Need a massive declutter, got free day, can anyone give encouragement?

[hippohead]

We have far too much clutter in a small house without much storage. Its impossible to put anything away due to our mountains of 'stuff'.

I am a horder. I hate throwing stuff away. Its all kept "just in case"- toys (just in case DS can make use of them), old clothes (just in case they fit / become fashionable again), magazines (in case I get time to sit and read them), samples (just in case I need a minature body scrub)....... The list goes on.

This habit is made worse by the fact that money is tight. So I feel like I am being thrifty but its taking over our home.

I have a very rare free day and know I need to get started, but could do with a kick up the arse and someone to tell me its not wasteful to do this......

I'm just the same as you-junk useful stuff everywhere! I sorted a cupboard in my wash kitchen at the weekend which was piled to the ceiling with stuff. A bit of honesty with myself and ruthlessness and a cheep pine shelving unit from Argos, and it's now my mini-pantry! (I hoard food, too, like a war baby, even though I was born 30 years after it ended! .
I also have a lovely, (neat) pile of things to photograph & put on Ebay, and space for my sewing machine and projects!
I keep going downstairs just to gaze at it...
Only trouble is, we went to the tip to get rid of the stuff we'd cleared, and found a man tipping a sweet little rosewood chest of drawers. I begged it off him, then discovered one leg had fallen off, so now it's cluttering up the tidy wash kitchen waiting for DH to fix it!
So, pick one space (and don't just claer all the junk out into another space!), and get going! BY the end of the day, you'll have room for that new tip find!...

Clothes - get rid of anything you haven't worn in a year.

Magazines - get rid of them all and stop buying them (I'm weaning myself off mags at the moment - i can get most info I need from the Internet)

Toiletries - get rid of anything you haven't used for a couple of months

Kitchen - clear out tins of food/dry stores that you never use

Books - get rid of books you won't read again (as with the mags I'm getting rid of books where i can get the info from the Internet I.e. Cookery books, reference books)

I find toys a bit harder to get rid of because as soon as I get them out for a clear out DD starts playing with them - even the baby ones!

That should keep you busy for the day!

eBay or give to charity anything in good condition, bin the rest.

Have fun - decluttering will make you feel great!

Plumm-you've inspired me onto delve deeper into my cupboards and wardrobes! I'm off to look under the stairs....
(spiders in hair, mad look in eye emoticon)

CHUCK IT ALL OUT!!!

did that help

I love a clear out and I love the feeling of tidy and uncluttered afterwards. But it can seem like a mammoth task.

Toys can go to your local nursery or after-school

Clothes can go in the big recycler

Books - big recycler

Try saying to yourself "I'll just do THIS cupboard", get a bin liner, wet cloth/wipes and start flinging.

Ebay or freecycle stuff for extra feelgood factor

Then have a megarun to the local tip and treat yourself on the way back!

Thanks everyone am feeling a bit more inspired by your posts- still sexy your washing room sounds like paradise!

Triple- yes that helped. It may need to be today's motto!

Thanks for the tips Plum- ironically I am drawn to magazines that offer to 'fix your life'. But the best thing I could do with them is chuck them!!

Gay- hoping for that good feeling you describe once this is done.

Ebaying stuff is a great idea- but I've a feeling it may lead to more piles of stuff waiting to be photographed etc..

A useful piece of advice I've been given is that if you have something broken/ for Ebay and you haven't fixed or got rid of it within 6 months give it away to a charity shop/ tip.

I haven't managed to follow that piece of advice mind you, but it might come in handy.

My advice is to only tackle one area at once, by which I mean one cupboard, one drawer, one pile of stuff. Don't make the mistake of hauling everything out only to find that 3 hours later you are in a dreadful mess and so just shove it all back again.

Also - think about where you will put the things you want to keep. Can you get hold of some storage easily and cheaply just to help you get started?

I did this 2 weekends ago. Spent the WHOLE weekend gutting my house of crap. Only did downstairs and got 9.....yes 9 black bags of rubbish and stuff we didnt need. Its amazing how good you feel after you have done it. Good luck.

I need to do this but am putting it off....

1 room at a time, properly, or it doesnt work, you have to be strict with ebay, get it done (as I do) or get rid

if it helps inspire you i have just (today) made about £200 on ebay on old baby clothes, after they had free listing day, i sold a baby k outfit that dd had never worn (gift) for £20 and a oair of dungarees and a top for £6

i reguarily do this (we have 7 living in a 4 bedroomed house) but even i threw 2 black bags out of my upstairs last week

it is much easier to keep things tidy, and after a brutal sort out of toys, i find DS plays much better with the ones left, because he can actually find them!

Thanks again for the great tips. I have done my wardrobe, shoes, toiletries and magazines. I have four bin bags, a big charity bag and a big ebay bag. Its a good start but I think I could have been more ruthless.

The dining/play room is now my white elephant- there are toys everywhere and loads of clutter. Hard to know where to dive in.

I have just noticed what a fantastic day it is so am struggling to fight the urge to chill out in the sun- though I would probably feel guilty!

Thanks again all!!

On Monday I got 4 black bags full of crap just from my walk in wardrobe area! (it's currently being used as a store room)

What made it easier was the fact that I did a de-cluttering day about 2 months ago so this time anything that I hadn't used/worn since the last de-clutter got chucked!

All my pre pregnancy clothes went to charity (bar one very expensive suit that I'm hoping to fit into after baby diet)

All books that Didn't go in a set (I collect books from the same author if I like them so the random single one's went)

All my ds's baby stuff went as I've been given loads for new baby and there was no-way he would get round to wearing it all.

I even got dp to chuck ou a whole load of winter jumpers and jackets that he ain't worn in god knows how long on the condition that he could go and buy himself one decent winter jumper and one decent winter coat.

A whole box of toiletries I got for Xmas and totally forgot about went to.

Dp went through his mass array of tools and got rid of the one's he was unlikely to use again and just kept the usually one's like drill and screw drivers etc.

It was wonderful looking around the room at the end of the evening!

I find that a large glass of wine and some thumping music helps with the declutter!

dd aged 17 did her first solo declutter this week - I am SOOOOOOOOOOO proud!!! 2 huge binliners of unworn old clothes thrown out plus a further binliner of ancient makeup, two year old unfinished homework, used makeup wipes etc etc

Then she went straight to topshop and refilled her wardrobe

um, hippohead... are you ME?!? :o

I am doing some decluttering with my mum's help this weekend (by which time I will have finished my overdue assignment) - my parents are worse hoarders than me, but it's easier when it's not your mess isn't it!

last weekend she sorted out all DD's books (she's a librarian) so I can prune her vast collection, we will also be doing clothes.

thing is, all the stuff I'm getting rid of is still hanging around as I need to get my arse in gear and arrange to go to a boot fair!

hippo

re the toys, I felt terrible getting rid of the toys, but I promise you, now they are scaled down, DS (2.6) plays so much more nicely with the ones he has left, a lesson in less is more for me!

There must have been something going on, as I went upstairs and cleared out the whole of DD's room....5 binbags of shite later and she can see the floor and find her favourite toys.

Ah feelgood factor, just got to keep it going till the weekend

I could have written you post word for word....my declutter and decorating house starts tomorrow!

How did it go, hippo?

It went well, though I think I could have been a bit more ruthless. I ran out of steam at the end but intend to stick at it, bit by bit when I have a spare moment.

I think our small house (lovely but storage challenged cottage) doesn't help the situation!!

Thanks for your support everyone.

Stick at it gay and good luck for your upcoming clear outs algebra and onadietcokebreak- remember if in double chuck it out!!

ahem doubt not double!

I can't wait to do the kitchen. All those bloody useless implements that we haven't used since before DD was born. Do I really need all those mixing and serving bowls?????? They are all going in a big box to a local project that helps disadavantaged people setting up in their new home when they haven't got much to start off with. Likewise bedding, and I take old towels to the animal shelter.

I find it helps me get rid of a thing if I know someone else is going to make use of it.

Yeah Hippo, we have a tiny house and really we should declutter more regularly because it just builds up into one of those houses you see on the TV where the person has gone a bit crazy and can't throw anything out at all, not even rubbish.

Onwards and upwards, folks.