We’re all guilty of it: deep down we all like to hoard things. Whether you’re feeling like it’s too much effort to go through all the mess of cabinets in your study, or you feel like there’s an emotional attachment to every cardboard box you’ve ever owned, it is always a good time for some spring cleaning!
Here are 9 signs you have way too much stuff.
1. Clothes you haven’t worn in the last year.
Every time you look for an outfit to wear, you see that shirt you’ve promised to give a second chance at life. You know you’ll never touch it again, but you’d feel horrible throwing away Aunt Lucy’s Christmas gift from ‘09.
2. The Leaning Tower of Cardboard Boxes
I am the biggest culprit when it comes to hoarding cardboard boxes. It gives me great joy to keep the boxes, big or small, of all the new gadgets I buy. I have a deep appreciation for companies that put thought and detail into their packaging. But, my wife has to constantly remind me it’s just a waste of space. Unless you’re using them to store some other junk, it’s probably time to reevaluate your box hoarding hobby.
3. Food cabinets filled with things that would last three ice ages.
It’s scary to scour through your kitchen cabinet to find all the things that are way past their best by date. It would surprise you to see how much space you make when you clear out everything that is basically toxic now.
4. You panic about the state of your house when people are coming over.
A great way to tell if your home is too cluttered is when you lose your mind over how much needs to be rearranged and cleaned when the in-laws are on the way over. Life should be kept simple! Maybe it’s time to box up those things you use once a year, and throw them into one of our storage spaces.
5. Having more than just one junk drawer.
Your man is trying to find the pair of nail clippers, and you tell him it’s in the junk drawer, and he replies ‘which one?’ You have a problem on your hands! We were all once kids, and growing up we still like doing the ‘sweeping under the rug’ trick, throwing all the things we think we don’t need into one drawer. It’s not long before you have more than one junk drawer that turns into a whole cabinet full of wasted space.
6. You have to convince yourself ‘it’s better to be safe than sorry’ to keep old things.
I know I do this all the time, even with travelling. I overpack, and keep things I won’t use till next summer and justify it with ‘I never know when I’ll need it.’
7. Unused gifts you felt to guilty to get rid off.
Yep, Aunt Lucy doesn’t seem to get your sense of taste, but you’d feel horrible if she ever asks why you don’t wear that dress she got you for your birthday last year.
8. Boxes of letters and paperwork that won’t prove your identity more than your driver's license will.
Graduating from highschool, I didn’t have too many pieces of ‘important paperwork’ but as time has gone on, I’ve gone to filling a nice big box full of payslips, bank statements that have no significance. I have this thought in the back of my mind that one day the FBI will need that one payslip from my teenage fast food job, but let’s be honest..
9. When you have no idea where the one thing you always need is.
It’s always that one thing! We really should know where it is, but it seems to have its own pair of legs.
Whether you just have boxes overflowing with old china, love letters from your teen years, or just winter clothes that need to be kept for next season, self storage is a great option for you! It will clear out some much needed space in your home, and allows you the freedom to keep all the things you just can’t get rid of yet.
With our 24/7 access premises, you’ll never be kept in the dark when you do need that old cheese platter. Come by your local storage facility and pick up anything you need at any time.
It’s always a great time for Spring Cleaning!
In our next blog post, we’ll share some great tips to start decluttering your house.
