Extra Space Self Storage of Asia, a privately owned business, has commissioned a survey of 1,000 people in Singapore to better understand the space constraints of residents. Of those who responded, 56 percent said they thought their homes were too cramped, but more than 60 percent said they had never tried to unclutter their living space.

The survey polled people between the ages of 25 and 65 and included a wide range of housing types, including one-room Housing Board apartments, condominiums and properties for which the inhabitants own the land.

Nearly 40 percent of those polled said they hold on to items they no longer use, with more than one-third indicating they have not used some belongings in the last three years. The vast majority of residents, 70 percent, said they dedicate a room in their home for storage.

"People living in Singapore could potentially be harboring up to the equivalent of a spare room in their homes without knowing it," said Kenneth Worsdale, CEO of Extra Space Self Storage Asia, told the source.

The most popular goods in home storage include gifts, keepsake items, memorabilia and old photos, with 63 percent of respondents saying they keep those types of belongings. Nearly half of respondents, 49 percent, said they hold on to unworn clothes, and 47 percent keep old paperwork and school notes.

In all, 88 percent said they were bothered by the clutter in their homes, but less than half said they were prepared to deal with it.

"The accumulation of belongings for the average family comes at a higher cost than most people think, and our ambition is to encourage every family in Singapore to live in a more positive, less cluttered environment," Worsdale said.

Extra Space operates branded facilities in Korea, Malaysia and Singapore and has a majority stake in Storeasy by Extra Space, which operates 10 locations in Taipei, Taiwan. Extra Space opened its first self-storage facility in Singapore in 2007 and currently operates five properties in the region.

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