which is pushing these people forward. (Male in his 40s)
The “fashion type” mentioned in the comment means “let’s throw away things that are no longer fashionable in order to buy things that are trendy,” and there are certainly people like that.
It is also true that there are industries and businesses that profit from private sales as they become more popular. I hope that
decluttering doesn’t end up being just a fad.
summary
This time, we conducted a survey of 500 people regarding decluttering and announced the results.
Are you all decluttering? What do you think about decluttering? Dream Planning will continue to conduct and publish questionnaire surveys from various perspectives regarding issues in daily life, so please use them as a reference.
* ■About the niche real estate problem solving site “URUHOME”* URUHOME https://uruhome.net
is a site that provides columns to solve problems related to niche real estate (so-called negative personal property) that is generally difficult to sell. We also provide free appraisals and sales consultations for niche real estate.
* ■About Dream Planning Co., Ltd.*
Dream Planning Co., Ltd. operates a vacant house matching site ( Real estate SNS Uchikatsu
) and is a pioneer in real estate ventures that is addressing social issues in Japan through the revitalization of negative personal property.
* ■Company profile*
Company name: Dream Planning Co., Ltd.
Address: 10F, Granbell Yokohama Building, 252 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0023
Phone number: 045-641-5480
Representative: Representative Director Tatsuhito Takahashi
Established: July 2005
URL: https://dream-plan.com/