3 brilliant decluttering books that home organizing pros swear by – you'll easily and quickly streamline your space whilst rethinking your relationship with 'stuff'

Take inspiration from those who know it all

A vibrant living room with hardwood floor, a cream sofa with pink patterned cushions, two green pouffes, a striped armchair with brown wooden handles, and a small circular table with a green and white leafy tablecloth and burgundy lamp with red and white lampshade. Behind is a large square window with green and white blinds, flanked by floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with color-coded books.
(Image credit: Future)

Whether you're an amateur or avid 'declutter-er,' books on the subject are a great place to source inspiration, motivation, and relaxation.

Stuffed full with the very best decluttering methods, it turns out that, just like us, even our professional organizers turn to the best decluttering books for novel tips and tricks to test out when helping their clients.

Here, they share their top recommendations for getting stuck into.

Top three decluttering books professional organizers love

1. 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,' by Marie Kondo

A white living room with bookshelves, a light grey sofa with cushions, and a lit fireplace. Above the mantelpiece are hanging plants and a gold framed painting. In front of that is a glass coffee table with a floral display.

With a cult following, it's really no surprise that Marie Kondo's bestselling books have found their way onto my own bookshelves.

(Image credit: Future)

While I'm certainly no professional organizer, I do spend the majority of my working life interviewing experts who are and have become somewhat of an expert.

After being gifted Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, available at Amazon, from family, I can safely say that it deserves all the hype it gets. So much so that I dedicated an entire article to the lessons I learned from Marie Kondo's book!

Filled with revolutionary insight and detailed guidance, and dubbed one of the most 'influential books of the decade' by CNN, it doesn't seem like Marie's supersonic career will be slowing anytime soon.

After reading this small but mighty book, I now keep her mantra of 'Sparking Joy' in mind whenever I declutter anything, from clothes to purses to books to cosmetics, and even employ Marie Kondo's tips for tidying before hosting every time I have guests on the way.

Plus, the book looks beautiful enough to display!

2. 'Organizing from the Inside Out,' by Julie Morgenstern

Colorful living room with white and blue walls, large white shelves filled with books, and a brass-look pendant lamp. In the foreground is a grey sofa with purple and blue velvet cushions, a large grey patterned rug, and a glass and gold coffee table with flowers, coffee table books and a white conch shell.

Organizing by category, rather than room-by-room, gives you a clear overview of what you have, and what you can declutter.

(Image credit: Future)

Ben Soreff, professional organizer at House to Home Organizing, says, 'There are basic central tenets of organizing that are so core, that most organizing books are just derivatives of the original books.'

His recommendation? Organizing from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System For Organizing Your Home, Your Office and Your Life available at Amazon, written by Julie Morgenstern, who has over 30 years of experience helping people understand and implement organization around the globe.

'Julie Morgenstern uses the SPACE method, which is so key that most other methods are just versions of it,' he explains.

The SPACE method is a home organizing idea and variation of the KonMari method, which focuses on organizing by category, rather than room by room. This helps swerve any KonMari method mistakes to avoid.

3. 'The Year of Less,' by Cait Flanders

A dark-colored office with overhead lighting and a large bookshelf

Your decluttering books can make great decor, too, seen here with this beautiful, curated bookshelf.

(Image credit: Future)

We've all, I'm sure, at some point in our lives found ourselves wrestling with over-consumerism. This is something that has come to the forefront of my mind after turning 25, and I'm not the only one.

The 'underconsumption trend,' took TikTok and other social media outlets by storm last year, with Gen Z adopting a more conscious approach when it comes to shopping.

This consumerism cycle is what led Cait Flanders to challenge herself to buy only consumer for an entire 12 months, documented in her book The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store available at Amazon.

Tracy McCubbin, CEO and founder of dClutterfly has read and recommends it. She says, 'While this book isn’t full of decluttering tips, it’s a wonderfully written book on letting go of your stuff and living with less.

'Besides the beautiful introspection, it tells the story of what the decluttering journey looks like and what real-life benefits come from living with less,' championing the undeniable benefits of a tidy home.

More great decluttering books

Meet our experts

a photo of professional organizer Ben Soreff sat on a white chair against a wooden background, wearing a light blue collared long sleeve shirt and black jeans
Ben Soreff

Ben has significant experience with level five hoarders, which has often lead him to rely on advice found in his favorite decluttering books.

A headshot of Tracy McCubbin
Tracy McCubbin

As a successful author herself, Tracy has been professionally decluttering and organizing since 2006.


Not a reader? Chiana Dickson, content editor on Solved here at Homes & Gardens, recently watched The Minimalist's Netflix Show Less is Now, and says it has 'fundamentally changed' how she feels about her 'harmless' shopping.

Ottilie joined Homes & Gardens last year, after finishing a Master's in Magazine Journalism at City, University of London. With previous contributions in Livingetc and Motorsport Magazine, she produces content for the Solved section on the website, focusing on clever tips and tricks to keep your home beautiful, organized and clean. She also has a Master's degree in English Literature and History of Art from the University of Edinburgh, where she developed a love for inspiring interiors and architecture.

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