The MoreStore Method

You’ve probably heard that a self-storage unit can be a great place from which to run a business. However, MoreStore also attracts plenty of people who aren’t running their own businesses. Some are moving home. Others are putting unused furniture into storage. Some are putting all their antiques in one place to make valuation easier. Plenty of our customers use self-storage to get organised.

The wild success of tidying guru Marie Kondo is proof of our desire to declutter and simplify our lives. Kondo’s core philosophy for decluttering is: if it doesn’t spark joy when you touch it, you donate it or throw it away. Here at MoreStore, we decided that attempting to categorise an entire home in this way is a little overwhelming, so we invented our own approach: the MoreStore Method.

How Can Self-Storage Help Me to Declutter My Home?

Experts in the art of tidying sometimes say that clutter is delayed decisions. In England, we are perhaps more likely to delay those decisions because English homes are so much larger than the average Japanese apartment. A comprehensive categorisation, as recommended by the KonMari Method, is extremely difficult to schedule.

As a result, we tend to fear that we’ll rush the process, giving short shrift to decisions that deserve more reflection time. Self-storage facilities present an ideal opportunity to itemise and consolidate without causing chaos at home.

What Is the MoreStore Method?

You can think of it as the real-world equivalent of a Recycle Bin in a PC operating system. Instead of disposing of an object outright, you put it in a self-storage pile. If you later find that you do need that cord or that item of clothing, you can pick it up any time. On the other hand, if you can do without it for a year, then you can safely move it along to the donation category and make space for the next item.

Some say the KonMari method can be a slow, deeply emotional process, so we designed the MoreStore Method is much more manageable. It involves using an interim storage solution to take the finality out of decluttering, and to give you the extra space you need to get organised.

What Are the Benefits of the MoreStore Method?

  • It gives you a safety net. If you suddenly find yourself in need of a kids’ toy or adaptor that you just can’t replace, you have a repository from which you can reacquire it.
  • The MoreStore Method clears blockages by removing the finality from tough decisions. Every time you categorise an object, you won’t spend as long agonising over the decision because you know it’s not final.
  • The KonMari method involves attempting to categorise everything at once. With the MoreStore Method, you break the job down into small chunks by visiting your storage unit once every weekend and doing a little at a time.
  • Just because you want to keep it, doesn’t mean you want it cluttering your line of sight every day. The MoreStore method gives you an option for things you want to keep, but which you don’t necessarily want in view.

How Can I Declutter and Stay Clutter Free?

Our method involves a few extra steps to make sure the decluttering process is a complete and lasting success. Here’s what to do…

  • As the clutter decreases, make a mental note of all the times you can find things easier than you could before. Appreciate shelves that aren’t overflowing and wardrobes that no longer refuse to stay closed. All that time adds up!
  • Framing things in the right way makes it easier to see the connection between decluttering and more life. To do this, complete the following sentences:

“I want my home to look like [insert answer here].”

“If my home was how I wanted it, I would spend more time [insert answer here].”

  • Rather than trying and failing to throw out sentimentally valuable items such as greeting cards, letters, and children’s art, try framing a few pieces. Take photos of the rest and have them printed into a book. Put the originals into storage. Your precious memories will be intact, and you always have the choice of purging the paper copies later if you wish.
  • Believe it or not, a 20-foot shipping container can store the entire contents of the average two-bedroom house! Daydream about what you would do with all that extra space and plan it out. This plan will help you focus on what you stand to gain and not what you fear to lose.
  • Make plans and use your newfound free time wisely. Our homes really should support our desire to make great memories with friends and family, to relax, or perhaps to get more done when working from home. Spend your extra time in the right ways and you’ll never want to go back to your pre-MoreStore life.
  • Take a moment to appreciate the fact that clear counter space sparks more joy than your possessions used to. Appreciate the calm that washes over you when you enter your newly tidy rooms and remember that piled up possessions had the opposite effect.
  • Put a “catch-all” bucket in your home for the daily essentials such as keys, wallets, headphones, and supermarket vouchers. It may not be tidy inside, but it’ll keep that mess off the mantlepiece. Anything that outstays its welcome gets moved on to the storage unit at the weekend. If it doesn’t make its way back into the house, you can be confident that you don’t need it anymore.
  • Glance at the clock when cleaning. Notice that you don’t have to move things off counters and window sills anymore. Recognise that cleaning is so much easier and quicker than it used to be, even though you haven’t (yet) had to say a permanent goodbye to any of your belongings.
  • Clutter distracts, either with something you want to do or with the desire to tidy it all away. The ability to concentrate means you get more done – and time is money!
  • Make a note of what you accomplish each day. If you work from home, notice how your productivity translates into profit. If you don’t, ask yourself if you’re better at avoiding late fees now your bills and taxes are getting paid promptly.
  • When surrounded by fewer belongings, most people find they become more grateful for what they do have and spend less time worrying about the things they don’t have. Every time you feel the same, write a note in a gratitude diary. You’ll feel more content in no time.

Now you have time and focus, consider writing a book about the life-transforming magic of the MoreStore Method. You never know, you might pen an international bestseller and become the next Marie Kondo!

If we can help you with your personal storage needs, please get in touch here.