‘I spent £10,000 storing clutter’

Genetic nutritionist Kate Llewellyn-waters, 41, lives in Bath, Somerset, with her husband Nick, 41, a commercial director. She says, “We moved house eight times in our 30s and bought new furniture to fit each space, but couldn’t bear to get rid of our old furniture, so it all accumulated in storage.

“When we had our children, Bea, four, and Albs, two, we started amassing baby things, too. By Albs’ first birthday we had six pushchairs, four cots and 16 boxes of clothes. We hired three storage units, but weekends involved stressful trips to retrieve things. Nick and I bickered because he wanted a clear-out, but our belongings were worth thousands and I believed they’d come in useful.

“Last year, things came to a head when we relocated to Bath. Realising we couldn’t take our clutter with us, we got rid of three buggies and five boxes of clothes. I couldn’t believe we’d spent £10,000 on storage, just to get rid of them.

“But we still filled our new home office with piles of clothes, a disused wardrobe, mirrors, foot stools and a hamster cage, and could barely get in the door. I felt emotionally exhausted.

“Last September, when Bea started school and Albs began nursery, we hired a skip and spent hours throwing away unmatched shoes, broken toys and kitchen gadgets. I gave 12 boxes of clothes to charity and sold five designer dresses and two buggies. The more we got rid of, the easier it became, and I haven’t missed a thing. Family, not stuff, makes us happy. Now, if I buy clothing, I also give something to charity. I love working in our peaceful home office, and Nick and I no longer bicker.”

● Kate is the founder of the What IF Plan, a weight management programme based on your genetic profile. Visit www.thewhatifplan.co.uk.