10 Decluttering Principles Everyone Should Know to Create More SPACE

Decluttering doesn’t have to mean becoming a minimalist or throwing away everything you haven’t used recently. There are plenty of philosophies and rules designed to help us think differently about what we own — from the Swedish practice of Döstädning (death cleaning) to the famous 80/20 principle.

Some will resonate with you. Others won’t. And that’s the point.

At SPACE by JoziStyle, we don’t believe there’s one magic formula for deciding what stays and what goes. Your home should reflect your life, habits and personality — not someone else’s definition of minimalism.

Here are ten principles worth knowing, using as prompts rather than commandments:

1. The One-Year Rule – If you haven’t used it in a year, consider whether it still serves a purpose in your life.
2. The 80/20 Principle (Pareto Rule) – We often use 20% of our belongings 80% of the time. Focus on what you actually use.
3. Döstädning (Swedish Death Cleaning) – Declutter with the consideration of making life easier for those who may one day sort through your belongings.
4. The “Does It Spark Joy?” Rule – Popularised by Marie Kondo, this asks whether an item brings you genuine joy or value.
5. The “Just in Case” Trap – Be cautious of keeping items for hypothetical situations that rarely (or never) happen.
6. The Duplicate Rule – How many of the same item do you really need? Keep the best, release the rest.
7. The Space Cost Principle – Every item takes up physical and mental space. Is it worth the cost of keeping it?
8. The Easy Access Rule – If something is hard to reach or use, you’re less likely to use it at all.
9. The Category Clarity Rule – Group similar items together to see how much you truly own in each category.
10. The Future Self Question – Will your future self thank you for keeping this, or for letting it go?

The SPACE Principle

Ultimately, there’s one question we think should come before all the others:

Don’t organise what you don’t need.

Before buying another basket, rearranging a cupboard or creating a clever storage system, decide what actually deserves the SPACE.

Our approach is simple:

EDIT → DECIDE → ORGANISE → MAINTAIN

Because there’s little point beautifully organising things you don’t use, need, love or value.

And equally, there’s no prize for getting rid of something you genuinely enjoy simply because a decluttering rule says you should.

Ready to Create More SPACE?

Whether it’s an overflowing wardrobe, chaotic kitchen cupboards, a home office that has become a dumping ground or simply too much stuff without a system, SPACE by JoziStyle can help you make sense of it.

SPACE by JoziStyle

Curating SPACE for Living.

Less Clutter. Better Living.

Book your free virtual consultation today.