Space occupied by clutter doubles, as Brits become hoarders

Feb 15, 2010 21:11 GMT  ·  By

We’re often very quick to point to our parents that they should get rid of stuff they no longer need and that they keep around the house for purely nostalgic reasons, but the truth of the matter is we’re turning into a generation of hoarders as well. A new survey conducted in the UK shows that the space occupied by clutter has doubled, which would indicate the Brits are becoming a nation of hoarders, as Times Online informs.

Not only do we spend more money on items of which we have little to no need at all, but we’ve also made a habit of storing all these things around the house, leading to clutter. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to have some possessions stored away to a garage or an attic but, as per the survey, it has come to the fact that half of the space in Brits’ homes is occupied by what could only be deemed as junk, ranging from toys to old computers and even clothes.

“From home computers to toys, the growth in consumerism has meant that our belongings now take up nearly half of our homes. The most obvious growth area is in computers and allied technology, which was not available to the average consumer in 1979. The typical home now has more than £2,000 worth of home entertainment, including TVs, music systems and PCs, the study for Lloyds TSB Insurance found, compared with £52 worth (at 2009 prices) in 1979. However there have also been increases in real terms in the money people spend on other goods,” Times reports.

“The result of all those possessions is that most people – 61 per cent – do not think they have enough storage space in their homes. The chief offenders for taking up space are, according to the survey, general ‘junk and clutter,’ followed by clothes and shoes, books, toys, exercise equipment, electrical equipment, and papers and magazines. When asked, people say on average that 44 per cent of the room in their homes is taken up by possessions. Younger people are more concerned about space than older people, with 42 of those over 65 saying they would like to create a greater ‘sense of space’ in their homes, compared with 70 per cent of those aged 25-34,” the same report further says.

According to David Stoddard, customer service director at Lloyds TSB Insurance, the findings of this survey illustrate the drastic changes that have taken place in our homes over the past 30 years. It’s true that people did not have that many options back then, but they also did not have this clear penchant for hoarding, such as is the case today.