Real-Life Decluttering Inspiration: Motivating Before & Afters

Real-life decluttering before and after photos. See how people really declutter their homes. Realistic organizing and decluttering from real homes.

Do you ever look at pictures of minimalist, decluttered spaces and think that it’s just so…unrealistic?

The other day, I was sitting in our living room, surrounded by toys, dirty dishes, used napkins, and random school papers, the contrast between reality and what we see online or in magazines really hit me hard.

I was sick and exhausted, and I had absolutely NO motivation to tidy up.

I thought I’d hop onto Instagram to get a boost of organization inspiration.

But, instead of making me feel motivated, those posts just made me feel defeated.

I’ve been working at getting organized for YEARS, but I still struggle.

When life gets busy, and I start to feel like things are spinning out of control, I can see the results in the way our house looks.

And for the last few days, our house has been telling me that I needed to get back to basics.

So, that’s what I did.

I focused on ten-minute tidy-ups, laundry, and meal prep.

I was in survival mode, but at least I didn’t feel like I was drowning any more!

Decluttering Inspiration

Then I decided to declutter a super scary place in my home that was FILLED with all kinds of random clutter I didn’t know what to do with.

I chose to declutter our under-the-stairs coat closet. It’s been a holding ground for all kinds of random stuff for the past year.

By going through it all and following the steps in the challenge, I was able to fill one garbage bag (who knew there was so much trash in here???), two donate boxes, and I did a whole lot of walking around the house bringing things to their “homes.”

Bonus: I found my spring coat I thought I had lost!

Related: Declutter 101- Where Do I Start?

This small little space in our house wasn’t too overwhelming, but it actually took a lot of work to get it all cleared out.

Why Decluttering A Little Is Better

Often we think we have to take on gigantic decluttering and organizing projects to make a difference.

That just isn’t true.

When you take on smaller projects with more regularity, you’ll see more consistent progress.

AND, you’ll build your decluttering skills along the way so you get better and more efficient each time you decide to declutter or organize. 

More Decluttering Before & After Pictures

Organized Office Tour: Before & After

10-Minute Pantry Declutter – Before & After

10-Minute Tidy of Christmas Decorating Aftermath – Before & After

Decluttering After a Big Trip – Before & After