Moving always seems to be the best reason to tackle these buildups. I have a period in the late 1990s where I moved five times in three years, and I actually managed to get the size of my life reduced down to what comfortable fit in a 1-bedroom apartment and a small storage unit.

Then I got back into a relationship and we moved to larger spaces and it seems like we inevitably grow to fill the available space... the kids have left home now, so there's a sincere incentive to downsize again, because we really don't need this big house anymore, and there will soon come a time when it feels like "too much work" to take care of all this.