Decluttering and storage NOT kondo

[Baconyum]

I'm planning on decluttering at Easter. I'm not a natural hoarder but got stuck due to an injury and not being able to get rid of things the way I usually do.

I've had a look at articles and the thread on kondo and it's not for me.

I have ocd and prefer to do room by room in a structured logical way. Actually I think the issue is less I need to know what to get rid of than how/where to get rid. It's not rubbish it's all perfectly good items, mainly dd's outgrown clothes.

I also need help with storage solutions as I'm not great on imagination, and struggle with spatial awareness/what works long term. So get distracted by pretty solutions which don't actually work.

[lljkk]

I don't think you can figure out storage until you get rid of all the stuff you don't need to store (iyswim).

Why not take everything you don't need/don't like/haven't used in yrs & wouldn't be very expensive to replace if you need it after all/ to the charity shop?

[Grumpyoldblonde]

Charity shops for the good stuff, British heart Foundation will collect furniture if you have it and it is up to safety standards. I agree with the pp, you need to clear stuff before you think about storage.

[StitchesInTime]

We gave anything in good condition to local charity shops.

[Baconyum]

Local charity shops difficult for me to get to, especially with loads of stuff, town has a weird layout.

I'm going to offer to a few people I know who collect the items I'm getting rid of for various good causes, women's aid, local homeless who've just been rehoused and refugees. They are happy to collect.

I know I need to declutter first I'm just organising my thoughts and was wanting some ideas as it may be a case of storing as I go along because my place is so small.

I'm the opposite of a hoarder. I tend to get rid of stuff then realise I shouldn't have! Too ruthless! And I am on benefits (disabled) and so can't risk having to replace stuff.

[Baconyum]

Sorry meant to say I'm worried I'll get frustrated and end up getting rid of stuff I shouldn't

[lljkk]

Do you live on your own? Joint decisions about what to get rid of might be better?

[Baconyum]

It's just me and dd and dd would keep EVERYTHING out of sheer sentiment! I'm not looking forward to sorting her stuff. She'll see the logic of getting rid of outgrown clothes, it's the other stuff she'll debate me on.

[Cressandra]

The "toothbrush principle" lady says:

• store things where you would naturally use them - you never lose your toothbrush because it's so easy to put back in its right place
  
• the least accessible storage areas (loft etc) should be used for the rarest used items, the most accessible for the most frequently used items.
  
• start by organising/clearing your least accessible storage, and work through to your most accessible. As you go you are clearing space that can then be filled with stuff moved "backwards" from the next wave.

[MaybeDoctor]

I have found ebay quite good. Almost anything will sell. You just need to go to the post office once a week.

[coffeeisnectar]

Plastic boxes with clip on lids are brilliant for storage. If your dd has a bed with space underneath then buy some to store things she's not quite ready to part with and slide under there out of the way.

What sort of things are you worried about parting with? We had a massive clear out when we moved and found doing one set of drawers or cupboard at a time worked well.

[Baconyum]

My weight fluctuates and I'm heavier at the moment, so I suspect I'd be inclined to get rid of my smaller clothes, but then I always lose weight in the summer and would end up replacing. Also I can be ugh I've not used that in ages... About jewellery and accessories and again end up replacing them.

Dd already has storage under her bed but it's not enough.

We're going to change how her wardrobe is set up, she has HMS and co-ordination difficulties and so hangers are just too difficult for her to use so I'm thinking to get those canvas hanging shelves instead for her to use. The shoe rack she's currently using isn't great either. Any alternative ideas welcome. Her coat rack is also problematic as its too high but rented flat so needs to be over door style. She's also starting to build up quite a stock of male up, beauty and hair products being a teen but is resistant to my ideas for organising.

My room I need to declutter the wardrobe, figure out where to put my accessories and jewellery, the living room is an admin black hole! I worry about throwing out 'official' papers in case I need them. Especially with regard to benefits and dealings with CSA (ex has been messing them/us about), and medical letters. I never know how long to keep things! Also hobbies and crafting, I'm loathe to throw this stuff out as its expensive to replace but I find it awkward to store (I covet a proper table height pretty craft box with storage specifically designed for my crafts but can't afford).

Who's the toothbrush principle lady? Sounds logical which appeals.

Thanks all for replies so far.

[Baconyum]

EBay won't accept my bank card/account no idea why!

[chumbler]

I found kondo very structured in that it's clearly item by item (which is basically room by room too as we usually store like with like) just sayin'...

Good luck!

[lljkk]

Do you really not have anything you haven't used in 3+ yrs?
Are you sure you need to declutter at all?
List the stuff you have that you haven't used in 3+ yrs & explain why it's sentimental, if you want extra encouragement.

[LetThereBeCupcakes]

OP you sound very much like me in the way you like to declutter.

Do you like spreadsheets? I love a spreadsheet. I sat down and created and Excel workbook for decluttered, one tab for each room and extras for the car, shed etc. Then on each row I put an area in the room, for example "bookcase" or "wardrobe". Then I listed everything I wanted to do in that area, including little jobs. So The entry for DS' wardrobe is something like " box up outgrown clothes, sort bedding drawer, declutter top shelf, replace doorknobs."

I'm slowly working through the spreadsheets. I change the font colour of each task as I do it and eventually, when I've done a whole room, I change the entries to jobs to maintain what I've done.

Can you tell I'm a project manager?

[Cressandra]

Toothbrush lady

I'm not 100% on the book, it's ok but not life changing for me. There's a lot about paperwork/admin too in there.

The most appealing paperwork system I've read about while procrastinating is having an expanding sectioned file per year, labelled Jan - Dec. Bung everything in there. If you need to find documents, you can find them fairly easily. After year end, go through, chucking out anything no longer needed and saving the remainder in a 20xx box file for 7 years. Chuck. Done. I think I'd need a separate sectioned file for school paperwork, plus something for perennial documents. I haven't tried it yet though.

[Baconyum]

Love a spreadsheet!

No I don't have anything older than around a year as I usually do a clear out twice a year, before Christmas and before summer holidays. I couldn't do my last one and now feel overwhelmed.

[lljkk]

You're not anorexic about 'stuff' are you? I'm a recovered anorexic about money. Maybe you need to learn to "live with some stuff."

[Baconyum]

Perhaps a little due to the ocd. But it is also a v small flat. Dd doesn't have ocd and even she's saying we need a clear out.

[BeyondTellsEveryoneRealFacts]

Come over to the hoarding thread? :)
Finding it was like finding "my people"

[BeyondTellsEveryoneRealFacts]

When i did paperwork, i shredded tonnes. Anything i thought i might need, i scanned, and anything i could need paper copies of (eg dwp stuff) i keep in one folder. It is so much easier to keep on top of now though i may struggle if my pc dies...!!

[specialsubject]

which raises a good point - buy a backup drive! Something that connects via USB. use it. Use it regularly.

do not store anything identifying on any cloud.

[lorelei9]

OP, you sound like me

I live in a small flat too

I've also had many experiences of chucking things out and then wishing I hadn't as I tend to get rid of too much in a desperate attempt to reclaim space!

the first thing I will say is, if you normally lose weight in summer, don't chuck out the smaller clothes. (I am guessing you are not filthy rich?)

I agree about keeping paperwork - you could scan things in or take photos on iphone etc and make sure they are backed up but I like being able to put my hands on paperwork - just today I had a "did I open a new ISA this year or do a transfer" moment! Much easier to look at paperwork than scanned documents, in my opinion.

I have box files, which don't have a big foot print, so to speak, and hold a lot. They are not pretty but they don't need to be. You can get pretty ones from Amazon, Wilko, WHSmith if you feel the need.

oh and I have a lovely file box that someone gave me from Karenza but I think that's quite pricey for one box? Nice to have as a gift though!
www.karenzaandco.com/magnetic-closure-a4-floral-storage-box/

If you have anywhere that can fit extra storage, under bed or on top of wardrobe (e.g. in a big box) use that, because it might mean you can keep stuff you would otherwise get rid of. Again, not pretty stuff but the plastic things with wheels that store things under the bed are handy. Re boxes I have a couple of local shops who sell big storage boxes in neutral colours but if you don't, try Argos or something.

Re cleaning, it's easy to have 100 cleaning items I find, so I have decluttered and pretty much use water/washing up liquid diluted to various things - obviously I have loo bleach still.

I'd start with wherever you think you will free up most space. Don't attempt to do more than that room in a day I'd say.

I also have a massive picnic hamper type thing - admittedly it was given to me - but great for kitchen storage - I have an open plan kitchen/lounge space and both are tiny, so these are good options for hiding away kitchen towel, loo roll, drink cans.

I also put colours together in wardrobe, so if you have 100 black tshirts and you can spare 50, you know you can get rid of them. You could do the same with DD clothes - also prevents that moment of seeing something on sale and thinking "should I buy that?" - it's easier to remember what you have if it is in colour blocks.