I appreciated how McCubbin discusses emotional/mental blocks that can affect trying to organize. Her real-life examples were also helpful to see how these blocks can play out in different ways. The room-by-room breakdown was also a good way to approach such a vast undertaking--especially when she notes that often what you think is the issue is just a trickle down from the real source of the problem.

MAKING SPACE, CLUTTER FREE by Tracy McCubbin is a wonderful and rather unique resource. McCubbin has spent a decade working with clients of dClutterfly, an organizing and decluttering company based in Los Angeles, as well as writing and being interviewed about ways to reduce clutter. Her book is filled with vignettes concerning various clients and she writes in a comforting, personal tone. An entire chapter is devoted to seven emotional clutter blocks (e.g., my stuff tells me who I am OR being trapped with other people's stuff). For each one, she lists a few clues to see if it pertains to the reader, then describes a bridge and helpful phrases to transition from the clutter. The emotional aspect is very interesting and actually liberating in a way. In addition, subsequent chapters generally break down the clutter into room by room issues, including a clutter freedom quiz which should help most readers be more objective as they assess their personal situation. Similar to Marie Kondo's question of whether an object sparks joy or not, McCubbin offers five questions to consider (frequency of use, income generating, cost to replace, ease of storage, and whether you truly love it) when evaluating individual items. Always practical, some of her later chapters offer systems for organizing after a purge and a downsizing guide. While it would be more appealing if there were some images in MAKING SPACE, CLUTTER FREE, McCubbins subtitles her text "the last book on decluttering you'll ever need," and that could very likely be true. Starred review from Booklist.

Beautiful book that gives great advice. Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

It works! My house isn't magazine-perfect, but this book helps cut the clutter! Now I have to work on cutting down my overflowing bookshelves....

While reading this book I started decluttering our attic and am now adding the finishing touch to my newly created creative studio. I don't know if I had done it without it. To be short: It's a very inspirational book and made me take action. What else do you need from a book on decluttering? I am now a grateful owner of a lot of extra space in our house and most and for all more space in my head.

Christopher had a huge amount of correspondence from the IRS, which he was scared to open because he knew that he owed them a lot of money. He had stacks of papers in his house. He wanted to propose to the love of his life, but he had this big secret. After helped him to organise his paperwork and advised him to see a lawyer and accountant, he found out that he didn’t owe as much as he thought. Now he is happily married!



Christopher was suffering from one of the seven emotional blocks which prevent people dealing with clutter – avoiding stuff. If he hadn’t faced it, he would probably be extremely unhappy and alone. Maybe, he would owe even more money!



This useful book will help you deal with the blocks preventing you cleaning up clutter. Tracy McCubbin also has practical advice for dealing with each room. Unfortunately, my problem is mainly books and magazines, and she doesn’t write much about them! I found The Toothbrush Principle better, but this is an excellent book if you need to declutter, but it really should be studied in depth to see where the dilemma lies, and what you should do.



I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest review.

I am someone that always has clutter, whether on my desk or around the house. I figured this would just be another book on how to get the clutter under control with steps that I would try once and then forget to keep practicing. I was so wrong! The advice the author gives is simple to follow and stick to! I have been clutter free for a few weeks now!

If you have problems with getting clutter under control, check out Tracy McCubbin's book Making Space, Clutter Free. This book is written in a way that is not judgemental, and is in fact ready to give you facts on how your personal situation is made up of certain key components, rather than being a result of being lazy or something else that you may be fearing. It's a book filled with helpful information, suggestions and tips for how to take the next step and make space for yourself.

One of the most interesting chapters, in my opinion, was about seven emotional clutter blocks. We all tell ourselves stories so we can give a reason to why we are keeping things. That story allows us to give ourselves an answer, and we can stop thinking about it. These seven emotional clutter blocks speak to the types of stories that we use. After she introduces each block, she gives "The Clues" as examples to determine if this is your reason. Next she gives you "The Bridge" which makes you think though your logic and a new way to think about things and move to the other end. Finally she provides "The Helpful Phrase" which you are encouraged to say to yourself, or think of it often when you are tackling clutter.

Seven Emotional Clutter Blocks
My Stuff Keeps Me in the Past
My Stuff Tells Me Who I am
The Stuff I'm Avoiding
My Fantasy Stuff for My Fantasy Life
I'm Not Worth My Good Stuff
Trapped with other People's Stuff
The Stuff I Keep Paying For

You might be thinking that you already know what emotional clutter block that you have, but you will be surprised when you read through the specifics and understand why each one is all about. It's hard to really look at yourself, and be honest, but Tracy McCubbins writing style helps you to get to the heart of the matter so you can make changes that will last.

Making Space, Clutter Free - The Clutter Freedom Quiz

This quiz takes you on a walk through your home and answer a series of Yes or No questions that will help you identify areas that you can work on. The quiz is easy, but it's filled with some questions that will make you really think about your situation and how you feel about it. Here are a few examples of the questions; Do you leave your clean clothes in the laundry basket so you don't have to fight putting them away? Do you eat out or order in just so you don't have to spend too much time in the kitchen? and Do you wish you could redecorate but can't because of what you'd have to clear? Remember, you are doing this quiz for yourself, there is no reason to share your findings, so be honest with yourself.

Starting with part two of this book you will put all of your findings to good use. You'll find out the five questions to ask yourself about what to do with an object. You'll get strategies and systems to organize what is left. She also covers Life's Big Changes (downsizing, death, divorce, etc.) so that when you reach a milestone that may turn your working systems into something that no longer works, you will have suggestions on steps to help you adjust to your new life.

Making Space, Clutter Free. is helpful for getting control of your current situation, and then hold on to the book for future reference. There is no time like the present to take back control of your life, Here is to making your home a joy for you to live in.

I love organizing and decluttering books and while this probably won't be "the last book on decluttering that I'll ever need" it is a really good book on decluttering from start to finish.

This book starts with going through the different blocks that people have to cleaning out there house and I thought it was a great way to start. It can be hard to get rid of things when you don't understand why it is hard in the first place and the book does a great job of starting with that.

Once Tracy gets into the real meat of how to go through your house I think she does a great job of not expecting any home to do anything except work for you. She talks about how to make your way through each room, how to not wear yourself out, and what to do with everything that you are getting rid of.

The book finishes with how to deal with the space that you now have left behind and it is a great way to finish up the entire process. I really appreciate that this book takes you on a journey from beginning to end and I feel it will really help many people in their decluttering process.

My house really needed this book and so did my sanity!

Making Space, Clutter Free forces the reader to examine the why of clutter using 7 clutter blocks. It does not simply have the reader look at an item and decide if it is to stay or go similar to other minimalization books. Ms. McCubbin shows that a room is not going to stay clutter free until the reader determines what is causing them to be disorganized in the first place.

This book focuses on the why things are cluttered and our psychological response to keeping things clutter-free. It is surprising to discover what is stopping us from having an organized home. It was fascinating to learn that some of the blocks are historical such as saving the good china for company. We save things for nostalgic reasons or to define ourselves. We hang on to things because of who gave them to us even if we don’t like or need them.

She talks about why people in general have so much clutter. They include that we forgot how to care and repair; we got addicted to buying; people use stuff to numb their emotions or boost self-esteem.

In the past, I have purged and gone right back to a cluttered house. With Ms. McCubbin’s help in this book, I realize what triggers cause my to clutter up a room. I am determined to stop and think about those blocks when I am tempted to buy too much or set things down wherever they may land.


I received an ARC from Sourcebooks through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.

After reading Making Space Clutter Free, I believe the subtitle is right on the money— The Last Book on Decluttering You’ll Ever Need! I really believe it’s the last one for me!

It’s one thing to go through all of your things and determine whether each one is worthwhile enough to keep. But McCubbin goes beyond this and helps us to understand the reason that there is clutter. Without that insight into the WHY, chances are that after you have removed all the clutter, it’s only a matter of time before it collects once again. Basically, there are 7 clutter blocks and sometimes more than one block will pertain to specific clutter. She goes through the blocks in detail and describes what kind of clutter usually accompanies each one of them, why and what to do about them.

McCubbin goes through each room and details the common type of clutter/problems and illustrates them with anecdotes of former clients. Next its time to evaluate each item with five basic questions and if the item is to go, determine if it’s to sell, donate, recycle or throw away. Finally, McCubbin speaks to strategies to organize what’s left and again, goes through each room separately.

This book was an eye-opener for me because it helped me to understand my clutter, something I have never achieved before from other decluttering books. Making Space Clutter Free definitely stands out from the others and believe me, it is the very last decluttering book you will ever need!

Thank you to Sourcebooks (Non-Fiction) and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Goes through different rooms and a clean, streamline movement to the writing. Does talk about declutter through different events in life and not a step by step / hand holding like some other books may be. Makes you more in control and not follow her system as much. Different ideas of how the process you can do.

Making Space, Clutter Free is one of those books that sneaks up on you. You think your'e just getting organized..... Hah! Tracy McCubbin takes readers into their own brain space, and helps us realize the whys behind our decisions to keep items. There are 7 psychological reasons that are explored conversationally and easily. I really appreciated that Tracy McCubbin offers practical techniques and solutions based on her years of experience and the reader's realization of their own personal blocks. I went with 5 stars because of stellar content, excellently organized and presented, as well as readability. This is a book I will return to year after year, no judgement, just free space!
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

I've read numerous decluttering/minimalism books although not because I needed them but more because I need a reminder in some days when my bedroom falls out of order due to business and or sickness (like today). I always recommended The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up to friends and colleagues because that book changed my life in one way and another. And I thought, that maybe that book is the only way to go in terms of decluttering since no other book could come closer to it, IMO.

I stand corrected.
For some, the Konmari method might be to woo woo (what sparks joy, thanking the clutters, etc.); and for them, I'll rec Making Space, Clutter Free as the more 'rational' way to declutter your belongings.

At first glance, I reckoned this book would be filled with exercises (complete with bulleted tasks on how to) and becomes an easy read. However, I ended up reading it all night and through yesterday's morning. MSCF offered not only how to tackle your physical clutter but also served as a light therapy. I might not be able to remember all 7 Clutter Blocks but I could easily identify myself to some. Reading it felt like having a friend came offer and listened and talked and gave their advice.

Worth to read.

4/5 stars!

Positives

If you’re looking for a book to read after reading Marie Kondo’s books about tidying up, this is the way to go!

Imagine Marie Kondo’s book as enticing introduction to the art of tidying up; her books really are the whimsical, aesthetic side of what it means to live clutter free. Making Space, Clutter Free however is a different story.

It contains strategies, real-world information, thorough step-by-step instruction as to how to get rid of your clutter for long time. If Marie Kondo’s book is an enticing intro, this is the real deal—the handbook of living clutter free.

Every chapter gave so much information and insightful affirmations that I just had to write them down and keep with me long after I have finished reading this book. Although there was a lot of information given, it never felt overwhelming—the writer’s helpful voice in her paragraphs definitely made me feel like she was talking directly to me and walking me through step by step.

What sets her apart from other decluttering books is the content. There are what she calls Clutter Blocks—emotional blocks that let us resort to clutter because we don’t want to deal with them. She then proceeds to give us more strategies and info about how to identify and solve our own Clutter Blocks. To me, that’s a pretty great distinction.

Negatives

The only misgivings I have with this book is that it’s structured in a weird way (the images are all over the place, the content needs further grammatical editing, etc.) that indicates the fact that it needs more editing, especially with grammar. All in all, a 4/5 stars for a great, informative book.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a godsend! I am admittedly a person with OCD, but I have fallen into the clutter trap. It started with becoming disabled and in pain which prevented me from putting things away right away, or cleaning before it got out of control. The author states that there are 7 different emotional baggage that cause you to clutter. She goes through each one with examples. The book then lists ways to identify, deal with, and solve. The author is a professional organiser that has led to the book. The book also deals with downsizing. It includes resources for getting rid of the items discarded. This book is very helpful. Once I could figure out why I was blocked, it lead me to making the changes I needed to make.

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Make Space Clutter Free promises to free the readers from clutter once and for all. To that end, Tracy McCubbin proposes that our problems with cleaning up stem from one out of several Clutter Blocks. For example, you might be holding onto your late parents’ stuff, or you might be holding onto stuff from a closed period of your life. Once you try to disentangle your clutter block, it should be easy for you to clean up and keep your space free of clutter.

I admit, while it does sound a little too good to be true, the idea itself isn’t bad. And in fact, in some cases, having an “aha” moment might help to let go of old clutter. But it’s another idea featured in the book - to wit, that the issue that causes clutter may not be immediately visible, but, rather, may require to think a few steps back (ie: why are the school books on the dining room table? Because the child’s desk is covered with toys. Why is the desk covered with toys? Because there is no box to store them in. And so on.)

But one thing I really liked about Make Space Clutter Free is that it is very respectful of the problems people have with their clutter (a least I don’t remember any problems in that regard). So if you need some prodding with cleaning up your clutter, this may be a good book to check out.

It was very useful and I liked the connection made between clutter and feelings/emotions. It also puts you in frot of your impermanence. .

This is a honest & serious approach to identifying and/or address the excess in our lives.

The Clutter Blockers and the Clutter Freedom Quiz were not only relatable, but were “Eye Openers”.
I highly recommend this book. It is a must read before we all become Hoarders.

This is a good easy read book on decluttering. Although I have read about all the clutter blocks before, the way the author approaches, organises and tackles them is new. It is a good book probably not the only book I will read or keep on the subject but it does try and get into the nitty gritty. I like the way the author brings all your guilt and inadequacy into the open and makes it OK. More of an emotional and theoretical book than a practical one. Overall very good for anyone wanting to tackle their clutter and get organised.