Decluttering is a difficult task for anyone, even those who are relatively well-organised, there is no doubt about that. Choosing to throw out things that we still like is a tough path to tread, but one which is necessary if we are feeling stifled by our cluttered home and want to make a fresh start. Focusing on the benefits we can enjoy after we have effectively decluttered can help us to stay motivated, and can ensure we stay dedicated to the project, no matter how tough it gets! Here are just a few of the major benefits we can look forward to at the end of a de-cluttering project, which will hopefully help you to complete the job. By focussing on these benefits it will help you to get the task done as quickly and as thoroughly as possible:

• Use your furniture as it was intended: If your dining room table is more often used as a dumping ground than a family meal, then a good declutter is likely to bring your family back together at meal times by giving you a pleasant space where you can eat, chat and relax together.
• See your treasures: When you shelves are so cluttered, it is difficult to pick out the beautiful objects from the junk and the everyday objects. Decluttering will enable you to give your very best possessions pride of place, so that everyone can see them and enjoy them.
• More help: When the house is relatively easy to tidy, and everything has a place, children and other family members will be more inclined to help you tidy up. Because the house will spend more time tidy, you will also find people more inclined to do a bit of cleaning now and then, because they haven’t got to move a tonne of stuff first before you can dust or vacuum.
• More time: Because your home will be more orderly, it will be much easier for you to stay on top of things like cleaning and washing, leaving you more time for the things you really enjoy or simply to put your feet up and relax. Because everything in your home has its own place, you’ll know where things like your keys, wallet, passport and other important items are straight away, thereby eliminating the typical searching time required to locate these objects.
• More fun: When your home is clean and tidy the majority of the time, you’ll be able to have visitors over more often and at shorter notice, helping you to enjoy a better social life all round.
• Better health: Living in a clean and tidy environment has been proven to have certain health benefits. These include:
• Better sleep
• Reduced stress
• Less colds and flu
• Less depression
• More motivation
• More resilient to other stresses

No matter how hard you think it will be, decluttering has so many remarkable benefits on you, your family and your home, you’ll be glad you did it. There may never be a good time to make a fresh start so forget the delaying tactics and just get started because now is as good a time as any to sort out that clutter. And remember that if you really can’t bear to part with certain possessions but they are just taking up too much of the valuable space in your home then why not rent a self-storage unit and use it as storage overflow?

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Moving house is an expensive business and some of the expenses you will incur cannot be avoided, such as stamp duty and legal fees. But if you are fairly fit and have some willing hands to help, then the actual removals part of moving home can easily be managed without calling in the professionals. This is not something recommended if you are moving overseas, have a very large house or very valuable possessions, such as antiques. A specialist remover will always be required for antiques to ensure the right insurance cover and the correct type of packing. But for the majority of us this can be done simply by hiring a van, loading it up, driving to the new home, and unloading.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? Well it is relatively simple; just be prepared for some hard work and you could save yourself a substantial sum by doing it yourself.

But what about the storage service that most removal companies offer if the dates for moving out of your old home and into your new one are not the same? Or if your new home needs decoration or renovation before you move in? Well, there’s a simple option for that too because there are plenty of cheap self storage facilities available all across the country.

So here are the basic steps to a DIY house move:

1. Create a list of everything that will be moving to your new address

If you are in a rented property, much of the furniture may be staying and it might just be your personal possessions that need moving. But if you own your current home, then you are probably going to take everything. And if you have a freestanding kitchen, you may even actually take the kitchen sink. For small items, make an estimate of how many packing boxes you will require. Don’t use boxes that are too large – they will just become very heavy once full and remember you will be lifting them.

2. Sell your surplus stuff on Ebay

Be ruthless – if there are any possessions that you no longer want, then get selling on Ebay as soon as possible. The less you have to transport from your old home to your new home, and possibly store in between, the easier and less expensive it will be. You may even earn enough to pay for any storage.

3. Contact several companies to get quotes for hiring a vehicle

A reputable hire company should be able to tell you over the phone what size of vehicle is necessary if you describe the amount of belongings you have. But also look out for deals that could save you money, especially if you will need storage, such as free collection from self storage companies.

4. Book your vehicle

Once you have a definite moving date, confirm the vehicle hire. Don’t be tempted to book your removal vehicle before your moving date is confirmed. Moving dates are notoriously prone to change and you could end up losing your deposit.

5. Pack non-essential items in advance.

Buy or borrow packing boxes and start packing non-essential items as soon as you can. Books, DVDs, bedding, children’s toys, kitchen gadgets whatever you think you can do without for a couple of weeks. It will take much longer than you expected, particularly if you have to sort through storage cupboards, lofts, sheds and garages etc that have not been used for a long time. Use plenty of bubble-wrap for fragile items and fill any spaces in the boxes with old newspaper. Always tape up boxes once full to prevent anything falling out during the move and label them on all sides with a thick black marker with the room (or other location such as the self-storage unit) where they should be put.

6. Pack out-of-season clothes in advance.

The best way to transport clothes is by using wardrobe cases. These are boxes that have a hanging rail so you don’t need to remove your clothes from their hangers. Clothes can simply be taken out of your wardrobe, hooked into the wardrobe case and put back in the wardrobe at your new home. These are such a great way to keep the creases out of your clothes and save on ironing.

7. Pack essentials on the day

Pack a small suitcase with all the items you’ll need for your first night in your new home such as toiletries and medicines, toilet roll, bedding, and a change of clothes. Use a small, separate bag for valuable items such as jewellery and important documents so these can be kept with you on the moving day.

It may sound obvious but pack a small box with the kettle, mugs, teabags, milk and biscuits. By the time you have arrived at your new home you will need a reviving drink and something to eat.

8. Load the van.

Cover any furniture likely to get scratched with old blankets. Make sure any high pieces of furniture like wardrobes are well secured or lay them on their side if possible to prevent falling over. Tie string around doors and drawers to prevent drawers sliding out or doors flying open when the van is turning corners.

Place the heaviest boxes at the bottom and stack boxes in the lowest piles possible, otherwise they are likely to topple over when the van is on the move.

9. Unload the van.

Once you arrive at your destination, whether that’s your new home or a self storage facility, you simply have to unload everything in reverse order. Since all the boxes were labelled, it will be a simple job to place them in the correct location.

10. Put your feet up and have a well-earned cup of tea.

This is when you will be glad you packed that small essentials box and kept it handy. Now is the time to sit back and congratulate yourself on the money you have saved hiring a van and using cheap self storage and doing your own house removal.

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De-cluttering is such a popular idea that there is even a “De-Cluttering Week” every year. But often it is just that – an idea – and the thought of getting round to sorting out our possessions and clearing out anything that we don’t need or want any longer is often too daunting a task for us to know where to begin.

But why do we all have so much clutter in the first place? Well, part of the reason is that we are a nation of shoppers. Shopping, which used to be a necessity for items we needed, is now one of the nation’s favourite pastimes. And stores are so good at tempting us to buy that we often return home with things we haven’t really got room for. Add to that the instinctive human desire to hoard and very soon our houses start to fill up. Lofts and garages become extended storage space that we fill with items we often forget we even own.

What is de-cluttering?

It is simply getting rid of anything that we no longer need. Apart from seasonal clothes and seasonal items such as Christmas decorations or gardening equipment, anything that is not regularly used or on display is potential clutter. Other exceptions are photographs, CDs/DVDs and books, all of which may not be used or viewed frequently but which form a collection of memories and cultural enjoyments. De-cluttering is not about throwing out our memories but about throwing out everyday items that are no longer useful. So if we know what our clutter is, why is it so hard to de-clutter?

The benefits of de-cluttering

It is often only when people are moving house that they are forced into sorting out everything they own. But why wait until you are moving? Clearing space in your home can help create a peaceful environment that will calm your mind after a busy day. And if your home is organised and clutter-free then that will lead to an organised, clutter-free mind that will view daily troubles in a clearer, more serene way.

Your home is after all a place of sanctuary from the world outside and having control over your private space can be the first step to having control over your life. But in order to embark on the arduous task of de-cluttering we need to feel motivated that a clutter-free home will be worth all the effort. If you cannot appreciate the advantages of de-cluttering then you will never do it. We also need to understand that de-cluttering is absolutely not about throwing away items with any sentimental value, however small, but it is about knowing the difference between clutter and things with sentimental value. Many people never embark on de-cluttering because they don’t understand this difference but there are options such as self storage units if you really can’t bear to part with some possessions but no longer have room in your home for them (you can compare storage prices here).

The 4 main advantages are:

1. A calm, organised living space will lead to a calm, organised life.
2. The satisfaction of supporting a charity close to your heart
3. Making money from selling your unwanted goods
4. Recycling and doing your bit for the environment

Avoid excuses

Once you have convinced yourself of the benefits of de-cluttering and motivated yourself to embark on the task, watch out for the typical excuses we all make to ourselves for not assigning an item to the clutter pile:

1. You might need it at a later date – in a cluttered home, you are unlikely to find the item at the point when you need it so just get rid of it now or put it into a self storage unit.
2. It was a present from someone you are fond of – they will probably never notice it has gone so don’t hang on to it to avoid hurting their feelings.
3. You hope an item will appreciate in value – if you genuinely think it might then consider a self storage facility (many of which have excellent security for valuable items).
4. It reminds you of a particular person or place – whilst de-cluttering is not about throwing away precious memories, it is about clearing out items with little significance in your life now. Keep photos of the person or place if you wish to relive the moment.
5. I will still have too much stuff even once I have cleared out the things I no longer want – You just have to be more ruthless!.

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The task of de-cluttering a home can seem so overwhelming to many people that they never even begin tackling it; others start the job but then it all becomes to much for them and they quickly abandon the chance of living in a clutter-free environment. But if you tackle the task of de-cluttering one step at a time it can become manageable enough to encourage you to begin and will also ensure that you complete the task so that you have some rewards for your efforts.

Of course, there are other, emotional reasons why we might be reluctant to begin or finish the de-cluttering process, most particularly the fact that many of us tend to become unreasonably attached to our belongings and find it almost impossible to part with them. And by this I don’t mean the possessions that have genuine sentimental value. Decluttering is not about throwing out your memories and treasured possessions but simply about getting rid of the trivia we can surround ourselves with; trinkets and ornaments, piles of out-dated magazines, old clothes and shoes, broken electronic equipment etc. etc. It is these items that need to go.

So follow these easy steps to help you achieve that clutter-free, calm and relaxing space you have always wanted:

Where To Start

Begin in the least cluttered room in your house, for instance the bathroom, spare bedroom or study so that you are not overwhelmed before you even start. Tackling just one room at a time and started with the easiest will encourage you to continue.

Taking Stock

Look around the whole room before your start: on the shelves, in the cupboards, on the floor, under the furniture. Look for particular items that do have importance in your life, or that you use regularly then look at what else is there and see how those items make you feel – if you feel nothing (or possibly anger, frustration, stress) then these items are clutter that has to go.

Making A Start

Gather some cardboard boxes and label them “Charity”, “Recycle” and “Rubbish”, and you are now ready to start on the hard work. De-cluttering is hard work but the effort will be worth it when finished. Much like gardening is hard work but the delights of spending a sunny day in a lovely garden make the effort worthwhile.

Start working your way systematically through every item, being as ruthless as you can and placing as many items as possible in your 3 boxes. It is important to recognise that probably every item you own will trigger a memory but you need to ask yourself whether the item itself is necessary for the memories you will continue to hold. It can be helpful to imagine that you only have 5 minutes per room to grab those items most precious to you – you may be surprised at how little clutter you could live without
Cleaning Those Forgotten Corners
Once your room is clear give it a really thorough clean, including the inside of cupboards. It is a much easier task to clean a room when there are only major pieces of furniture in it so you will find it takes very little time as there is no need to move things off surfaces before they can be dusted or wiped. If you had stuff piled on the floor or under furniture there will probably be areas of your carpet, tiles or wooden floor that have not been properly cleaned for a long time!

Storing Everything You Are Keeping

Once you have boxed up and removed everything that you are not keeping then it is time to find a storage space for your precious items. Try to keep surfaces as clear as possible – this makes it easier to keep your home clean and don’t overfill drawers and cupboards, otherwise, you will not be able to find the things you want when you need them. Your room should now be uncluttered and functional with everything in an allocated space. If you need to, buy more storage units to make sure it stays that way.

All you have to do now is repeat the process for every room in the house – that might take you days, weeks or months but eventually you will have an uncluttered living environment that will make your life calmer and less stressful. If you can’t handle throwing away, donating or selling too much stuff at once then try renting a self-storage unit on a temporary basis for storing the items you would like to dispose of but aren’t quite yet ready to do so just yet (you can compare storage prices here). After a few months without them in your home you will probably find your attachment to them has gone.

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If you desire to live a more minimalistic life, keep a cleaner and more organised home and to free yourself of all the ‘stuff’ that you seem to possess, de-cluttering is a worthwhile process that can help you get your life back to where you want it to be. You may look around your home and think that a life clear of clutter is an impossible mountain to scale, but with some help from our top tips for clearing your clutter, you can start to make progress up that mountain, one day at a time.

1. Little and often. Nobody relishes the prospect of an entire day of clutter sorting, but if you set aside just 15 minutes each day you will be surprised at how quickly you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
2. Stop bringing it in. There is a reason you have a cluttered house right now, and that is a habit you are going to have to break. Your home is like a sinking ship – you can bail the water out as quickly as you like, but if you don’t fix the leak you’ll end up right back where you started.
3. Be charitable. Your clutter is not just junk. In fact it may be of great value to someone else. Donate your cleared out items to a charity shop, or give them away locally to achieve a sense of empowerment and pride.
4. One in, two out. If you want to bring something new into the home, you have to get rid of two things that are already there. To start with you will probably cheat, throwing out some papers or a dead house plant, but soon you will need to move on to bigger and more challenging stuff.
5. Make a ‘one year’ box. Anything you think you will miss if you throw out, but don’t have a specific use for right now, put inside the box and seal it. Date the box, and one year from the date you have made it, if the box is unopened, donate it. You probably won’t remember what was inside that box anyway.
6. Cluttering clothes. Anything you haven’t worn for 6 months, unless it is seasonal clothing or footwear, should be sold or donated.
7. Get help. Get a trusted friend or relative to help you go through things. This will help sort the wheat from the chaff with a fresh pair of eyes.
8. One room at a time. Aim to de-clutter one room entirely, including all cupboards, drawers and shelves. Spending time in this minimal and refreshing space will be so good you’ll be inspired to continue with the other rooms in the house.
9. Remember, it’s just ‘stuff’. Work on your self-esteem to believe that you are worth more than just the sum of your ‘stuff’, and share your belongings through donations and gifts.
10. Store sentimental items. Everyone has a ‘treasure box’ or a collection of things that they could never bear to part with. Things like children’s artwork, old photos and other treasured memories don’t necessarily need to be thrown away. Cheap self storage can be a good way to put aside a couple of boxes you probably don’t need access to on a regular basis, but without the need to actually bin them (compare storage prices here).

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The O2 arena (the world’s most popular music venue) is just one out of the 300+ music venues London has with over 17,000 performances each year. Not only this, in the summer there are multiple music festivals taking place in amazing areas such as Hyde Park.

2)   We are jam packed with culture

Out of the ten best museums in the world London is home to three of them and has another 170 museums to pick from. It also has four UNESCO world heritage sites.

There are also around 250 festivals in London alone each year so you are bound to find one which takes your interest. And with around 40% of London’s population born outside the UK you can learn about a variety of cultures, without having to travel worldwide.

3)   If you love history you will love London

London is full of history and by just looking at the architecture you can understand the events which occurred, with buildings from the Victorian period, Roman, Tudor and many, many more.

4)   Working in London

Living the London life for many includes working there too; it provides you opportunities which you won’t be able to find anywhere else, for any job you do.

5)   You can pop away for the weekend.

With cheap flights across Europe and five airports to pick from your choice is endless and if you are feeling super adventurous Heathrow airport is one of the busiest – getting you almost anywhere in the world that you desire. And if you are not a fan of flying there is always the train – Paris in two hours doesn’t sound bad to me.

6)   Summer time in the city

England is not renowned for the best weather, I will give you that, but when the sun is out and the days are longer there is just so much you can do. From sitting at a rooftop bar over looking London after work, relaxing in one of the many green parks, taking a boat down the river or simply having a BBQ in the garden with friends, the choice is endless.

7)   Christmas in the City

Christmas is just as good as summer or even better; it is just much, much colder. London really indulges in the Christmas spirit and with the crisp winter air you cannot resist. The Christmas lights are fantastic, you have to stop and take a picture of the lights at least once – it would be rude not to. The Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park tops it all, with the Christmas markets and the ride, it is like something out of a movie. And let’s not forget about the amazing New Year firework display we have. Christmas in London is just amazing.

 By Pug Girl (Contact)

8)   Fashion Fashion Fashion

We love fashion in London, just take a look at the London Fashion show. Yes we are not New York or Paris but we are sure close to it (geographically and in the rankings).

  By Adrian Scottow (Contact) 

9)   Let’s not forget about the food

From top notch restaurants to cute food markets London has it all, so you will never go hungry.

 By David Reynolds (Contact)

10) Finally, you will never get bored

In London whether first thing in the morning or last thing at night you will be able to find something to do. With thousands of events going on each year the choice is endless.

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Technically at this time of year it is spring in the UK but right now we have the strange combination of blossom on the trees and snow on the ground, but that’s the UK weather for you. Nevertheless, this is typically the time of year when we are thinking of spring cleaning our homes and getting it all in order to enjoy it once the weather is warmer. It may not be a very exciting task but if we do it now we can them relax in the sunshine (or that’s the theory anyway).

While we are emptying cupboards and moving furniture to have a really good clean is also the perfect time to sort out our belongings and decide what we really need to keep, because, let’s face it, we all have far too much clutter in our homes. The only time this isn’t true is possibly when you move into your first home. Then you probably don’t have enough stuff but, trust me, it won’t take long to start filling up those empty spaces. But what if this year instead of just spring cleaning and throwing out or giving away to charity the odd item, we were to really think about a more radical approach and try to take a more minimalist view of our living spaces. Would it improve our living environment and would it make us happier?

It is a bit of a strange word – minimalism – it conjures up an image of doing without or somehow depriving ourselves of comfort but minimalist homes don’t lack comfort they simply lack clutter so perhaps the word is mis-leading. A real, comfortable living space can still be “minimalist”; it will simply contain only those possessions you know to be useful or beautiful (to paraphrase William Morris). And if items are useful but not beautiful then there will be plenty of storage space to hide them away. Better still, the items you choose to have on display, whether they are works of art, ornaments or family photos can be better appreciated because they are not hidden by a jumble of other items. For this reason it is, in fact, easier for a minimalist home to reflect your character and personality because it is allowed to shine through.

And for those of you living in period or character houses, these are just as well suited to a minimalist lifestyle as a contemporary space. In fact, the architectural details of many period homes are hidden by the sheer amount of clutter many people have so these beautiful details can be highlighted by a minimalist approach to living.

And back to that chore of spring-cleaning, it is actually much easier to keep your home clean when the surfaces are clear and uncluttered with possessions and where there is plenty of storage space for everything. But if you really can’t bear to part with all of your belongings in one go try this test: put the bulk of your possessions in a self-storage container for 6 months and you will probably find that you don’t actually need them in your home!

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There are some key benefits to creating a minimalist home such as achieving a more attractive and calmer living environment. But is it possible to turn an ordinary home into a minimalist one?

There are some secrets to minimalist living but once you know them they are easy to follow. The key to a minimalist home is clearing away clutter – this includes all that stuff that you don’t really need and rarely use as well as frequently used items that simply look untidy. So minimalism is not about simply de-cluttering and throwing away, recycling or donating to charity all those unnecessary possessions that we all seem to accumulate. It is also about being able to store away everyday items that we do use regularly in a way that makes them easily accessible when we need them but out of sight when we don’t. There are some great Instagram accounts about minimalism if you need inspiration on just how to do this.

But before considering what minimalism is, let’s think about why you would even want to embrace minimalism in your home. What are the advantages to the individual and the family? Can a minimalist home really work with young children and provide a stimulating environment for them to grow up in?

The 3 Advantages of Minimalism in the Home

1. Your home will look more attractive – imagine the clear uncluttered surfaces with everything neatly stored away until it is needed. No more tripping over children’s toys littering the floor. No more shelves full of ornaments you neither like nor want. Just elegant statement pieces of furniture that are shown off to their best because they are surrounded by clear spaces – room to move and room to relax.
2. Your home will be easier to keep clean – it is so much easier to dust and hoover if the floors and other surfaces are free from too many objects. You won’t have to move items on shelves and surfaces before you can clean them so cleaning the home will be a much quicker task.
3. Home life will be calmer – it is much less stressful when it is easy to find everything you need and in a minimalist home everything is neatly stored away in it’s own allotted space so is always easy to find. No more rushing around looking for a particular item only to find it under piles of papers and children will always know where to find their favourite toy or book.

So these are the advantages of a minimalist home but how can you turn an ordinary home into a minimalist one?

The first step is to de-clutter, whilst minimalism is about more than simply de-cluttering, this is still an important phase because once you have de-cluttered your home you will have a better idea of how much new storage space will be required to house all your essential items.

Then you will need to create the additional enclosed storage – for a truly minimal look this should be as unobtrusive as possible – simple cupboards painted the same colour as the walls (neutral, of course) so they blend in – and should make use of existing alcoves and niches to avoid encroaching on a room’s floor space. An essential part of minimalist living is keeping the floor clear of any unnecessary items.

Always over-estimate how much storage you think you will need – one of the biggest factors in the failure of a minimalist home is not actually having the storage space to easily keep those belongings out of sight.

Next, consider whether you really need all of the furniture that your rooms contain. Clearly there are certain essential furniture items that every room needs: chairs, tables, sofas, beds, wardrobes etc but there are also many that you can live without. But there are also some things a minimalist would never have in the bedroom. But a minimalist home should still be comfortable so ensure there is enough seating for the family and guests. There’s little point your guests admiring your sleek, minimal home if there is nowhere comfortable for them to sit down.

Just because you are aiming for a minimalist home does not mean that you can’t have books, magazines, CDs and DVDs in your living space but they will need plenty of storage space behind doors and out of sight wherever possible. Shelves of books and DVDs are dust magnets that not only look cluttered but are difficult to keep clean and dust-free.

Choose any ornaments or other decorations very carefully – you want to introduce something of your character into the room otherwise it would be a completely bland space but, at the same time, it is very easy to overdo it with ornaments, family photos etc. The perfect decorations for a minimalist room are paintings hung on the walls – they add colour and something of your own style without cluttering any surfaces, and maybe a modern vase or a structural houseplant. Plants in particular can add to the sense of calm in a minimalist room.

Stick to neutral colours for the walls and as many of the storage cupboards and drawers as possible, and avoid patterns on any fabrics, floor covering or soft furnishings as even the simplest pattern can create a feeling of clutter in a room. If you can’t live without curtains (which might not be practical in a cold climate) then choose a plain, and preferably neutral, colour, but in warmer climates simple blinds are preferable or if you don’t need privacy then no window dressings at all.

And a final reminder about storage space – it is essential that there is ample storage space and that there are designated, and easily accessible, places for all items that you will need to retrieve on a regular basis. That includes enough drawers and wardrobe space so clothes can be stored easily. Putting some serious thought into your storage will help you to maintain the minimalist look that you have worked hard to achieve in your home. In fact the right storage can be a viable alternative to extending your home or even having to move to a larger home. Many people prefer to simply get organised and remain in a smaller home that is easier and cheaper to maintain – there’s even a trend for tiny homes, but I have to wonder if that is through genuine choice.

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Many of us live and work in environments full of belongings that we no longer use or need but are reluctant to part with. There are some people who find it easy to clear out unused possessions and live a minimalist lifestyle but the majority of us cling to items for often, long-forgotten, sentimental reasons. We make excuses about how an item might one day come in useful, but, in truth, we just can’t bear to get rid of our “stuff”.

Not only do we want to hang on to old belongings but we are accumulating new things all the time and eventually the storage in our homes just will not cope any more. An important element for people buying new houses these days is how much storage there is. Built-in storage almost always features in new homes of all sizes and a buyer would expect there to be sufficient storage for their possessions, but just how much storage is sufficient? And even though moving home would seem to be an ideal opportunity to clear out all the old junk, this doesn’t always happen.

But can living amongst clutter really add stress to already busy lives and, more importantly, can clearing out that clutter reduce our stress?

Stress in our lives can manifest itself in many ways – we have a train to catch for work or the school-run through busy traffic all before the main part of the day starts. Then we might put ourselves under pressure to meet deadlines throughout the day but this type of stress is often there because we have chosen to live our lives in a certain way. We choose to have an extra 15 minutes in bed in the morning and are, therefore, rushing for the train, for example. But there are also the ever-present causes of stress around us in our homes that are less easy to recognise as a cause of stress and one of those is the clutter.

Stress can affect the body in numerous ways such as:

• Insomnia
• Depression
• Digestive disorders
• Skin complaints e.g. eczema

There is often no single cause of stress (it could be more serious issues like financial worries, work issues or relationship problems) but if you want to easily reduce the stress on your mind and body maybe now is the time to be ruthless with your possessions.

So when your storage cupboards are bulging, and when your loft, garage and garden shed are all full is there any alternative to throwing away your possessions or donating them to charity?

Fortunately, there is an alternative because there are numerous self storage facilities across the country so if you really can’t bear to part with treasured belongings you can still organising your possessions and store them away to get some of the stress-reducing benefits of a more minimalist lifestyle. If you only keep to hand all the items that you know you need and use regularly then you will be more easily able to find what you want. No longer will you have to hunt through stuffed drawers or storage cupboards looking for that important document. Your storage space can be well-organised because you will simply have more space for storage.

Reputable self-storage facilities are dry and secure so you do not need to worry that valuables will become damp or be stolen. In fact, most storage facilities have much better security than the average home because their reputation depends on their security. As well as storing possessions with sentimental value but little everyday use you can also store seasonal items such as ski gear that may only be used once or twice a year.

Clearing out your clutter can be liberating but if you are not ready for that yet, then storing your belongings can transform your home into a calmer environment and transform you into a less stressed person.

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