Why we pack £286m of unwanted clutter when we move house

Updated
close up of male hand packing...
close up of male hand packing...



Packing everything up to move home is a time-consuming and stressful business, so it's bizarre that almost half of us are knowingly wrapping and packing items we know we'll never use in our new home. In fact, we wrap and pack an average of around £4,000 worth of unwanted clutter every time we move house.

The figures come from eBay, which points out that collectively we move £286 million worth of unwanted belongings - which is enough to buy six penthouses on Park Lane, four private jets or three private islands.

The website is trying to encourage people to plan ahead, and sell unwanted items before the move. It has launched a home hub, with guides to buying, moving and selling, and points out that if you plan ahead effectively, you could join the smug 22% of people who sell their unwanted items in order to help fund the purchase of their new home.

Rhian Bartlett, senior director of home, garden and fashion, eBay says: "Moving house is expensive, and the perfect time to declutter and make some money. Whether it's ditching the three-piece suite, getting rid of the cot bed or offloading old Lego, investing time and energy into selling off unwanted items in order to fund new purchases during a house move can be hugely rewarding."

Why don't we do it?

Logically it makes perfect sense, and we are all capable of logic, which begs the question of why more people don't use the opportunity for a clear out.

Part of the answer is a lack of time. Often we move house on top of all the other things we have to cram into our busy lives, so we can barely find the time to pack, let alone have a proper sort through, and go through the process of listing items for sale.

But part of the issue is that we are held back by deep-seated psychological drivers. There are five common ones it pays to be aware of.

1) Hope
We are convinced one day we will have the life where we need those items - whether it's a glamorous item of clothing, or something that has never fit. This is a particularly unhealthy reason to hang onto something, because then clutter comes to signify your failure to find the life you are hoping for.

2) Fear
There's the worry that if we throw something out, we may need it, and then we'll have to fork out for it all over again. If you haven't used something for years, there's a good chance it's not worth storing, but if you need more convincing, remind yourself that if you sell it on, then if you need it again you can buy it on the second-hand market, so you won't lose out financially. And in the interim you'll have had all that extra space.

3) Embarrassment
If you sort through the junk, you have to face up to the fact you've let it accumulate and get on top of you, if you shuffle it into boxes, you can hide it away.

4) Intimidation
Sorting through things is a process of making endless decisions, which can feel overwhelming. It's much easier just to make once decision - to keep the lot.

5) Hanging onto the past
Of course you should hang onto your child's first babygro if you want to, and their blanket. But when you start keeping everything they wore in their first year because they're growing up too fast, it's time to think about limits.

It's worth identifying what's holding you back, and talking to friends and family beforehand to help reduce the impact they are having on you.

That way, when you take on the mountain of clutter, you're just making logical decisions about whether you really need a bread maker and a foot spa - rather than agonising over a dream of being the kind of person who had the time and energy to use either of them.

How to Get Rid of the House Clutter
How to Get Rid of the House Clutter



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