If you buy lots but hate clutter please give me your tips

[SilverSixpence]

Our house is cluttered, there's nowhere to put things and it's driving me mad. I do tend to buy a bit too much which I'm trying to cut down on, but does anyone have suggestions on minimising the mess? Do you just get rid of stuff regularly and if so how?

[Sleepwhenidie]

Ebay
Freeserve
Tip!

[Sleepwhenidie]

Freecycle durr.

[Acumens100]

www.ilovefreegle.org/

[SilverSixpence]

Thanks but any clever storage suggestions? How much stuff do you actually keep at one time. Do you all have masses of storage space?

[raspberryroop]

What they are trying to say is - JUST GET RID OF IT ;P - you can't organise clutter

[MoaningMingeWhingesAgain]

You want tips on how to pile stuff up better? So it doesn't all fall down when you need that crucial magazine from 2008 that is in the bottom of the pile behind the other pile?

You live in my house don't you? No tips from me, but marking my place.

[Sonnet]

Cupboards built in alcoaves?
Enclose open shelves in a cupboard?

Even if you were granted lots of new cupboards today in a year you would need more.
The only way is to go tthrough cupboards etc and get rid on a regular basis

[tipp2chicago]

Black sacks. Lots of.

[Mollydoggerson]

stop buying stuff.

[EdMcDunnough]

Have a good old sort out.

I have the same problem. It's all my fault - I like to buy new things (or rather, second hand, new things) to keep it interesting and sometimes it inspires me to move things around and make the house a bit better, when something 'new' does the job better than what we had before.

But then I find it hard to get shot of the old stuff. That's my issue.

I have a lot of stuff I need to ebay but it terrifies me. It's such a hassle, so complicated (often) and you get nutters bidding on your things and have to sort them out. I'll have to do it eventually though or we won't be able to move in here.

Getting rid of stuff feels great if it's the right thing, and you manage to sell them or find them a good home. Last week I chucked out about 4-5 recycling bags stuffed with old papers (bills, receipts etc) that I had been keeping unsorted for about 3 years. It was brilliant. Took me that long to work up to doing it though, as it requires a certain level of 'I've had enough' and detachment and decision making. But when you get there it's great.

[naturalbaby]

I'm desperately working my way through all the outgrown baby stuff, and pulling my hair out! Ebay is so tedious and I can't bring myself to give it away . It's all stuffed under the bed where I can't see it.

I'd love to have a total clear out, then get an interior designer to come in and do it up like a hotel/show home.

[onedev]

If its kids toys, we have the big plastic bucket type things & each kind of toy goes in a different one, ie all cars in 1, trains in another, playmobil in another etc etc that way they can play with whatever they want & then we know where to tidy it away to. Doesn't look the best but better than not having them.

For clothes, clear out each season do the wardrobe has room for that season (if you want to keep the clothes then you can buy the vacuum bags & store summer in the lift etc.

Other than that, we don't have anything else really.

I do clear out every so often too so it first become unmanageable.

[onedev]

So not do & loft not lift (iPhone autocorrect!!).

[mummakaz]

I have this problem op, I go to the bootsales every sunday and now my house is cluttered but I'm working my way through it. My local fb selling pages are good, have got rid of a few bits that way and have made about £150 so far. I have also taken a lot to the charity shops too. Just be ruthless op, it's was a great feeling when I could actually start to see some carpet in the kids room lol

[starfishmummy]

When you have sorted stuff out that is going, I think the best thing is to get rid of it as soon as possible. So send bags of it to charity shops etc rather than have it hanging round saving it to ebay/freecycle/car boot. If you have got stuff you need to sell, then get it listed before you change your mind!

[mrswee]

I am like you OP, or was, I am much better than I used to be. I have banned myself from regular charity shopping, don't go to boot sales any more and have chucked/sold quite a lot of stuff. However I have kept a lot of things and they are not all able to be on display at the one time ...

so what I did was - bought a job lot of nice patterned ikea cardboard storage boxes in differnt sizes. I put up wodden shelves high in my bedroom and in the hall, painted them white, you'd be suprised how neat and nice it looks. Organised the clutter that I wanted to keep but display in to the nice boxes and store them up on the shelves along with some displayed items. also my bed is high enough to have some of the larger matching boxes underneath so I have done that too. it means the stuff is accessable, not stuffed in the back of a cupboard to be forever forgotten!

[mrswee]

I meant but NOT display

[lostinindia]

I have a number of old 1900/30s trunks that i put clutter in. One in hall for shoes. Another in playroom. Two upstairs for sewing machine and fabric. One small one in lounge where I store my collection of antique fabric. I've recently taken car loads to the charity shop. I still feel a bit ill about that as Id planned to ebay it but never had time. But house is now clutter free and tidy.

[IWipeArses]

What sort of stuff are you wanting to organise OP?

[SilverSixpence]

Thanks so much everyone! Really like all the suggestions. We've just been to the charity shop and got rid of bin bags of clothes/bedlinen and boxes of books. Now on way back from ikea, and have bought a wire rack shelf system to organise the cupboard under stairs, some nice boxes for on top of the wardrobe and a huge underbed storage thing as well as some boxes for DS' toys. Came to over £100! But hopefully will allow me to keep sane. I like the white shelves in alcove idea too, so we might do that in bedroom.

[SilverSixpence]

Problem is, I went a bit mad with buying wool and fabric the last couple of years which has generated a lot of clutter. I have got rid of lots of wool but fabric is a bit more of a hassle to sell. Think I will start listing it on Etsy/eBay and try and reduce it. Also I have an 'Asian clothes' wardrobe of saris etc which means I have twice the normal amount of clothes and harder to get rid of as cant just eBay/charity shop them.

Also we have moved back into our old house with MIL (DH owns it) and she has insane amounts of vases, dishes, little crystal pots , files, books etc which she won't get rid of, although to be fair she has recently had a good clear out as it was worse before! Shes away at the moment so am reorganising while I have the chance

[MoaningMingeWhingesAgain]

Big vacuum bags to go under the bed to hide store all your wool. Everything else is piled up like Jenga here

[DeeLinquent]

I got some over door hanging canvas things from dunelm mill for almost every cupboard in my house. It is amazing how much they hold. I can't link on my phone but its worth a google