I walk you through how to transform your kitchen from chaotic to calm. I start by asking you to envision how you want your kitchen to feel—functional, peaceful, or simply easy to clean—because that vision guides every decision. I take you on a “scavenger hunt” for small appliances, helping you question when you last used them, whether you enjoy them, and if they duplicate other tools. Then we tackle cutlery and utensils by emptying drawers, sorting by category, keeping favorites, and letting go of dull, unused items. I help you right-size your plates, bowls, and glassware based on how many people you actually feed, and suggest donating or discarding extras, mismatched mugs, and chipped dishes. Finally, I share maintenance strategies like the one-in, one-out rule, seasonal check-ins, quick-win starting points, and motivation tips to keep your decluttering journey sustainable.

Do you need a more personalized decluttering touch? Avery offers a one on one consultation where you can go over your specific decluttering needs and start the road to a happier clutter free life. Contact the declutter Queen at avery@averycundill.com

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Avery Cundill, along with her daughter Lily Rich, tackle two surprisingly common clutter zones on The Declutter Queen: the spice cabinet and the calendar. Avery walks listeners through a straightforward process for decluttering kitchen spices, from identifying expired stock to organizing by category and storing smarter. The episode then shifts to a conversation with Lily, a busy university student navigating the chaos of an over scheduled life. Together, they explore why calendars become overwhelmed and how to create breathing room without sacrificing meaningful commitments.

3 rules for decluttering your spice cabinet:

1. Most ground spices lose potency after 1–3 years. If it smells like nothing, it tastes like nothing. Let it go.

2. Group spices by use: daily (salt, pepper, garlic), baking (cinnamon, nutmeg), global flavors (curry, za'atar). Keep what you actually cook with front and center.

3. You can cook eclectically with 10–15 spices. That jar of amchur powder you Googled once? If you're not using it, it's taking up space you deserve back.

Do you need a more personalized decluttering touch? Avery offers a one on one consultation where you can go over your specific decluttering needs and start the road to a happier clutter free life. Contact the declutter Queen at avery@averycundill.com

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I turn my focus to one of the most intimidating spaces in many homes: the garage. I talk about how garages stop being a home for our cars and instead become black holes for forgotten projects, expired paint cans, broken tools, dusty holiday decorations, old furniture, and boxes labeled “miscellaneous.” Because the garage is out of our main sightlines, it often becomes “storage for indecision” – the place we toss things when we don’t want to decide whether to keep them or let them go. Over time, the whole family uses it as a dumping ground, and the result is total overwhelm. But I emphasize that a cluttered garage is not a permanent problem; with the right system and mindset, it’s absolutely fixable.

I walk listeners through five practical steps to declutter the garage:

first, set the scope by choosing just one zone to work on instead of tackling the entire garage. Second, group by category so you can see everything clearly and spot duplicates. Third, make clear decisions item by item by asking whether you use it, whether it still works, and whether you’d buy it again. Fourth, toss, donate, or rehome using a simple rule of three and responsible disposal for things like paint and chemicals. Finally, store smart with clear labeled bins, vertical storage, wall hooks, shelves, and pegboards, while keeping the floor as clear as possible.

From there, I shift into mindset and maintenance: setting a monthly reminder to tidy, making sure everyone in the household knows what goes where, and refusing to use the garage as a “decide later” zone. I offer a challenge to listeners to pick just one corner of their garage this week, sort it, let go of what they don’t use, and notice the momentum that follows.

In the second half, I’m joined by my cousin Debbie Myers, who asks how to get motivated to declutter. I share five motivation-boosting strategies: shrinking the task until it feels easy, attaching decluttering to daily triggers, using a simple trash/donate/keep system, decluttering with a “body double” like a podcast or a friend, and stopping before exhaustion so the process feels doable and even satisfying.

Do you need a more personalized decluttering touch? Avery offers a one on one consultation where you can go over your specific decluttering needs and start the road to a happier clutter free life. Contact the declutter Queen at avery@averycundill.com

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I dive into the emotional side of decluttering, especially when you’re preparing your home for sale. I talk about how our things carry memories—like the dining room where you celebrated birthdays, a child’s giant papier-mâché project, or that old coat by the door—and how the fear of losing those memories can keep us stuck. I encourage you to “keep the memory, not the item,” and share ways to do that, like limiting collections, taking photos of sentimental pieces, and asking whether each item really belongs in your next chapter.

My guest, Eden Steele, and I discuss her young adult son who struggles to let go of his stuff. I offer practical strategies: start with low‑emotion items, use a temporary box for “not sure yet” things, set containment limits with organizers, and work in short, 10–15 minute sessions. Above all, I focus on creating a supportive, present-focused, functional space.

Do you need a more personalized decluttering touch? Avery offers a one on one consultation where you can go over your specific decluttering needs and start the road to a happier clutter free life. Contact the declutter Queen at avery@averycundill.com

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I walk you through a practical, room-by-room approach to getting your home ready to sell. Building on last episode’s “why” of decluttering with realtor Ty Mitchell, I focus here on the “how.” I start in the living room, where I suggest removing excess furniture, taming remotes, and minimizing knickknacks so the space feels open and bright. In the kitchen, I clear countertops and reduce cabinet contents to create the impression of abundant storage. Bedrooms become hotel-like retreats with simple, light bedding and nearly bare nightstands, while bathrooms are stripped of personal items and styled with fresh towels and greenery. Closets get a “boutique” makeover by packing away about half the contents.

In the second half, I coach my longtime friend Patricia through managing a cluttered home with a “collector” husband, emphasizing starting with her own belongings, organizing neutral zones, and containing collections rather than confronting them.

Do you need a more personalized decluttering touch? Avery offers a one on one consultation where you can go over your specific decluttering needs and start the road to a happier clutter free life. Contact the declutter Queen at avery@averycundill.com

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This episode focuses on why decluttering is so powerful when you’re selling your home. I share how I recently went through this myself and learned that this isn’t a quick weekend tidy—it can take weeks, and that’s okay. I explain that buyers aren’t buying our stuff; they’re buying the idea of their lives in our space. Clutter makes rooms feel smaller, more personal, and less inviting, while a neutral, clean, intentional space lets buyers imagine their own furniture, routines, and memories there.

I walk through what “clutter” really means when selling—personal photos, piles of paper, overstuffed shelves, crowded countertops, even oversized furniture that blocks flow. I also highlight the return on investment: decluttered homes tend to sell faster and for three to five percent more, and you’ll be ahead when it’s time to pack.

Then, with Realtor Ty Mitchell from Winnipeg, we dig into real-world examples from his listings: how depersonalizing, removing bulky items, and even using storage solutions or virtual staging can make a huge difference. Throughout, I encourage listeners to start small—just one room, or even one table—and to expect a “second declutter” pass once they think they’re done.

Do you need a more personalized decluttering touch? Avery offers a one on one consultation where you can go over your specific decluttering needs and start the road to a happier clutter free life. Contact the declutter Queen at avery@averycundill.com

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I’m recording from Spain and taking on a familiar beast I call “scarf mountain”—the piles of hats, scarves, gloves, and mitts that quietly overrun our homes. I explain why winter accessories multiply so fast: they’re affordable, often gifted, easily lost and replaced, and tied to memories and sentiment. Then I walk you through a clear process: gather every winter accessory from all corners of your home, pair and sort them, ruthlessly weed out anything worn out, itchy, ill-fitting, or never used, and keep only what you truly wear and love. I share practical storage ideas, like clear bins, labeled baskets, and grab-and-go stations near the door so winter mornings run smoothly.

In the second half, I help my mom, Michelle, declutter decades of photo albums using simple photo boxes, showing how the same principles can make even sentimental projects manageable and meaningful.

Clear Storage Bins are easy to find on Amazon.

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I’m tackling one of the sneakiest clutter zones in most homes: coats and jackets. From puffy parkas and trench coats to hoodies and that one “special occasion” faux fur, outerwear piles up fast. I walk you through a simple four-step coat declutter method: gather everything into one place, sort by type and frequency, limit based on your real lifestyle today, and then donate, sell, or store what you don’t need thoughtfully. I also share my favorite maintenance strategy, the one in, one out rule, including how my husband and I used it while traveling.

In the second half of the episode, I’m joined by my friend Sangeet Bhatia, who opens up about her emotional but empowering journey decluttering decades of photos and her children’s memorabilia. She shares how she decided what to keep, what to let go of, and how much lighter her home feels now. If you’re ready to clear physical, emotional, and even “aspirational” weight from your closets and storage spaces, this episode will give you both practical steps and real-life encouragement.

Do you need a more personalized decluttering touch? Avery offers a one on one consultation where you can go over your specific decluttering needs and start the road to a happier clutter free life. Contact the declutter Queen at avery@averycundill.com

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