Television shows such as Desperate Houses and Cash in the Attic are a stark reminder to viewers of how much they have stored throughout their homes.

Whether it’s a collection of National Geographic magazines from the 1970s, an unused cutlery set received as a wedding present 30 years ago, adult children’s belongings of sentimental value in storage or grandchildren’s toys in the corner to keep them occupied on their weekly visits, many homes across Ireland are straining at the seams with clutter.

Leigh Galvin, a ‘clutterologist’ and owner of professional house-grooming service Beat Clutter, says that, while people feel they have a sentimental connection to a vase and a lampshade in the attic, they obviously don’t have a link to the items as they haven’t looked at them in years. “Just get rid of them,” she says.

“Some people realise that but they really need to look at why they are keeping these things. A lot of people don’t know why they’re keeping these things if they’re never going to use them.”

Cork-based Galvin, who travels nationwide to declutter and organise people’s homes, says that, if people want to keep six things in the attic, “six things downstairs of equivalent size must go”.

As regards ‘children’ in their 20s or 30s who have half a wardrobe full in the bedroom, she says: “It’s not fair. The children need to have respect for their parents.”

Galvin says that she usually asks clients to say this to their children while she’s onsite. “I say to them, ‘by the time I get back to the house tomorrow, they need to have their stuff gone’. Let them clutter up their own homes.”

As regards third-generation clutter, she believes the best way to ensure you’re not tripping over grandchildren’s toys when they’re not there is to keep them in one place, for example the corner of a room or under the stairs. She suggests training the child to put them back when they’re finished playing with them.

Newspapers, she says, are the biggest source of clutter – some dating back to the 1950s. “Newspapers, magazine and books are the main three.”

Once the clutter is in the skip, Galvin is an advocate of making a home a different place without spending a fortune on interior design. People can declutter their homes and move what they have around – because they don’t know what they have, she says.

In Galvin’s experience, the reasons for cluttered homes include loneliness, hectic schedules, age or reduced mobility. But there’s more to clutter than just being messy or sentimental. “Clutter is frustration. Clutter is negativity in your body.” It can be about unhappiness and she tries to make people happy by helping them declutter.

“Visualise your house. Open the front door and look in your hallway. Are you displeased the second you open the door or are you happy? People need to respect their homes as they respect themselves.”