Half of Americans have at least one room in their home that they believe is unsalvageable with clutter, according to new research.
When asked about their perspective on the space in their homes, a survey of 2,000 adults found that there just isn’t enough. A third of respondents feel cramped in their homes (34%), especially those who live in apartments (39%).
While 69% of Americans are satisfied with the space in their home, nearly a fifth (17%) aren’t.
A majority of those who are unhappy with the room in their home said they knew space was an issue to begin with, revealing that they settled for their home knowing it wasn’t ideal (73%).
On the other hand, one in five of those respondents were initially okay with the amount of space.
Conducted by Talker Research for The Container Store, the survey found that this may have changed over time, as 30% feel like they’ve outgrown their home, with apartment-dwellers particularly feeling cramped.
This feeling came earlier than you might expect: nearly half of Americans who feel cramped in their home started feeling this way within a year of living there (48%).
To have room for new things, the average respondent does three major cleanouts every year, and nearly a third do so more often (29%).
Why so frequently? Those surveyed dislike clutter, with a majority agreeing that every item should have a designated space (77%).
To get each item in its own space, Americans have gotten crafty, with three-quarters claiming that they know the best ways to make use of the space in their home (76%).
They’ve pulled out some of their best storage hacks like “using layered storage,” “over-the-door shoe holders near the entry” to grab items to go and making use of mirrors to “make a room feel bigger and brighter.”
According to those surveyed, the easiest rooms to organize are the living room (28%), bedroom (27%) and bathroom (20%).
They’re met with more of a challenge when it comes to organizing the kitchen (21%) and garage (13%).
“We know that getting organized can be overwhelming, and it’s our job to make it easier by providing solutions for the challenges they face in their homes,” said Satish Malhotra, CEO and President of The Container Store. “When it comes to difficult spaces, we believe that a custom designed system paired with complementary organizing products gives customers a solution that meets their exact needs and lasts in the long-term.
“Our new initiatives can help conquer organization challenges specifically in the spaces they find most difficult to organize like the kitchen and the garage.”
If it came down to it, respondents would be able to part with an average of 30% of items in their home — but just because they can doesn’t mean they want to, as more than half wish they didn’t have to throw out items in their home to have enough space (55%).
In their efforts to cut down, they have the toughest time getting rid of clothes (29%), kitchen equipment (21%) and hobby items (16%).
To feel like they have enough space, the average American wishes they had three more rooms in their home.
Surprisingly, those who have more room also want more: on average, respondents who live in private homes want more rooms than those who live in apartments (3 vs. 2).
If they had to choose a few rooms to make bigger in their home, those surveyed would opt for a bigger bedroom (23%) and kitchen (19%) above all.
When it comes to making space, the most common issue respondents face is trouble with organizing the room in their closet (33%).
Others have items that don’t fit in the space reserved for them (25%) or struggle to find room for items that simply don’t have a designated area (24%).
“For people who don’t believe they have enough room in their home, they likely do not realize the potential their spaces truly have,” Malhotra said. “Whether it’s utilizing the back of the door for cleaning supplies with a door and wall rack, making use of under bed space for out of season clothing with an underbed drawer, or designing a custom closet, office, pantry or garage system that increases the capacity of existing spaces, there is a solution. Our specialists are trained to help unlock the potential of any room in ways our customers didn’t know possible.”
HACKS FROM RESPONDENTS FOR MAKING USE OF SPACE IN YOUR HOME
When I buy something new, I MUST get rid of somethingWe use hammocks from the ceiling to store toys/stuffies for the kids up and out of the wayWe use a lot of layered storageWe have hidden storage in furniture. For instance, in the living room we have a footstool with a lid that lifts and we store pet toys in it. In the mud room we have benches with hidden storage inside where we store things like sports equipment we take to practices often, flashlights, umbrellas, etc.We built our home and used all available wall space as a storage area. Example, wall space over staircaseUsing vertical space is important, for example, you can use a loft bed instead of a normal bed frame to give space for a desk or storageUsing shelving in closets, on walls and in the garageLarge mirrors or mirrored walls can make a room feel bigger and brighter. Place mirrors opposite windows to create a sense of outdoor space and reflect views; blur boundaries by placing mirrors opposite doorways to extend your line of vision; hide corners by using tall, leaning mirrors to hide narrow corners; brighten corners by using floor mirrors to brighten dark cornersOver-the-door shoe holders near the entry/exit that have all the things you might need on a trip: gloves, socks, shopping bags, sunscreen, bugspray, water bottle, etc.
INCONVENIENT STORAGE MISHAPS FROM RESPONDENTS
When the overflow area started to overflow from that room into the dining room, then next thing you know you can’t find the tableWhen my kitchen was redone, the cabinets were designed to all be rounded. Turned out to be a full nightmare for storing anythingVery sitcom reminiscent, opened the hall closet and everything fell out on meStoring my Christmas decorations in the attic and then being unable to get them out due to the fear of heightsStored things in the basement and it floodedStored Christmas items in our storage building that melted during the summer heatPutting things in the wrong areas and don’t remember where I placed it and can’t find itPutting stuff in cupboards over fridge that I cannot reachI once stored food on a low shelf and my dog ate it
ITEMS AMERICANS WOULD HAVE THE HARDEST TIME LETTING GO OF
Clothes — 29%Kitchen equipment — 21%Hobby items — 16%Shoes — 13%Groceries/food items — 13%Furniture — 13%Seasonal decor — 12%Memorabilia — 12%Random/one-off items — 12%Books — 11%
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans; the survey was commissioned by The Container Store and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 16 and July 22, 2024.
We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentiveProgrammatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in
Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.
Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.
Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.
Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speedersOpen ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant textBots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify botsDuplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.
