• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle Family

Junk hoarding costs families £75billion in lost property space

by Jasmine Stephens, Family Editor A quick look under our bed confirms it; we’re hoarders. One dismantled cot plus mattress, two large photo-frames, a bunk-bed ladder, a bag full of old kids’ clothes, three camping chairs, a broken laptop and a bulging bin bag that has been there so long I have no idea what’s […]

Jasmine Stephens by Jasmine Stephens
2015-05-22 12:14
in Family
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

by Jasmine Stephens, Family Editor

A quick look under our bed confirms it; we’re hoarders. One dismantled cot plus mattress, two large photo-frames, a bunk-bed ladder, a bag full of old kids’ clothes, three camping chairs, a broken laptop and a bulging bin bag that has been there so long I have no idea what’s inside. Junk everywhere.

The worst thing is I’ve always been quite smug about how good I am at chucking things out. I jumped for joy when my sister told me she was pregnant; not only was I finally going to be an auntie, at last I had someone to palm off all our old baby junk. Sorry sis.

Our house is too small to cling on to long-forgotten toys and defunct technology and my husband has previously complained that things need to be nailed down if they don’t want to be chucked away. I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew me by name at the local recycling centre, but the evidence is undeniable and a quick calculation unbelievably reveals that the stuff currently stashed in every available nook and cranny would cover the floor in two bedrooms.

I take comfort, at least, in knowing I’m not alone. New research from Clearabee has revealed that families in the UK are wasting up to £75 billion in property space by storing old household items. That equates to a cost of £9,465 per household in lost property space or to put it another way, more than a third of families hoard enough junk to fill a small bedroom.
Infographic
More than half of families (56%) hang on to old clothes, 54% stash old books, videos and magazines and 48% keep old toys and games. The survey revealed that families spread out their junk throughout the house; 45% use the loft (well, to be fair that’s surely what lofts are for?), 32% keep things out of sight in their wardrobe, just under a quarter stash old items under their beds and 9% have clearly just given up completely as they simply leave their junk on the floor.

Rob Linton, Operations Director at Clearabee commented, ‘In a nation where space is at a premium, it is staggering that almost one in three families are storing enough useless junk to fill an entire room. While we’ve become very savvy at finding ways to store clutter around ourselves, most of us could get better at getting rid of it.’

As well as the cost in lost property space, imagine the financial worth that could be released from all this unused and unwanted treasure by selling on eBay, donating via a charity shop or free-cycling site or simply by giving items to friends and family. Half of the problem is that in today’s consumer society, we feel an irresistible urge to surround ourselves with possessions, upgrade before really necessary and buy new when second-hand would do.

RelatedPosts

Parents have revealed the top 30 things which should be on child’s ‘must do’ list before they start school

Three quarters of parents are worried about impact Covid has had on child’s early years development

Millions of pet owners intend to romance their dogs this Valentine’s Day

Playing with dolls can help develop children’s emotional intelligence, according to research

The research has given me a push to clear out my cupboards and try to embrace a more minimalist lifestyle, although let’s face it, that’s easier said than done when you have kids. Anybody need a bunk-bed ladder?

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Meghan Markle’s ancestor studied at Cambridge University with Oliver Cromwell

Ed Sheeran – X

Puppeteer claims Prince Andrew said ‘Spitting Image’ doll bought by ‘friend’ amid claims he used it to grope girls with Epstein

Humble Grape is Islington’s best new neighbourhood restaurant

Dinosaur that roamed Argentina over 200 million years ago has been dug up by scientists

Jeremy Kyle accused of ‘humiliating’ guest ‘he would not trust him with a chocolate button’

Police troll driver dubbed “Steptoe and Son” after piling his van with dozens of wooden pallets

Screeching U-turn! Government drops move to delay Partygate vote

Weather forecast, alerts and UVB index for London, Monday 21 December 2020

Teen chased through streets and stabbed to death in violent Bank Holiday weekend of mayhem in London

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.