Clutter stops half of British people from inviting visitors into their homes

published 31 October 2018

It goes without saying that we're a house proud lot down here at Ideal Home HQ. And we like nothing better than showing off our homes. Well, in most circumstances. Because, like 47 per cent of the UK population, there is one thing that would put us off letting people in.

More sensational stats: Do this one simple thing before you go to bed and 'earn' £280 a year!

Would it stop you?

hallway lighting with white walls and wooden floor

The answer – of course – is clutter. From last night's pizza boxes to toys to dirty laundry, any mess will make nearly 50 per cent of us think twice about inviting someone over the threshold. And more often than not it's because we're embarrassed.

Life coach and This Morning regular Ben Edwards can tell a lot about a person from their home. 'If they have a minimalist, clean house, this often means that they like to keep their thoughts organised too,' he says.

'However, it could mean the opposite! This could mean they have a lot going on in their head, and this is a way of counterbalancing that. Meanwhile, people who may feel they haven’t got a lot going on in their lives might hoard as a distraction technique.'

And when it comes to clutter, the survey conducted by Blinds Hut also reveals that there's a main culprit in every room. Can you guess what?

Bathroom clutter

Toiletries came top, making up 53 per cent of bathroom clutter. Dirty towels on the floor, radiator or back of the door polled third at 14 per cent.

Bedroom clutter

girls bedroom ideas with beautiful wall stickers

No surprises here that dirty clothes came out as our worst clutter offender, with 30 per cent of the vote.

Living room clutter

pale pink living room with wall of wooden storage

Apparently, magazines and newspapers account for 33 per cent of lounge clutter. We're assuming that copies of Ideal Home don't count...

Dining room clutter

round white table with multi colored plastic chairs and shelf with artwork on it

Erm, confusingly, chairs came top in this room with 29 per cent of the vote. We don't advise you get rid of them though!

Amy Cutmore is an experienced interiors editor and writer, who has worked on titles including Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc, Real Homes, GardeningEtc, Top Ten Reviews and Country Life. And she's a winner of the PPA's Digital Content Leader of the Year. A homes journalist for two decades, she has a strong background in technology and appliances, and has a small portfolio of rental properties, so can offer advice to renters and rentees, alike.