Under pressure: manic house movers chuck out items worth hundreds of pounds because they run out of time

Little, it seems, is more stressful in life than moving house. What might start off as a well planned, perfectly managed operation somehow manages to deteriorate into a desperate, last-minute lunge to get your foot out the door, get in the car and drive away.

Research by credit card company Capital One has found that frazzled UK house movers are throwing away items worth around £280 million because of poor planning and time management.

Almost half of those surveyed admitted to either selling items for less than they were worth or giving them away because they ran out of time. A quarter said they had taken belongings to a dump. Only 19% of movers surveyed sold items on to help cover the cost of moving, while 33% took items to charity shops to raise money for good causes. For 17%, making the decision about what to take and what not to take was one of the most stressful elements of moving.

'Selling your unwanted possessions is a clever way of helping to recoup some of the money you spend on other parts of the move,' says Capital One Head of Customer Operations, Richard Rolls. 'Smaller items such as toys and clothes are often overlooked as they are not deemed valuable, but they are exactly the types of items that can help movers make money.'

Cara Young (pictured), a personal assistant from Basildon in Essex, moved to London 10 years ago and has rented five different properties in the past five years. She has turned moving into an art form. 'I've sold things each time I've moved house. If you have the time, sell it. It's really worth it. I've probably made £100 every time I've moved and that money has helped to pay towards moving vans. Selling old stuff really helps.'

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