To ask for your top decluttering strategies

My cat decided to make that test very, very real for us last week.

The 2 kids have been allowed to stay.

Rookie error...

(Darn, that was meant to quote the 'what if it was pooped on' post)

I got rid of half of everything we owned when we moved into our current house 7 years ago, and keep going - I've always got a bag ready for charity, or a load ready for the tip. I try not to buy too much, and operate a one-in-one-out policy, but it's scary how it builds up.

The biggest switch for me was realising that if we spent £50 on something 5 years ago, it doesn't help us get any value from it by keeping it shoved in a cupboard. The money was spent a long time ago, so get rid.

I never worry about needing something that we get rid of either. Every few years I'll realise I binned something that I now need, but so what - it costs £30 to buy it again.

Another important mental switch to make is "things aren't memories". I have some key items that I've had forever and will never part with, but they are really special. But for everything else, getting rid of this random item that mum bought me, which isn't really to my taste, doesn't make love her any less.

To be fair, the OP has asked for decluttering tips and strategies.

She did not ask us how to change a hoarder.

I take the toy story approach. Would my toys, clothes, kitchen items really want to be sat all alone unplayed with/not worn/never used? I feel sad for them. So I try and give them to people (via the power of Facebook marketplace) who will use them again.

No need for them to come in the house, you can leave it outside.

Ive done this loads on fb local community pages, take a couple of photos saying its outside, no reserving, on street name. You dont even have to give your door number. If people want it, they'll come and get it quickly.

If you are going to sell stuff then make sure its all good stuff that you would actually buy, not junk. We've decluttered bits and made around £600 selling old phones, sunglasses, old gaming consules, dvds over the past few months on Ebay.

Vinted is ok but previous posts are right in saying if it hasn't sold in 2 weeks then just donate it.

I can’t bear clutter. My husband is a level 1 hoarder. I care about the house and not the garage or his office - these are his domains and he can do/keep whatever he likes in those areas.

Concentrate on the house go through room by room/cupboard by cupboard and clear it all out. We did this before moving a few years ago and turns out my DH loves living in a tidy clutter free home and has joined the program …hallelujah …. in the house at least. I also do what a previous poster suggested and dump his stuff in the garage for him if it’s left lying around.

Tip / charity / keep were our piles. Don’t make getting rid of everything too difficult for yourselves or you won’t do it. There are charities that will collect good quality items.

Yes. I live alone so accountable to me only.

We were drowning in paperwork, so I set up a separate gmail account & scanned everything into the google drive. Then sent it all off to be shredded. Switched all household bills to this email now. Have also started saving various manuals for appliances in there too and put the originals in recycling.

Last year I joined 2 free cycle groups on Facebook & I’m slowly giving away unneeded furniture, clothes, kids games, books, DVDs multiple reusable cups, appliances, curtains, lamps (you name it people will be delighted to take it off your hands. No need for a big skip). It’s a great way to get rid of stuff that charity shops don’t take. It also means you can do it over time rather than trying to sort it out over one weekend. I’ve seen people give away building materials, paint, wallpaper etc as well on these groups.

Clothes & toys may also be welcome at your local women’s refuge, as well as furniture when they are moved into permanent accommodation.

Good luck with it all. It’s a daunting task, but so worth it when you start to see results.

I think for me the best solution would be to take off and nuke the entire site from orbit.

These threads are always the same @johnd2 .
I have a hoarding problem.
I could presumably pay someone to clear it all away, but it would fill back again.

With regards to replacement costs, if it costs under a certain amount, I toss. I probably won't need to replace it, if I do, It won't cost me what storing it for years would.

Storage is expensive. If he has a clutter hoard, work out the area in square meters his hoard takes up and the cost of storing it. That is area you don't have for living space if it's in your home. What percentage of your mortgage is paying for storing clutter? Put that up against the cost of possibly replacing an item and you'll see replacement is actually the cheaper option.

Lots of posters missing the point completely. Resolving hoarding is not a practical problem is an emotional and possibly even mental health problem.
Good luck changing your partner's whole personality, the OP was right to say any drastic action would end their relationship.
However, something does need doing to compromise, as there are two people in the relationship.
If agreement rather than practicalities are the issue then I'd suggest agreeing some ground rules first and p acing yourselves, I like the 20% rule mentioned although even that might be ambitious for some!
Good luck OP!

I'm doing a serious declutter at present.I've gone down a bit of a rabbit hole recently because the good weather has encouraged me to wash lots of clothes.The disadvantage is the sheer volume of washing but the sorting process has been useful.
I have a bag for the clothes bank, a bag for the classier charity shop, a bag for the more run of the mill charity shop and a bag for the book shelf in my local store.At present I'm removing these bags at least every 2 days so I'm seeing large amounts of clutter leave the house.
Toiletry clutter is also a problem so I'm having to focus on disposal of older items and using up in date items.
A great lesson has been learnt when I've really dithered over giving away an item of clothing only to see that even the charity shop can't dispose of it.

It’s amazingly satisfying! 😄

I put loads of things on Freecycle or Olio - it amazes me when I look back through my listings occasionally. I never remember any of it! Shows I never needed it in the first place, I guess.

Just done some huge culls to charity shops and emptied and got rid of 2 sets of storage drawers and it was soooo satisfying.
I also got rid of 2 bin bags filled with my toddlers toys and she has not remembered or asked for a single one of the toys since

I regularly declutter some items to sell on Vinted or marketplace but depending on time some things go straight to charity

to this day I’ve yet to even remember what I’ve got rid of

a clear wardrobe and cupboard etc where you can see the wood for the trees outweighs ‘maybe’ needing a spare salad spinner

I think that’s partly why I’m so ruthless now.

When my grandparents died it was left to me to clear the house. I can’t even begin to describe the volume of stuff they’d accumulated; the place was absolutely rammed, no floor space whatsoever and nothing was worth keeping. Bedrooms full of books and magazines, loft full of old electrical items, sheds full of rusty tools… it was a mammoth task, just never-ending.

And none of this stuff had ever been used… it all sat there forgotten for years, gathering dust, none of it helpful or useful. Just waiting for the day it all went in the skip. What a waste. I’d hate to have my children have that task when I go. The only thing I’ll have in my loft now is the Christmas tree.

Dana K White (she has books, lots of you tube)

container concept is a good one to start with

I sympathise. My husband is a bit like this, and he’s in denial about it. I often think, if he dies before me, I’ll have to deal with all the crap that he’s accumulated (including a couple of broken kettles, funnily enough).