My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Housekeeping

This chronic hoarder has seen the light!

50 replies

MessyBedMessyHead · 24/04/2017 12:46

I have always been a hoarder. My parents are both hoarders so I have always grown up in cramped spaces, surrounded by STUFF and MESS. I have wanted to change for a long time but any attempts to declutter I found too hard as it would inevitably lead to painful decisions about what to throw (very little if I could help it) and trying to find a new home for the stuff I'd keep.

There are two roots to my hoarding problem; 1) I have an awful memory and so I am terrified of forgetting the important things like my DC's milestones, special occasions and things like that. My solution is to hold on to the things associated with events like holiday brochures, ticket stubs, travel tickets, etc etc. I have even saved balloons and party decorations from all my DC's birthdays. Essentially, I'm living in the past. 2) I don't like waste and convince myself that my crap will be worth something if I could just get round to selling it (but I never find the time as my life is consumed by tidying around my stuff).

And then along came a catalyst - I decided I want to get a family dog. I can only describe it as nesting Grin but I've gone into overdrive wanting to sort my house out. I always hated bringing friends round to my house when I was younger as it was so messy and now my DC are experiencing the same. I've realised that I'm forcing my family to live in my giant memory box. This feels like such a shift in thinking for me.

In just a few days, I've thrown dozens of bags of stuff and rubbish and donated redundant furniture to the charity shop. I'm going through cupboards crammed with random things, often it's just been shoved in do I can't find anything anyway. I've even started decorating which would have been impossible before given how much stuff I have. I have invested a little money into smart storage solutions, just cheap things like shelf baskets and cupboard stands but it's already making a big difference. I'm now looking at every corner where I can create better storage.

The picture is of my kitchen at the moment having just cleared a ton of stuff from the top of the shelves. The counter top pretty much looks like that all the time. I might use this thread as my inspiration and document my progress in photos. I'm feeling really proud of myself and very positive that I might kick this bad habit for good. Just thought I'd share this for anyone in the same boat who wants to change.

This chronic hoarder has seen the light!
OP posts:
1AngelicFruitCake · 24/04/2017 13:26

That's so inspiring! Yes keep a progress log on here with photos - it'll help to spur me on. My baby is asleep so you've inspired me to get going! Good luck!

ferriswheel · 24/04/2017 16:36

How exciting. I love clearing out stuff. When you are feeling weary but still want to achieve go and tidy ten things out.

C0RA · 24/04/2017 16:43

Well done!

Can I ask how you are going to deal with the sentimental items ? This is my weakness - paintings from nusery etc.

Starduke · 24/04/2017 16:46

I keep some sentimental items, others I just photograph and then throw away. I don't photograph them individually either (too many photos!) - so for art we put it all up in a corridor, so I just occasionally take a photo of that.

ferriswheel · 24/04/2017 19:13

That is a great idea. Thank you.

MessyBedMessyHead · 25/04/2017 09:34

Thanks everyone. I nearly finished the kitchen yesterday but ran out of time. I've posted a picture of my spice cupboard before and after. The shelf cost £5 from ikea. I wish I'd taken photos of all my cupboards so you can see how bad it was Shock. I threw out 6 bags of rubbish and several bulkier items like an old laundry basket that the cats were using as a scratch post.

Cora, I admit this is something I really struggle with as I'm very sentimental. I have bags and bags of their pictures (3 DC aged 6, 8 and 17). I would like to create an art wall with clip boards so the pictures can be changed (found the idea online). Otherwise, I'm keeping the best pictures in a large plastic wallet, one for each child. For 3D models, im photographing then throwing. I'm trying to be realistic and tell myself that there's no point keeping everything, it's just getting ruined stuffed into bags. I also know I'll probably never look at them anyway as my parents kept all our old school books etc and I've never wanted to look through it.

This chronic hoarder has seen the light!
This chronic hoarder has seen the light!
OP posts:
EnjoyYourVegetables · 25/04/2017 09:41

This probably sounds odd but I have recently put all my spices in a shoe box base which sits in a low cupboard. If i want them all out i pull out the box and have it on the counter for a short while. I had thought of getting a new spice rack but this works perfectly for my needs. And was free!

EnjoyYourVegetables · 25/04/2017 09:42

I clicked on this thread for inspiration as my big clear out has stalled. Thanks for the motivation OP!

AnthonyPandy · 25/04/2017 10:10

With kitchen cupboards, i separate food into how i use it. So breakfast stuff is all together, tea coffee bread jam cereal etc. Then savoury meals eg rice pasta tins spices and small tub of flour for sauces etc. Then baking and puddings so big packs of flour sugar raisins custard etc.

Please keep updating OP its really inspiring to see someone do this and im hoping it will inspire me too!

Notsandwiches · 25/04/2017 15:38

Inspirational OP. My kitchen looks just like yours - possibly worse. I too have started to purge and it's interesting how liberating it feels. Would love to see more!

ferriswheel · 25/04/2017 19:04

Yeah, I find baskets inside the cupboards help me store food in a less clutter some way. Looks ace op!

MessyBedMessyHead · 25/04/2017 19:14

I got home from work and finished off the kitchen. Well, as finished as it can be for the moment. There's a couple of cupboards that need sorting and stuff at the top of the cupboards that need rehoming to another part of the too cluttered house.

EnjoyYourVegetables, a shoe box would be a good solution. I've actually bought a spice rack for inside the tall cupboard door. I have a handyman coming Friday to fit it and some other odd jobs.

NotSandwiches, it was way way worse than my first photo. I only took it to show DP my progress but wish I'd taken a real before photo now.

AnthonyPandy, that's a good idea! Once the house is more in order then I will sort the cupboards properly as its not making the best use of space currently.

Next project - sorting the dining room which is an L shape behind me in the photo.

This chronic hoarder has seen the light!
OP posts:
vanrecovered · 25/04/2017 20:11

Good work op!

PosiePootlePerkins · 25/04/2017 20:29

Wow OP your kitchen looks like a different room! Well done, all that hard work is worth it for such a transformation SmileStarHalo

MessyBedMessyHead · 26/04/2017 00:00

Thank you both Flowers

Phase two of kitchen/diner complete. I moved into this house 3.5 years ago after separating from XH. I left with no furniture at all (left in secret) and the previous tenants left this table. I have hated it for all this time but never had the money to replace it. And it's permanently been covered in laundry and other crap. It felt really good to chuck that out Smile. I've bought a smaller one that will fit at the end of the L shape (to the left of the picture). I've even painted the corner although it's a very similar colour.

This chronic hoarder has seen the light!
OP posts:
MessyBedMessyHead · 26/04/2017 15:27

Couple more bits thrown and this is now the rubbish pile waiting to be collected by the council. There was some more stuff but the council took some black bags with the wheelie bin collection and other people have been helping themselves to stuff, mainly the metal things like an old trundle, but I watched someone come into the garden one morning and take a pair of really awful cheap lamps that had been sat out all night Confused.

This chronic hoarder has seen the light!
OP posts:
vanrecovered · 26/04/2017 16:08

I love this thread! Keep going op SmileBrew

C0RAL · 26/04/2017 16:10

Well done OP

ferriswheel · 26/04/2017 20:28

I love this thread too. Keep up the good work! Smile

Can you inspire us all with positive stories about leaving your xh too?

sausagedogrolls · 27/04/2017 08:48

Well done, op. That looks great!

FlyingSquid · 27/04/2017 08:54

Now put a bomb-proof pot plant on the newly cleared windowsill, and feel all zen about it!

highinthesky · 27/04/2017 08:59

EnjoyYourVegetables Indians have been doing this more elegantly for centuries!

This chronic hoarder has seen the light!

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

JustifiedAncientofMooMoo · 27/04/2017 09:03

My cupboard has corners. I am pragmatic in all things!

JustifiedAncientofMooMoo · 27/04/2017 09:07

Ah should explain I name changed from vegetables as I have stopped pushing veg on to my children and was listening to some old KLF!

ZilphasHatpin · 27/04/2017 09:08

GO You!

You're doing amazingly well. Keep up the good work.

I have similar hoarding tendencies and it has taken me years to reduce my massive hoard down to a few shelves and drawers in my bedroom. I'm still "getting round" to selling them. My mum says to just dump it all but there really is a fair chunk of money to be made and I can't just dump it.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.