How did you make your house 'adult' again, once your nest was empty?

[GinnyPiggie]

All our DC are now fledged and in full-time jobs (so may come back for Christmas, but not for more than a couple of nights).

I've been shocked at how much STUFF I have that is just child-related. From cupboards full of glitter and marbling paints to a whole Sylvanian collection and cabin beds! I don't want to keep it - it makes me feel a bit sad and reminds me that part of my life is over - so I'm having a massive clear out.

I've given loads away on freecycle type groups which has been absolutely lovely to see - I feel as though the toys will be loved again! (Too much Toy Story.)

But how did you/did you make your house 'adult' again after your DC had left home?

I think it just happened naturally. I got tidying and got rid of stuff we'd outgrown as a family, then repurposed those spaces.

I haven't started the clearing out process yet. I can't face it, I'm embarrassed to say. But it needs done.

I can't wait to be able to do this!

I’m heading towards that stage. Much of the younger stuff was passed on as they got older and we declutterred.
I still have a baby mat and box of baby toys for visitors.
I’ll keep that.
We’ve kept maybe a couple of boxes of decent non-rubbishy stuff such as Lego plus some favourites. And board games that we will always keep.

@GinnyPiggie do your dcs want to help with the clear out also give them chance to check if they’d like to keep any of it? I’ve got my childhood mini collection of smurfs on a windowsill gives me great pleasure every day.

I must admit, I got in there within a few days. I wanted to clear the decks and get my head around it. It's been very cathartic. I'm trying to remember all the lovely times we had and passing things on to other families really helps the heartache.

I've loved it when people arrive for freecycle things with little children in tow. It's like the cycle of life.

I think one bedroom will be a study and one a dressing room. The rooms are only small. I'll keep guest beds in there.

Ooh. I wish my parents would do this.

Write out what you like doing (hobbies, space to watch TV, where the views are best from windows etc)

Then allocate areas eg the music/painting/exercise area. Where you can put plants and mirrors to catch the light. Which corners of the house are full of junk and what else they could be.

Look through magazines for style ideas. I'm in the thick of small children land but dream of just having much, much less in the house, clear surfaces and space to actually do things without Lego pieces getting in your socks.

For guest beds, you could go for sofa bed to give yourself more usable space.

The DC did most of it over the summer. I've kept a few shelves with their special toys etc. - scattered around, in between books etc, things that make me smile that they used to love. I think I'll get some photos of them as well, as I don't tend to have many up.

I've tried sofa beds in the past and no one seems to like them. I'm going for a murphy bed and a proper single-to-double divan, which took up the smallest floor space.

Dh snores terribly. I now have my own bedroom. It's utterly blissful.

Charity shop as much as you can now - families will be looking for things to buy for Christmas, and will be very grateful 😀

@GinnyPiggie your house sounds like ours complete with cabin bed and Sylvanians (and a shed load of Lego)! And god knows what is in the far corners of the loft.

DC still at uni so not fully fledged but do need to start the great clear out. We still have some Primary school artwork up, it has sort of become like wallpaper and very clearly different colour paint work behind it, due to fading, so have left it up so don’t have to redecorate 😳

I want a craft room (for all my shit) and DH wants an office space, and still want somewhere for DC and guests to sleep when staying with us

I have to confess we have kept a couple of boxes of:
a) favourite books
b) lego

Both are universal entertainment for future grandkids, or indeed friend's kids and grandkids

I have kept some favourite books. Quite a lot actually!

Lego - no. My own parents have a box of lego that is now nearly 50 years old and it's dirty and rubbish. They keep threatening to leave it to us in their will and we keep saying it's SHITE, throw it out!!! I'd rather just buy new if anyone wants it in the future!

We inherited DH’s childhood Lego. Then bought a shitload for DC (and some for ourselves!) We could build an extension with the amount we have 😂

FIL has started doing Lego in his late retirement. Think that is our plan

I didn't so much clear out as repurpose spaces in my house.
DD's old room is now an art studio with my sewing machine, double bed for guests has my fabric stash and art materials under it.
DS's old room is the workshop for carpentry and tools, and has a model railway.
There are bookshelves everywhere.
We didn't have that much in the way of toys as we've always passed on outgrown toys locally as we went along.

@GinnyPiggie
lovely to see very special items on shelves happy memories

I have recently spent a long time emptying my house too, to the charity shops mainly.

I've kept a box of books, a big box of lego, and also have their train track in the garage too from the early years as so many happy memories of them playing with it.

I've turned one room into a craft room for me!

I got rid of or stored (very little) as we went along. DS is 16. I have next to no stuff for small children. He is the youngest in the family, and my friends' kids are older or similar age.
We are a long way of babies/grandchildren, and I'll buy new then as (if) needed. I sold gave away or binned things as he grew out of them. We still have board games, and I kept a few things that were important to me. He probably won't care.