Teresa Estrada

A Bad Bargain

Teresa and Oscar Estrada are slowly being consumed by the clutter in their lives. Teresa can't control her impulse to bargain shop and it's tearing her marriage apart.

Brought up in a large family of modest means, she learned to save at an early age. Although her husband Oscar has always known about Teresa's passion for shopping, as the years have passed, her search for a bargain has gotten completely out of control. Twenty years into their marriage, Teresa's mountain of "bargains" has now taken over their house and Oscar cannot stand it any longer.
Teresa and Oscar Estrada

Clutter is Tearing them Apart

While Oscar and Teresa are still in love and hope to reach their fiftieth wedding anniversary together, clutter now threatens to tear them apart. Unless Teresa learns to set limits for her bargain hunting, she worries their marriage will end. But, she doesn't know where to start. Peter Walsh steps in to help them get rid of the clutter forever and reprioritize their marriage over their stuff.
The Estrada office before.

The Office Before

Before Peter stepped in, the Estrada office is piled high with Teresa's clothes and other purchases. There is barely any room for Oscar to get to his desk.
The Estrada's clutter-free office space

The Estrada Office After

Before, the office was buried in clothes and totally unusable. Now, the Estrada's have plenty of flat surfaces including an ergonomic desk.

"Flat surfaces are for working, not for storage," Peter says. "Over here, a simple vision board, so there are not stickies all over the house. The most important thing about this room and this area is it will help you manage the business of your life."
The Estrada's office bookshelf

Battle of the Books

While Teresa has been busy cluttering up the rest of the house, Oscar's books are the one thing he wants to hold on to. "I was pretty apprehensive because the books are my passion," he tells Peter. "I've never really counted the books, but I probably have around three hundred. I treasure them all."

Watch the Video: Oscar and Teresa's emotional battle of the books breakthrough.
Estrada's office library after.

Beautiful Bookshelf

Peter set limits for Teresa and Oscar on the books in their office, so the bookcase is no longer sagging and messy.

"I thought the bookcases were elegant and my books were being honored as well as Oscar's, and I'm really excited about it," Teresa says.
Estrada Bedroom Before

The Bedroom Before - Standing Room Only

The bedroom is filled with piles of bargain clothes Teresa has never worn. Oscar can barely get into his closet or dresser because of all the stuff blocking the way. There is so much clutter taking over Oscar's side of the bed that he's been forced to sleep in the guest bedroom.
Estrada bedroom after.

The Estrada Bedroom After

When he first examined the master bedroom, Peter told Teresa that she was making love to her stuff. "You sleep with your stuff, rather than sleep with your husband. You are having an affair with your stuff."

Now, Teresa and Oscar have the sanctuary they've wanted for twenty years.
Happily Ever After: the Estradas

On the Road to 50: Happily Ever After

"This has been a successful week. I've worked with Teresa and Oscar to declutter their home," Peter says of his time with the Estrada family. "I've also helped Teresa reprioritize what really matters, so that now she puts her relationship with Oscar above the stuff in her life. I know that they can celebrate many more wedding anniversaries in what's now a really peaceful and serene environment for the both of them."