Sun said the purpose of asking such questions is to push clients to rethink their relationship with items. Based on the responses, items are then sorted into different bags marked "useless", "useful" and "in-between".

Sun was once a client himself. Home organizers spent three afternoons at his office, clearing up about one-third of his possessions.

"Home organization does not just teach us how to get rid of useless items-it also shows us how we can get rid of useless activities and pressure in life," he said.

According to the Chinese Association of Professional Organizations, the job also brings positive feelings to home organizers, with some 64 percent saying they feel happy and satisfied while working on a project,

Sophie Ho, from Taiwan, who became a full-time home organizer in 2016, said, "Home organization is not just a solution for living spaces, but a change to everyone's inner feelings."

xuxiaomin@chinadaily.com.cn