I’ve moved house many times in my life, from student halls to graduate rentals to mortgaged home. And each move has presented a prime opportunity for a declutter.

That’s because, when you’re considering moving, you start to look at the things around you and realise that you wouldn’t want to have to lug some of those items with you to the next place.

I liked the clear-out that a house-move warrants, however, now that I’m settled in my home – one I’ve spent more years living in than any other property throughout my life – I don’t get that opportunity.

And homes tend to fill up when you just live in them. When there are more items incoming than outgoing, you may find the spaces becoming more claustrophobic as you accumulate stuff.

Which led me to consider a thought experiment:

What would I declutter if I were moving?

Although I’m not moving house, there’s no reason why I can’t look at my items through the eyes of someone who IS moving and consider the following question:

If you’re not willing to pack, carry, haul and unpack an item, why is it in your life now?

Sure, moving sometimes causes us to declutter more than we might otherwise do. Perhaps that’s because you have a limited space in the removals van, or maybe you’re downsizing to a smaller property. In which case, you won’t be able to take as much with you to your new home and you’ll naturally need to declutter.

Perhaps you would regret decluttering some of those items if they were ditched out of need rather than desire. But did you really ever require those items if they were the ones to be jettisoned first during a house move? Surely you kept the best and let go of the rest?

I previously considered this question: What would you put in one box if you were moving to the other side of the world? That really clarified my absolute essentials in life so, perhaps, everything else is not key to keep.

But, of course, a house is bare until we move in. The spaces only come to life when our own items are in them. And those pieces are undoubtedly needed.

We feel more comfortable with a blanket on our squishy sofa. We are able to relax with our books and films. We enjoy looking at our art and photographs hung on the walls.

So, part of the thought experiment should also be to imagine unpacking the items you really love in your new home.

Once you’ve filled your rooms with your favourite pieces and have removed the items you wouldn’t have bothered to pack up and move, you’ll be left with a home that is purely yours – whether that’s clutter-free or comfortably full.

At least you will have considered it and made a conscious decision on what to keep.