Staging: The Best Decluttering Method

As a life long minimalist and a home stager, I think the number one question I get is, "What is the best method for decluttering my home?" The answer is simple, but not what clients usually want to hear. You have to look into a few and choose the one that fits your personality. No matter how popular a method is, it won't work for you if it doesn't match up with how you think, feel, and live. One size does not fit all.
I'll never forget the first time I watched an episode of Tidying Up With Marie Kondo. I laughed so hard I about fell out of my chair. I thought the woman was off her rocker bananas bonkers and her method was gimmicky. Ok, I still do. Things do NOT spark joy for me. If my house has a spirit, I'm moving out--AND I don't fold my socks. I dump them unceremoniously into a drawer. They are all exactly the same (black Hanes) so any two will do, and I don't have time to waste folding them anymore than I have time to waste picking a color of socks that matches my outfit. (All my winter pants are black too, so....) The point is, her method wouldn't work for me. There are a lot of people out there it wouldn't work for. I would not suggest this method to a highly logical client.
Then there is the Swedish Death Cleaning method. I'm ok with it because, again, I don't have sentimental attachments to things, but if you do, this method may be too heartless for you. It could simply be too painful and strict. I would not suggest this method to a sentimental client.
I know a lot of people who have good luck with the 3 Month method. You put your clothes on their hangers backwards and what you don't wear in the 3 months (seasonally appropriate of course) you donate. You put everything from your cabinets in boxes, and what doesn't get pulled out and used in 3 months gets donated. For some people this helps them to really identify what they actually use and need. Other people would be completely freaked out by such a strict method. Some might need to modify it to 6 months or a year.
Here's the deal. We're all different when it comes to our stuff and our relationship to it. There is no shame in that, and we should not feel ashamed if we are not on board with the latest decluttering or organizing trend. When it comes to decluttering, you have to take a beat to become aware of your relationship to things. Are you like me and have no feelings for any objects? Do you place great sentimental value on things? or do you fall somewhere in the middle? Once you answer that question, you can then choose a system that will work for you.
On a final note, if you really don't want to get rid of a bunch of your stuff before listing your home, you can pack stuff in boxes and stack them in the garage or put them in storage for the length of the sale--and that's ok too.