Clearing out the clutter

"Simple day-to-day living can be stressful and frustrating," says Lorraine. "If our living or working space is cluttered, our lives feel cluttered." So if we get rid of the clutter, we'll feel more comfortable. "On a fundamental level, you will find that your life runs more efficiently and easily. But more importantly, you will feel better within yourself. Organising our lives provides balance and freedom, and gives us a feeling of real mental, physical and emotional well being."

We asked Lorraine what unusual pieces of clutter she'd had to deal with. "I was once helping a client to de-clutter a chest that belonged to her late father. In it we found a collection of WWI and WWII memorabilia. To our even greater surprise, at the bottom was some live rifle ammo from the war. With expert assistance we carefully and safely removed them and took them to the nearest police station."

Of course, clearing out clutter can have financial advantages too. "The whole cash in the attic thing really is true, and acts as an extra incentive," says Lorraine. "We once found £147 in old notes under in a cupboard under the stairs with a client whose mother liked to save things for a rainy day. Fortunately, her bank did credit her for the same amount, and the notes went off to the Bank of England."

Does Lorraine have any de-cluttering tips? "De-cluttering is only the start of the process. To successfully keep clutter at bay for good, you've got to create organising solutions that you can maintain. You've also got to address storage throughout the property and decide whether it's actually working. In some cases, you need to look into your buying habits too."

And you have to be committed to getting rid of that clutter. "It's impossible to de-clutter anyone who is not 100% accepting of the idea. I get a lot of wives who want to organise their husbands, who aren't keen. This will never work. Everyone has to be on board."

If you're feeling encouraged to conquer your own clutter, Lorraine has some final words of advice. "Pick a time when you are really in the mood, recycle and give as much to charity as you can so you feel everything will go to a good home. Most importantly, make sure you have a place for everything and everything ends up in its place."