67% of Londoners 'Ruthless' With Possessions Due to Lack of Space

67% of Londoners 'ruthless' with possessions due to lack of space

Londoners throw away over £32,000 worth of items in their lifetime, over £10,000 more than the national average, a new study reveals.

A study of 2,000 British adults examined the number and cost of non-perishable items removed from the home, with 59 items a year in good working condition flung out or given away.

The lifetime figure for Londoners includes nearly four and a half thousand pounds of clothes and more than three thousand pounds worth of electricals.

The prompt for throwing away cherished items comes from a desperate need for more storage space, according to 50 per cent of Londoners. Homes feel too cluttered and the stress associated with this leads to personal and household items regularly being given the boot.

The research, commissioned by StoreAnyBox.com, found that more than two thirds of Londoners admit they can be ruthless when it comes to getting rid of things - with nearly new products, clothes that still fit and even emotional keepsakes all removed to clear space.

In fact, half of all Londoners admit it's easier to throw or give things away rather than trying to organise their space. And over 60% confess to being downright lazy when it comes to organising their possessions around the home.

Mood plays a big role with 75% of Londoners feeling negatively when throwing or giving their items away – either stressed, needing change, boredom, after a bad day at work or panicked for visitors.

A spokesman for StoreAnyBox.com, which commissioned the study, said:

"We are a population outgrowing our living space, especially in London. Thousands of new builds, homes and flats, are being developed but they have no built in cupboards, no loft, no garage – there's literally no storage space. People want to have an inviting and clean home so are torn when it comes to where they put their things.

"Traditional storage is a hassle and it's pricey and often it's only seasonal or smaller items that need to be cleared to make space. For those people who want to declutter at certain times of the year, for students, house movers and businesses our tailored, by the box storage solution works."

The survey also found that over 70% of London women who had thrown something of their partner's away had done so because they simply didn't like it - including old sports memorabilia, scruffy clothing and anything that doesn't fit the look of the home - with 58% denying or hiding the truth from their partner.

The study found the ruthless throwing away approach doesn't always pay dividends – with 58 per cent of Londoners having binned something they later heavily regretted parting ways with. Londoners proved to be most regretful compared to the rest of the UK.

Items that people were most likely to get rid of and later regret were clothing they later wanted to wear to an event, items of sentimental value and even heirlooms they later realised to be valuable.

In fact over a third of Londoners had thrown out an item after owning it for less than 24 hours, results showed.

The StoreAnyBox.com spokesman added:

"People in London need more storage space and are often forced to throw away items that have sentimental value and this is a real shame. It's not practical and it's avoidable. 28 years experience in logistics, facilities and packaging means we can offer people a convenient, well thought out solution to their clutter dilemmas.

"Store away clothes until the right season, protect bikes through the winter, archive paperwork that isn't needed everyday but you can't throw away, find a home for your beloved wedding dress - you can reclaim your space and enjoy clutter free living'.

www.storeanybox.com

THE VALUE OF WHAT BRITS / LONDONERS THROW OUT

ENDS