When you think of a hoarder, you automatically think of mounds of uneven stacks of belongings, from books, catalogues and paperwork to all that mountain climbing gear still awaiting its first expedition. Well, in actual fact, more of us are hoarders then you think, and it doesn’t take much for our homes to be filled with much more than just the essentials – leaving us looking for cheap self storage units of having a clearout of all we hold dear..
However, a generally untidy home could be a sign of chaotic, yet fun, family life or a successful businessperson to busy to keep on top it or more often, a creative type who is surrounded by their art or piles of books.
Whatever your reason for living in a cluttered home, you shouldn’t feel that it’s a negative reflection on you. Recent findings show that actually a level of clutter can be good for families – and even our health. This research, carried out in 2015 by the Freedonia Group, examined the type of clutter people have in their homes. The study ultimately found that an amount of clutter in our homes is a positive thing, but why?
Cluttered, yet creative?
One example, from a participant in the study, who happened to be a writer, stated that they feel they need to amerce themselves in a degree of ‘mess’ to help their creative mind flow. In this case, books and papers adorn their study space, for easy reference and research. And inspirational photos are placed around the office to inject some life into their ideas when they feel it’s going flat. This is a perfect example of how clutter can be a big positive in your life.
It could be worth something
Never a week goes by when we see stories of auctions of coveted possessions making their auctioneers some serious money. Many collectible items can net you a small fortune – especially if you keep them ‘mint in box’.
When the cupboard is bare
After all, as humans, psychologically our environment affects how we feel and therefore a sparse home only filled with the absolute essentials could leave us feeling cold, unexcited and quite possibly depressed! Having some of our beloved belongings around us can make for a more welcoming environment, making us feel more comfortable and at ease.
But what about when the clutter becomes too much, and you become swamped in paperwork that needs archiving, photos for safekeeping and too many travel souvenirs or precious collectibles to count. This is the stuff you can’t or don’t want to throw away! If this sounds like you, then safe self-storing may be a solution. Putting your temporarily unneeded belongings into self storage units could dramatically improve your living space, allowing you to enjoy your home more freely. Whether you need small storage for just a few items or you need large storage for hoarding your precious collectibles, there are always options – so hoarding what means the most to you doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.
I understand that there is a company in the East Bay area that is buying all print books in existence and placing them in storage for the future and also scanning them electronically so that they will be available nearly forever.
Currently, I am swamped with promotional copies of my several books with no place to put them. However, I intend to give them all a except for a few copies that I will keep for the future.
Ron