clutter clearance

speedalong

Had a big skip delivered today - now sitting on my front grass - ready for operation house clearance!! Major house tidy and sort on the cards. Obviously have to pace myself about how much I do at time and leave heavy/big items for S to carry downstairs for me. This is an omninous task. I am hoping the satisfaction of clearing will take over and egg me on.

Speedy

dreamdaisy

How cathartic! What will your rule of thumb be - if I haven't used it for six months/three months/ one month/ a fortnight/a week then in it goes? Good luck - and remember whatever you throw out will suddenly be vital in November! DD

julie47

speedy

send the skip here when you have finished

We have a garage that needs doing (OH doesn't think so)
can do it while he is at work.

good luck
juliepf x

dreamdaisy

That, julie47pf, would be foolhardy in the extreme! Garages and sheds are man spaces - girlies so not welcome! DD

joanlawson

Good luck, Speedy. It would take me a week to clear my loft before I started on the rest of the house :!: Don't you find that once you start, you find things you had completely forgotten about :?: The trouble is that I then sit reading old letters, and looking through photograph albums, and don't get anything done. I am sentimental and nostalgic, so find it difficult to throw things away. One day, I really will have to put my mind to decluttering, but not today

speedalong

and remember whatever you throw out will suddenly be vital in November!

That DD, is bound to happen and the thought of it is what always stops me being ruthless, am trying to think if I haven't looked at in ages or don't even know what is in that drawer/box/pile/corner - I really don't need it!

Hey Julie, definitely.

Am hoping S will help me with the 2 sheds at the weekend ...

Have to keep stopping as really aching, but then decide to do a bit more. Need to sum up energy to do physio yet. Reallly need a systematic plan - at the moment I'm doing it ad hoc.

Speedy

julie47

dreamdaisy wrote:

That, julie47pf, would be foolhardy in the extreme! Garages and sheds are man spaces - girlies so not welcome! DD

Yes I know . I wouldn't even be able to say he had lost it as he has a place for everything but not everything is in its place.
I have threatend him with ebay

(he knows I have no chance would need a tractor bucket on mi scooter to lift stuff)

juliepf x

speedalong

Joan, all so true .. that is why it is easier to help someone else clear out than do your own!!

I will have to do loft too- but not up to climbing in yet or getting stuff down... day will come.

Speedy

Rainbow77

Hi speedy

I love a good clear out or a spring clean - that is good as well. I am definitely not a hoarder. In january i moved out of my flat for 3 months to have major renovations done. New kitchen, bathroom, ceilings, insulation upstairs in bedroom as converted flat. So I had a massive clear out of last 7 years living here. It is amazing what you hang on to. But I was very ruthless. It is ok - but a couple of months later I think, Oh where is so and so and then I remember I got rid of it. Especially clothes etc. So you must get the balance right.

Don't over do it though. A little at a time otherwise you will regret it.

Fayann xx

ninakang

Fayann
I'm not a hoarder, never have been. Basically if it's NOT

- Beautiful
- Useful
- Seriously sentimental

It either gets

- Sold
- Given to charity/ friends/ family
- thrown away/ recycled

We're always clearing things out. This summer me and the girls gave the garage a clear out and we now actually have space for the gym equipment my husband bought but could never use because of the junk. IN FACT I think we may even be able to get a CAR in there now

Nx

dreamdaisy

It's easier to do someone else's junk because you have no emotional connection to their stuff. Tell you what speedy, you do mine and I'll do yours. We will both be minimalists by the end! DD

carol101

I never throw things away. I put them on a well know auction site first and if they don't sell then i will throw them.

I once sold a washing maching where the main bearing had gone so the drum didn't turn anymore and it had been stored unprotected in my garden for about 6 months. OK i only sold it for 99p but it would have cost me £16 to get it taken away!

daylily

think I'll have to have a clutter clearance to find that £500 I put in a safe place for hubby :roll: :roll: :roll:

speedalong

HI Rainbow, before I moved to this house I used to rent and I moved every few years and so had regular clearouts ... I always moved my stuff in cars and my friend helped me sort, pack and move which was really helped. I have lived here 13 years ... so have 13 years of clutter to sort!!!

Nina - I am a hoarder BUT everything I own his useful/might come in useful or has sentimental value! It really doesn't help being a primary teacher of children with special needs - I could build a lesson around something a mere mortal would call "junk!"

Oh DD, if only!! That would be great ... so much easier to sort out someone elses clobber and then come home and mine all sorted out too!

Speedy

speedalong

Oh Carol, how enterprising. The toys and books could be sold, but there is not enough time this job needs blitzing so the best things will go to charity shops. Do advertise things as to be collected? Have considered car booting - I think S might enjoy that. Perhaps could use these two methods post the big clearout.

Do you remember the TV series Life Laundry? Well my whole house isn't quite like that but it is in parts!!

Daylily I'm wondering what I will find in all those "somewhere safe" places too .... nothing as exciting as that I suspect!!

Speedy

barbara12

Hi Speedy
We had a major clean out a few months ago, where does all the stuff come from...do we have reverse burglars :roll: I am so sure people bring there rubbish round when we are asleep :oops:
We had 1 skip and 18 bin bags :shock: honest :oops: the trouble is it is building up again
You take your time and dont over do things or else
Good luck
Barbara xx

dreamdaisy

Car booting is a good option but remember your hip! It's amazing what people will pay for things that, for you, have worn out their welcome but to them are wonderfully new. DD

angel1

Our last major clearout - too long ago now, well overdue another! - we were about to chuck a tatty looking box from the back of the garage, into the skip. At the last minute, something made me open it up. Inside, dozens of my boys Dinky cars, from the sixties, some in mint condition. Then, in another box, comics from the same era, in equally good nick. They were thrilled to have them. Probably worth a fortune now if they wanted to sell them.........Ange,x,

Rainbow77

Hi Speedy

7 years was bad enough, and for 3 of those I was poorly so could not do it. It was a bit like a trip down memory lane, but also good to get rid of the past. I know what you mean about resources for school. I cleared out 5 years of teaching geography and that includes all my books for 4 years at uni. I took them all to the book bank - actually my friend loaded up her car. I did recycle all my folders and poly pockets though. I found loads of acetates I used on my PGCE year, only 10 years ago though. Imagine rolling up to class with them now, they would think I was in the dark ages!!

So I say, go for it. Give away what you can as well, charity shops are good places.

Nina - glad you are not a hoarder!! Very environmentally friendly - he he he. I just have one cupboard in kitchen that I need to sort. When I moved back into my flat, I wanted minimalist so left a few ornaments and photo frames in there. I want get rid of photo's as they are all of my nephews and niece and i'll keep them to embarrass them when older! he he he

penfactor

Hey, SNAP Speedy!
We had our yearly skip delivered Friday & have it for two weeks. I already had bags of stuff amassed & ready so they're done but now its come to the awful project of unsentimental cupboard clearing & I hate it! I am a natural hoarder & so are my partner & son!
So much kneeling on floor in front of kitchen units needs to be done & I can't do kneeling any more since my hip!
At least I know you're doing same thing now too.
Love Pennie

speedalong

Wow Barbara that was SOME achievement!! You sound a pro at this declutter business.

DD, you are right about car boots ... will have to try clearing the clutter that way in the future.

Ange - you'll be on one of those Antiques TV shows at this rate with some valuables from the depths of the garage ...

Speedy

frogmorton

Anyone get anything exiting PUT in their skips???

Well done guys I am impressed

Love

Toni xx

speedalong

Hi Rainbow, 13 years of stuff is very daunting - it has amassed as no time to sort it out, as was always at work or looking after S and then got even worse as my hip and mobility deteriorated.

My loft is also full of all my mainstream and special school stuff - lots of toys and games too... I expect there even old banda masters up there - do you remember them?! Smelt lovely!!

I wont be able to put books and toys in the skip they will have to go to the charity shop ... Pity the skip is not all lovely and clean and sorted out properly by the skip people, it would save a lot of time. For really most of the clutter is books, toys and paper - a lot of which needs shredding and can be put out on paper collection day ...

Only one cupboard left to sort ... I'm so envious!!

Speedy

dreamdaisy

Oh the banda machine, pink, turquoise, red, dark blue and black were the colour options, or they were at my first and second schools. And yes, I do remember the smell - gorgeous! They were also wet, you had to let them dry. DD

speedalong

penfactor wrote:

Hey, SNAP Speedy!
We had our yearly skip delivered Friday & have it for two weeks. I already had bags of stuff amassed & ready so they're done but now its come to the awful project of unsentimental cupboard clearing & I hate it! I am a natural hoarder & so are my partner & son!
So much kneeling on floor in front of kitchen units needs to be done & I can't do kneeling any more since my hip!
At least I know you're doing same thing now too.
Love Pennie

Hi Pennie - you sound very organised!! I should have probably started bagging things up first ... but no where to put them. The whole kneeling/bending to sort thing is problematic for me too - I can do it of a fashion - but not for long and it makes the whole thing more arduous - short bursts are necessary.

Hi Toni, some kids got this metal trolley thingy out and it is up the road by some fenced off waste land (a result off some of the demolishing) I reckon they were using it to climb over/scale the fence. I have aquired things from skips before for school and so has a friend of mine ... another fellow-teacher-hoarder!!

Speedy