The Hoarders Anonymous Thread. Sorting It Out.

[Solo]

There was a thread that I was involved in some time ago which was started by someone trying to understand why her Dh kept so much 'stuff' and couldn't throw anything away.

The thread quickly turned into a support thread for many MN hoarders and there was a large support network that evolved from that thread.

Eventually, the thread died and with it, certainly my 'support and encouragement mates' circle...

From other threads where lovely Mumsnetters have supported and given rl help, there have come other hoarders, untidy people and those who are just plain stuck in a rut admitting they have a problem. People like me that have become emotionally attached to stuff and it has taken over their homes and their lives. People that cannot cope after loss of different types (parent, relationship, job etc) and it just turns into one big nightmare ~ it certainly did for me following my relationship breakdown, my Dad dying and another nine people in my life passing away inside 11 months.
Personally, I feel that being unable to let anyone in through my front door means that no one can hurt me; I've pulled up the drawbridge, so no one can get to me and shoot me again.

I've always been a bit of a collector of things. I'm a make do and mend type and I can make something out of nothing. Trouble is that once I started to lose important things (people mainly) from my life, I felt unable to let anything made of something go...what if I could never get or have another?! that'd be terrible right?

So! that is a part of my story and here is a thread of support and encouragement (I hope) for others feeling overwhelmed by their hoarding, clutter and stuff. I am hoping that I can get my life sorted out and that there are others that will come along on the journey and perhaps also sort out their homes and lives.

I want to raise my drawbridge and invite friends in. Anyone else? :)

Good stuff Babies! . I quite like it when the internet goes down because I get so much more done. Saying that though, I try not to log on during the day.

My parents kindly broke down and took away the wardrobe whilst they babysat for DD3 and put the second window blind up in hall.

Had a long day 'children wise' but still planning next house stage.

Choices are.....sort out medicine cabinet and old chest of drawers in bathroom (to be removed) but currently haven't got anything to put in there as storage replacement.

Or wash all woodwork down in hall, touch up glosswork and paste up new border paper, to replace the ripped one.

Or sort out and organise bookcases in our room.

Leaning to hall stuff.

Solo Yesterday might not have been what you planned, but it turned into a very good day!! You are motoring!! If you have any mould in the bathroom try mixing some bicarbonate of soda & bleach and putting it onto the mould.

Went through box of paperwork and did lots of shredding which has freed up room in it for me to chuck in more paperwork to go through properly later.

Did wash load. Folded the previous wash ~ now dried.
Sorted some of the living room, but not enough. More tomorrow.
Evicted very big black spider!!

All good stuff! :)

Well, not so much for the spider, it's cold outside!

No, just planning next stage. Got soft play this morning and bit of sorting in the afternoon.....might clear through bathroom. Starting with ball pot and balls ready to be cleaned in there.

Morning ladies, have been downtown so only getting stuck in now!

Need to
Clean Sitting Room
Clear out fire
Hoover
Tidy Kitchen
Washing
Hang up Washing
Clean DDs room

Hi Cike

Did you do/buy anything nice in town?

Good luck with the list!! :)

Did you find anywhere to put the coats? Do you need us to find you a funky set of coat hooks?

Have you given up sorting out behind the couch?

I'm just back too; Dd had an appointment.

I bought a hairbrush, got a new bank card and forgot the pin so couldn't buy anything else!
Might invest in a coat stand after christmas!
Stuff just keeps getting fired behind the couch, so nervous what I'll find!

Now for lunch

Clean Sitting Room DONE
Clear out fire DONE
Hoover DONE
Tidy Kitchen DONE
Washing 2nd Wash in
Hang up Washing 1st Load
Clean DDs room

cike. If you have wall space, go for hooks! Double height them, much much much better that a stand! IM opinion :)

It would go lovely if you found a home help

solo is DD OK?

Being stupid here chipping but what do you mean by double height them!

Cike I think she means one row at a high level, one row at a lower level.

Dd is ok thanks.

I got on this afternoon with getting a bag of clothing out of the loft (Dd's that were given, but too big) and went through it all to see what will fit now and what won't or is out of season. I put all the current sizes into her drawers and put the remainder into a big Ikea storage bag.

I sorted some of the big shed out and rearranged it a bit, getting two dolls pushchairs and a bike out, plus a couple of old flasks which I've thrown out. The dolls prams have gone to the Parish bazaar because no one wanted to buy them from me and I thought I'd try to part exchanged the bike for a bigger one for Dd for Christmas, so that's sitting in the dining room atm.

The bad news is that my roof seems to have developed a damp area. I can see that I'm going to have no money left at all for my new kitchen... Now to find a decent roofer that isn't a rip off merchant or a cowboy. And no, I don't trust those check-a-trade people.

Yes, that's what I meant :). Off set them too if you can.

Glad DD is ok solo :). You've been working hard today!! My friend had an issue like that with her roof, she got a local hire a hubby type bloke in, he fixed it easily and well. Hopefully it won't cost you too much...we need to to plan kitchens together! :)

Yes we do! I wanted my kitchen done by April, before Dd takes her First Communion. We could help one another!

I wish I could find someone capable to check it out for me. Someone that knows what they are doing...so many rogues these days.

Got 3 massive bags for C4C tomorrow and I forgot to say that I have now got my storage thing sorted, so will start getting boxes down there tomorrow so that I can move in my house!!! it's impossible atm!

I was going to try to get mine in this year, but I'm still having hassles with the bathroom and I just couldn't face it. It can wait until spring now.

It's an arse when you haven't got a DH/dad/friend/uncle who can just have a look and sort it.

You could always ask on MN, name change if you want to.

Great to have more for c4c!!

How far away is the storage place? What size did you end up getting?

I think mine will have to be in the spring now too. I'm waiting for Ikea to get their double Domsjo back in and that probably won't be until May time .

Yes, it is. I miss my Dad; not that he could've done anything about the roof, but he was a Jack of all trades, so I could've asked his opinion. I now ask my brother, but he's no roofer.
I could ask on Mn, but I think that that could be the same as asking on the local nm's and that got my friend some expensive cowboys a while back.

Storage is about a mile away. I've gone for the smallest at 35 sq ft. Hope it's enough!! will be off down there soon with a padlock, but I can't find my driving licence and don't have a valid passport.

Right, break over!!

Need to flash clean, have visitors coming at 2! Ahhhh

Well! I have begun!!! I have a storage thing and I have a few boxes in it and a big bag of Dd's out of season/too big clothes in it already!! I'm getting 8 weeks for the price of two! so I can have a decent run without worrying too much about the date!!

I can see carpet and detritus and the carpet smells which isn't us at all! we aren't smelly people. I guess it's where the carpet hasn't had room to breathe over the last few months. But hey! the carpet is going anyway.

I took 3 massive bags of clothes to C4C and got precisely £11 back! I mean bloody hell! eleven sodding quid!! but it's out of my way!!!

Did I do any of these ---> !!!!!

Well done Solo! I am so jealous of your energy!
DH was so impressed by the amount of housework I got done this morning due to visitors coming

Cike I see you got sorted in time for your visitors! Does this mean DH is on 'maintenance' over the weekend

Solo that cabinet looks interesting - it might solve a problem of mine, but I honestly cannot face even thinking about it. I didn't realise how much the bloody bathroom had affected me tbh. Fecking thing.

Did you find your DL?

Good start on the storage thing :) The key is stacking properly - you can get TONS in if it's boxed and stacked properly.

----------
What can you fit in 35 sq ft?

Around 96 medium boxes
A bedsitter, studio or a one bed flat
One Transit van load
----------

Quite a bit :)

C4C - my friend found the same thing and it's not very close to us, so it just gets taken to the charity shop bag by bag, saves storing it up to 'make it worth taking to C4C.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DH works Saturdays, myself and eldest 2 DDs are away for day and night on Sunday so looking forward to that, we are going with my friend, her daughter and another friend of DDs