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Over time, we tend to accumulate stuff and some of these items like awards, old baby clothes, kids’ drawings, trophies from your youth, trinkets from special people, items we inherit, ticket stubs or other knickknacks, hold sentimental value to us and are things that we would never consider letting them go.

The problem is when we start finding everything sentimental and those boxes of stuff start to fill up quickly. Even if you have never heard the term “sentimental clutter” before, you probably have some in your home.

While we want to keep everything close to us in our home, there comes a time where that becomes very difficult due to the lack of available storage space.

When deciding what to keep and what to let go, it is relatively easy and straightforward to choose which regular everyday objects to purge, but when there is a sentimental value attached to them, they should always be handled with care. These items meant something to us at some point in our lives, and we kept them for a reason, right?

Well, not always because people often keep items not out of nostalgia, but guilt. And this is an entirely unhelpful emotion. Sometimes we only hold on to Christmas or Birthday gifts from our family and friends because we assume, they will expect to see them on display when they come to our home for a visit. The truth is, most don’t expect that, and even if they do, it isn’t even a fair expectation to begin with. A gift is ours and we can do as we want with it.

Just look for the items you have assigned a sentimental value to, that now you do not use, do not need, and perhaps do not even like. House space is limited and regardless of its origin, at the end of the day clutter is still clutter, that is why it’s so important to be selective with all of your belongings.

Determine What’s Worth Keeping

The real question you should ask yourself when evaluating one of these items is: what exactly am I sentimental about? Is it its association with a person, time or place, or the physical object itself?

Chances are, that many times it’s not the objects but the people and experiences you hold in your actual mental memories. However, if you also truly love the item, then it isn’t clutter and you should definitely keep it.

Many times, we also hold onto things for reasons that unfortunately no longer apply in the present, so it’s important to take a few minutes to go through everything and see if you still need to keep them or not.

Give It a Good Home

If you are still uncertain between discarding a sentimental item and stashing it way in your home forever, remember that there is a third option. Some of these things may make a meaningful gift for someone else.

Maybe you have a friend or a family member who would really love to have it, that way you can be sure it is going to be in good home. This is an excellent way to show your appreciation to your loved ones and extend the relevant life of your prised objects. Whether the item is stored or given away, its memory remains with you.

Also, choosing one or two keepsake items to represent a person, collection or era can help you to let the rest go.

Secure Self Storage for Sentimental Items

Some things are worth keeping forever, particularly those close to your heart. And just because they started to take up too much space in your home you don’t have to part from them or keep them tucked away in boxes under the bed, though. Placing these sentimental items in a storage unit not only gets them out of your way but also keeps them safe.

Store photos by layering them between sheets of acid-free paper, carefully wrap fragile items in bubble wrap and if you have some special pieces of clothing you want to safekeep, place them in vacuum-sealed bags. This way they will be protected for as long as they are in storage.