4 Signs It’s Time to Actually Stop Decluttering Your Home (They Are So Telling!)

There are many tell-tale signs that a home could benefit from a good declutter: You find yourself tripping over items in your entryway, feel stressed when entering a space, are unable to find what you’re looking for — the list goes on. But less talked about are the signs that the decluttering in your home is done and, if you continue past this point, there could be negative repercussions.

To learn more about these signs I talked to Dana Reder, professional organizer and owner of Winnow & Bloom, and Di Ter Avest, professional organizer and owner of Di Is Organized. Below, the top four signs that it’s time to hit pause on decluttering your home.

Decluttering is about subtracting what is no longer wanted or needed in order to gain space and simplicity within your home. But when you find yourself repurchasing items you discarded time and time again, it’s a clear sign that you may need to take a step back. “The intention behind decluttering is to let go of things you no longer need,” says Reder. “But you lose both time and money in the long run if you find yourself decluttering things you need to repurchase.”

Take a moment to pause and evaluate whether you truly need something before letting it go, and whether you’re actually already in a place where you like, use, and need what you have. If so, it’s probably time to stop decluttering.

This is something that I used to do and, looking back, it’s clear to me now that I was unnecessarily decluttering. In an absence of finding more items to declutter, I donated items I cared about because I felt like I “should” have owned less, even though I liked and enjoyed all I owned. I didn’t own massive amounts of stuff, but I felt guilty for owning anything surplus.

“You’ve gone too far if you find yourself longing for items that once made you happy, were useful, or you just enjoyed,” says Reder. So if you can think of some items you really regret letting go of recently, perhaps it’s a sign that it’s time to pause your purging.

Decluttering is a very personal journey, so if you find yourself sifting through possessions belonging to friends, family, or your partner, it’s definitely something that needs to be addressed (even if it’s well-meaning). “If you’ve started sneakily getting rid of your partner’s or kids’ things, slow down! Decluttering is a personal choice, and forcing it on others can create tension and upset,” says Ter Avest.

Stop to ask yourself why you believe you’re still seeking to declutter even after going through your own items — perhaps you find it therapeutic, maybe you feel your home is still “too messy,” and so on. Then, if you wish, think about how to have conversations with others regarding decluttering to see if it’s something they would like to pursue on their own accord.

Every home is different, and so is the atmosphere an individual wishes to live in. But if you walk into a room of your home and it suddenly feels far too empty or devoid of the personality and character it used to have, it’s likely a sign that too much was decluttered from the space.

“If your space is starting to feel cold or unfinished, you may have decluttered past the point of comfort,” says Ter Avest. “A home should feel like you — not like a showroom or an empty box. You want to simplify through decluttering, not strip away everything that makes your space feel like home.”

Today I still get the urge to declutter my space, even though everything in it brings me joy. I look around and see so many items I don’t “need,” and my gut instinct is to pare down. But I’m trying to get better at telling myself it’s OK to own things, within moderation, just because I like them and they make me happy. Doing this doesn’t make you a “bad” or “materialistic” person. It makes you a human being who likes and appreciates something that exists in this world, and there’s nothing wrong with that!