When a couple decides to move into the same living space, they must decide what personal items will remain in the newly-combined household. Reconciling possessions can be challenging, especially when faced with items like the black leather couch he'd rather not replace with her neutral, microsuede sofa. According to a recent survey we did, more than half of Americans (54%) admitted to having as many as 10 duplicate items when they moved in with their partners, and an additional one out of five (21%) said they had even more.

While some respondents give away duplicate or unused items to friends and family or donate them to charity, more than one in five (22%) hold onto their extra furnishings and appliances, contributing to an accumulation of clutter in their homes! The most common items that couples have duplicates of include electronics (42%), kitchen appliances (36%), cookware (29%) and furniture (23%).

Instead of adding clutter to your household, why not look around and determine which items are no longer being used? Decluttering can translate to economic value: despite the fact that more than one-third of young couples report balancing their finances as the most difficult aspect of moving in together, less than a quarter of respondents engage in selling unwanted items for some monetary return. A ping-pong table could net you an additional $80, the average used futon sells for $44 and an unwanted television could garner as much as $422! In today's economic climate, these small sums can make a big difference.

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