Poole residents have been decluttering their homes like never before, according to so-called ‘storage sisters’ Lucy and Sophie Maidman.

The co-directors of Store & Secure in Hamworthy said they’ve seen a huge increase in homeowners emptying their properties as some prepare for building works and others embrace a minimalist approach to 2025.

“January is always a time when people start afresh and turn over a new leaf, but decluttering seems to have really taken off this year – up by 50 per cent on any previous year,” said Lucy.

“I think a lot of people have decided to extend their homes rather than sell and move, and in preparation for that they’ve taken storage out and have started to clear rooms.

“But there also seems to be a move to more minimalist interiors. Whether this is a wider trend I don’t know, but we’ve seen a lot of it.

“I think because we’re physically secure – but also put a great deal of emphasis on our cybersecurity and information security – people really trust us to look after their often very valuable possessions.

“We’re a family business and are well known in the area, and that familiarity really helps.”

Store & Secure was founded in 2010 by Brian Maidman, father to Lucy and Sophie, who had previously run Maidman Removals for 30 years.

• storeandsecure.co.uk