I Attended a Decluttering Workshop with Lisa and Here's What She Taught Me
I recently had the pleasure of hosting Lisa Linard at a Woburn Chamber of Commerce Women in Business lunch and learn. Lisa Linard is a professional organizer and move manager serving Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire, and the founder of Lisa Linard & Co. What she shared that afternoon was so practical, so specific, and so genuinely useful that I knew I needed to get it all in one place for you. Whether you're preparing to sell your home, helping a parent downsize, or just finally ready to deal with the basement, this is for you.
You can watch the full 35-minute talk on YouTube. Everything below is a summary of what Lisa shared.
First, the Thing She Said That Stopped the Room
Lisa asked everyone in the room to raise their hand if they had clutter in their house. Every hand went up. Every single one.
Here's what I want you to hold onto before you read another word: clutter is universal. Everyone has it. Lisa has it in her own house. There is no shame in it and zero judgment here. The goal isn't a perfect home. It's a home that feels manageable and works for the people living in it.
What Actually Is Clutter?
Lisa defines clutter as anything in your home that no longer fits your current life. It's the stuff that creates friction in your daily routine, triggers negative emotions, or makes your space feel unsafe or overwhelming.It might be the stuff you're tripping over. It might be the bills you can't find, so you end up paying late fees. It might be gear from a hobby you no longer do, furniture that doesn't fit the space you're moving into, or boxes from your parents' house sitting untouched in the basement for years.
Clutter often builds because we're postponing hard decisions, or because things don't have a designated home. Life gets busy. Amazon makes it easy to bring more stuff in. And before long the friction adds up, overloading our nervous system, creating a constant feeling of things undone, and making us feel less in control of our own space.
Your Home Doesn't Have to Be Perfect. It Just Has to Work for You.
One of the biggest things that stops people from asking for help is embarrassment. Lisa hears it constantly. Every single client worries their home will be the worst thing she's ever seen — and it almost never is. Lisa walks in and thinks: this is going to be good. That attitude is exactly what makes the process work.
Thinking About Selling? Decluttering Is One of the Best Investments You Can Make.
As a realtor, I see this constantly. When a home is full of stuff, buyers can't see the space, the storage, or the features that make it special. Clearing the clutter is one of the most effective and least expensive things you can do before you list.There's a practical financial benefit beyond the sale price too. The less you have, the less you pack and the less you pay to move.
Lisa also had a word of caution about storage units. One in three Americans currently rents one, and storage companies routinely raise their rates about six months after you sign up. They know once your stuff is in there, you're not going to move it. What starts as a short-term solution can quietly become a very expensive long-term one. Lisa shared a story about a client whose family discovered five storage units full of inherited belongings after she passed away. The family ended up spending over $100,000 in storage fees that had accumulated over the years, then thousands more to sort and remove everything. Getting things out of the house is the goal, not just out of sight.
Once your home is decluttered, the next steps are knowing whether to stage it, refreshing the curb appeal, and capturing it in great photos. A few related reads: Furnished, Vacant, or Somewhere in Between?, Eight Tips for Adding Instant Curb Appeal, and Why Now's the Perfect Time to Snap Your Home's Listing Photos.
Curious What Your Home Is Worth Before You Start?
If decluttering has you starting to think seriously about selling, the next question is usually the same: what is my home actually worth right now? I offer a free online home evaluation tool that's a great starting point — pop in your address and you'll get an instant ballpark figure based on public data and recent sales.Just know that the number you see is a starting point, not the answer. An algorithm can't walk through your kitchen, see the new roof, notice the updated systems, or weigh the fact that your street rarely sees a home come up for sale. It doesn't know what's currently sitting on the market in your town, what's gone under agreement at over asking, or what buyers are actually responding to this week.Pricing a home accurately takes a seasoned local agent who knows the inventory, has seen the inside of comparable homes, and understands the nuances that move a price up or down by tens of thousands of dollars. Run the online estimate here, then reach out for a real walk-through and a true opinion of value — that's where the big picture comes into focus. You can read what past clients have said about working with me here.
Where to Start When It Feels Overwhelming
Lisa's advice here is simple: start small and build momentum. Decluttering gets easier the more you do it.
Start small and emotionally neutral. A junk drawer or utensil drawer is a perfect first project — you know immediately what you've used and what you haven't. Avoid pulling out old love letters or high school yearbooks early on; we all know what happens when you sit down on the closet floor with a yearbook.
Go for big visual wins. Large items and empty boxes are incredibly satisfying to clear out because they take up so much volume. Suitcases are a great example — most households have far more than they need, and getting rid of even a few creates a noticeable change right away.
Group like with like. This is the core principle of effective decluttering. If you have holiday decorations in five different spots around the house, gather them all in one place first. When you see six wreaths laid out together, the decision becomes easy: pick your two favorites, let the others go. You're no longer evaluating each item in isolation — you're choosing among the best of what you have.
Keep decisions simple. When you're going through items, try to stick to one question at a time: keep, donate, or trash? Don't let yourself get derailed by where the item will go or who might want it. Make the yes/no decision first, then figure out the exit strategy.
Don't let tough items stall you. If something is bringing up a lot of emotion and you're not ready to decide, skip it. Come back to it in a few weeks. Let the easier decisions build your momentum.
Getting It Out of the House: Your Exit Strategy
Once you've decided what you're letting go of, the real work is actually removing it. Leaving it in a pile in the corner doesn't count. That pile is still clutter; it's just clutter in a different part of your house.Lisa walked through the main options from easiest to most involved.
Donation pickups are one of the most convenient routes. Many local organizations will come directly to your home. More Than Words accepts books, CDs, records, video games, clothing, and household items. Plan ahead because pickup scheduling can take a few weeks.
Curbside giveaways work beautifully for furniture and larger items. A simple post in a local Facebook group with a photo and your address will almost always clear your curb within 24 hours. Lisa's approach: post it, say first come first served, and don't respond to individual messages.
Local donation drop-offs like Mission of Deeds in Reading and Household Goods in Acton are great choices if you want to keep items in the community. If you want to research organizations before donating, Charity Navigator is a helpful resource for understanding how larger charities use their funds.
Junk haulers are the right call for things that can't be donated. Companies like Highland Shredding handle both junk removal and document shredding, which makes whole-house cleanouts much more efficient. They can also coordinate directly with donation organizations to drop off usable furniture before hauling the rest away.
A few other things worth knowing: Massachusetts now has a law prohibiting textiles and mattresses from going in the trash. They need to be recycled. Companies like Helpsy and Baystate Textiles have drop-off bins at schools and community locations throughout the area.
And one more thing Lisa is firm about: don't donate items you wouldn't pay a dollar for in their current condition. If something is stained, broken, or worn out, recycle it rather than passing the problem along to someone else.Finally, resist the urge to give things to friends and family without asking first. It feels generous, but showing up with 25 sweaters your sister didn't ask for just transfers your burden to her. If family members want something, invite them to come and pick it out themselves.
Organizing What You're Keeping
Decluttering and organizing are not the same thing, and buying a set of matching bins is not a storage strategy. The point of organizing is to create a system where you can find what you need, when you need it, in the place where you need it.Here are the principles Lisa shared that make the biggest real-world difference.
Give everything a home. When things don't have a designated spot, they get put down wherever there's space and the cycle repeats. When everything has a place, tidying up becomes a much simpler daily habit.
Design storage around how you actually live. Keep your stamps near where you pay bills. Keep tape and scissors on multiple floors instead of making a trip to one central location every time. Set up a dedicated space for the activities you do regularly, whether that's crafting, wrapping gifts, or any other hobby.
Think vertically. There's only so much space at counter height, but a lot of unused space above it. Shelves and door-mounted racks can dramatically expand your usable storage without taking up any floor space.
Leave some empty space. If every container is packed to the brim, one new item or a small disruption breaks the whole system. A little breathing room keeps things functional over time.
Make it work for your brain. A perfectly labeled system you'll never maintain is worse than an imperfect one you'll actually use. If you have ADHD or tend to forget things once they're put away, clear bins and open shelving might serve you better than closed drawers. Your system doesn't have to look like an Instagram post. It has to make sense to you.
A Special Note on Senior Downsizing
This is an area where Lisa does a lot of deeply meaningful work, and it deserves its own section.
Downsizing is harder for seniors for reasons that go well beyond the volume of stuff. Many are holding on to items because they believe their children and grandchildren want them. In Lisa's experience, about 99% of the time the kids say no, or they want one small sentimental item. They don't want the furniture. They don't want the china. But people hold on for years waiting.
Others worry that letting go of objects means losing the memories tied to them. Many want to leave a legacy, and their belongings feel like part of that.
A book Lisa recommends highly is The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson. The idea is that going through your home while you still have the energy and clarity to do so, rather than waiting until something forces the issue, is a gift to yourself and your family. It makes your home safer while you're living in it. It lets you pass things on with intention. And it spares your loved ones from having to make those decisions while they're grieving.
As Lisa puts it: a loved one wishes to inherit nice things from you, not all things from you.
Many families I work with are thinking about what comes next after the downsize — for some that's a newer condo with a two-car garage, and for others it's understanding where the Massachusetts market is heading in 2026 before making a move.
How to Keep Clutter from Coming Back
Organizing is not a one-time project. Lisa was clear about that. Here's what actually helps over the long term.
Keep a donation bag or box on each floor of your home for ongoing decluttering. When you open your closet and react with "ugh" to a particular shirt, don't put it back. Put it in the box. When the box gets full, take it away.
Apply a one-in, one-out rule. Or one-in, two-out if you're really trying to pare down. Be thoughtful about what you bring into the house, and feel free to say no to free swag, promotional items, and things that just don't add value to your life.
Open your mail in one spot and deal with it immediately: recycle what's junk, act on what needs action, file what needs to be kept. Catalogchoice.org is a great resource for unsubscribing from print catalogs, which also helps reduce impulse shopping.
And if a system stops working for you, change it. You're not locked into anything.
Helpful Reading
Lisa recommends these three books for anyone looking to go deeper:
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning – Margareta Magnusson
Downsizing the Family Home – published by AARP; especially useful for adult children helping parents through a move
How to Keep House While Drowning – a compassionate, practical guide for people dealing with executive function challenges, ADHD, or simply feeling overwhelmed
Want More Local Resources Like This?
Lisa shared a goldmine of local donation spots, junk haulers, and Massachusetts-specific tips — and that's the kind of community knowledge we share every week. Our newsletter rounds up the best things to do north of Boston, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday so you can plan your weekend without the scroll.
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What Working with Lisa Actually Looks Like
Lisa offers a free initial consultation by phone. She listens to your goals, your challenges, and what's been getting in the way. From there, her team visits your home and works with you side by side through every step of the process.
They ask questions that help you think clearly and objectively about what to keep and what to let go, with patience, encouragement, and zero judgment. And then comes the part clients love most: her team loads everything you're letting go of into their car and drives away with it. Items go to local charities and organizations in the Greater Boston community so your belongings find a new home rather than a landfill.
For homeowners preparing to sell, her team can also help with light staging by editing and rearranging what you already own, and can connect you with trusted service providers including movers.
Selling a Home: Furnished, Vacant, or Somewhere in Between? — directly addresses the staging question Lisa's work raises.
Need help with larger items that can't be donated? Check out the guide to the best junk removal services north of Boston.
About Lisa Linard
Lisa Linard is the founder of Lisa Linard & Co., a professional organizing and move management company serving Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. She is a NAPO Golden Circle member, a member of the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers, and holds a User Experience Design certificate from Bentley University. She offers free consultations and genuinely loves walking into a messy project.
Visit lisalinard.com to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a professional organizer do? A professional organizer helps you sort through your belongings, make decisions about what to keep or let go, and create systems that make your home work better for you. They can also help with moves, downsizing, and estate cleanouts.
Do I need to clean up before Lisa's team arrives? Not at all. Lisa's clients regularly worry their home will be the worst her team has ever seen. It almost never is. You don't need to prepare. That's what they're there for.
What happens to the things I get rid of? Items are donated to local charities and organizations in the Greater Boston area. Nothing goes to waste if it doesn't have to.
Can you help me if I'm selling my home? Absolutely. Decluttering before listing is one of the most effective ways to make your home more appealing to buyers. Lisa's team also offers light staging and can connect you with real estate agents and movers.
Will I meet with Lisa directly? Yes. Lisa personally handles every initial consultation by phone or Zoom. She gets to know your situation and goals before her team takes over the hands-on work.
Do you offer virtual sessions? Yes. Lisa Linard & Co. offers virtual organizing sessions over Zoom that are just as effective as in-person ones.
What if I'm not ready to let things go? That's completely normal. Lisa's team is experienced at giving people the space and time to process the emotion around an item and make the decision that's right for them. No pressure, no judgment, ever.
