The average homeowner could be hoarding old items worth £1,922 in their attics, according to new research.

Loft conversion and land extension specialist www.essexrooms.com polled over 2,000 homeowners and discovered that one in 10 don’t use their loft at all, leaving it as empty space. Three quarters use it for storage and 17% use it as another room.

The weirdest items found in lofts when homeowners originally moved in range from the gruesome to the downright weird, including urns containing ashes, a taxidermied cat and a box of Victorian doll heads, with no sign of the bodies.

What is stored by the current owners is rather more mundane, from Christmas decorations (89%) to toys and books (59%). Homeowners estimated the value of goods they stored in the attic to be £1,922.

Matt Bott, co-founder of EssexRooms.com, said: “It is shocking to hear how much people think they are storing in their loft space, with just less than three quarters admitting they are hoarding stuff in their attic for no reason! If this sounds like you then why not consider selling those unused items and goods you’re holding onto for no reason?

“That way you can properly utilise your loft space and even do something amazing with it, like convert it into bedrooms and a bathroom!”