In the headlines this morning is the welcome news that many councils are starting to re-open their tips.

The lock-down has forced many of us, however reluctantly,to confront our possessions. Under ON (old normal) it was easy to put unwanted possessions out of sight in a cupboard and leave the house if it was starting to feel a little crowded. When matters got really bad there was Plan B – to box up those unwanted items and place them safely in self storage where they were out of sight and out of mind but still available. – ‘just in case’.

Lock-down has forced many of us to confront our convenient oversight. Confined to our homes, some with the whole family around us, we are finding space is at a premium like never before. Furloughing may protect most of our income but if savings are to be made then cancelling self storage is an easy win.

So how do you go about confronting your unwanted belongings? Marie Kondo, the Japanese organising guru has a simple test – keep only those thing that you love – and that is a high bar! Not things that are ‘too good to throw out’, or those that might be useful one day. Don’t keep those things you’re not sure about or gifts from family for fear of offending. Don’t even keep things that you like (you can’t like them that much if they are in self storage!). It is only those things that you really love that merit a place in your home.

For all the rest it’s about recycling – selling them or giving them to friends or family, what’s left might go to charity or a car boot – only those things that have no value or use to you or anyone else find their way to the council tip run.

By mid morning the radio was reporting long queues at the council tips – clear Marie Kondo has been busy these last six weeks!