Is your house filled with too many DVDs or vintage VHS tapes that take up lots of space? It’s time to sort out your library and give away those unwanted films so you are only left with the best of the best. Here are our tips for de-cluttering:

1.       Throw away damaged films

DVDs can get scratches or cracks the can affect the image quality of the film. If the scratch goes deep enough it is irreparable. VHS tapes can also wear down, become stuck or tangle to the point of no return. If the film will not play properly and there is no point in keeping it. Bear in mind that it is increasingly difficult to buy new video players, too, and if your player is broken there is no point keeping the tapes.

If you find some films that no longer work, you may be able to recycle them. Check Recycle Now to see if you can recycle VHS tapes and DVDs in your local area. Otherwise the films will have to go into your mixed waste bin.

2.       Is the film available digitally?

Films are much easier to watch digitally nowadays and many people don’t keep physical copies anymore. Check if any of your films are available on streaming services or can be bought and downloaded online.

Certain films on DVD come with a code that will let you get a digital copy from a streaming service like Google Play or Amazon for no charge.

Some de-cluttering sites recommend ripping your films from your DVDs to a hard drive to save space. This is technically illegal in the UK. Our post about CD collections has more details.

3.       Find others that will want your films more than you

There are a couple of questions to ask yourself when de-cluttering your film collection:

• Have I watched this in the last six months?
• Will I watch this film more than once?

If the answer is no to both of these questions, then it is probably best that you give them away to someone else. Are there any Disney films that a younger member of your family might like? Do you know a film student that will appreciate your Hitchcock collection? You may be able to sell DVDs via a service like MusicMagpie.

4.       Put your films in storage

There may be some DVDs or VHS tapes that you don’t want to part with, but you just can’t fit into your home anymore. Try putting them into a storage unit and they will be kept safe until you want to watch them again. As well as films, you can store any other film watching equipment such as TVs or sound systems. Have a look at our article on the best way to store your AV equipment for more tips.

Your films, and anything else you put into storage may be covered under your contents insurance, but you will need to check with your provider. Otherwise, Store and Insure will cover your items by the day, so you only pay for what you need – get a quote today!

An award-winning film collection

Streamlining your film collection means you get to keep award-worthy films under categories of your choice and more space in your home could make way for bigger and better equipment to watch your films on.