Anybody want to join me in a mega, whole house declutter?

[LilllyLovesLife]

I am desperate to have a clean and tidy home. It's always ruined my life and I always feel very lonely, partly because I can never have anybody over without a week or so notice to clean up! I am fed up of being like this and want to make a change for good. I know that the biggest step is to declutter, as it will make it so much easier to keep tidy.

I have delcuttered lots of times before, and I then end up filling it up again! I don't want to do this again! I want this to be the last time!!

Anybody up for joining me?

I have already done my girls room (They share a small double and it was always so full that they couldn't ever have space to play in it!). It is so much easier now, I finished it about a week ago but have actually kept it tidy!

I am now moving onto my Son's room. It's a TEENY box room with just a cotbed and one chest of drawers in, no spare space and I have an extra baby to fit in their soon as we are expecting again. Baby will sleep in our room for as long as possible but no idea where the baby's clothes etc will go! So iv culled his clothes and now have 2 spare drawers, and got an under bed drawer now which I can use although not really space to pull it out!

Anyway, would anybody like to join me in my mission? We could support each other and keep each other going? I have also strarted looking into flylady and hope to use some bits from there, but not follow it fully as I like to do my own thing a bit.

How did it go?

I have last nappies boxed up ready to give to friend of a friend tomorrow.

Been busy with work so haven't been doingmuchelse. But keep spotting more areas that need work. Kids all back at school from next week so hope to get into it.

Have given away the box of nappies and bits today.
Also listed a too big coat, seat protector on freecycle & am trying to list a big tapestry but my photo won't load.
Also have a Thomas toilet seat to list if anyone might want it.
And have brought down a bag of bags from the loft to go through.

Some old bags thrown out , some put into pile to use.
Too big coat collected.

Think I might tackle my wardrobe shelf - jewellery, hair bands & random other crap!

JKS you have inspired me!

I have the house to myself this afternoon (unheard of) and I was going to potter and watch TV etc

But now I think I'll go through the books in the dining room.

Thank you! -wish me luck-

Ooh not sure I've ever inspired anyone before.

I tackled, tidied & chucked.

Have a new bag for the charity shop.
Stuff for the bin is binned.
Other stuff rehomed around the house to the right places.
All empty hangers to the kitchen ironing pile.
All wardrobes and drawers tidy.

Some higher up bits still need looking at esp the kids memory boxes.

oh well done everyone, i have been flicking through this thread and you've all inspired me so I'm going to have to join in!

My 2 bed terrace cottage is full! Especially the loft and ds room. I don't have the heart to throw away any of his baby stuff in case we have another in the future but I can't move forward with all the stuff! Any tips? We have bags of all his baby clothes in the loft - should I just keep a small selection of each age group or am I wasting money in the future if I have another boy?

I've tried clearing the loft so many times but it's still full! We don't have a shed or garage so all tools etc are up there, plus all baby stuff. I definitely don't want to part with the baby swing, moses basket etc as we want to try for another in a year or two.

On my list for this week is to clear out the wardrobes and make some space in there.

I also want to sort out some of the toys and books ds has never been very interested in and take those to charity.

I need to buy a big box I saw to put all ds art and cragt stuff into to stop it spilling all over the top of the freezer where it's currently dumped. ...

I'm aiming to get to a clutter free house with some space in the cupboards! I see other people's nice neat houses and wonder why can't mine look like that?!!

Good luck Pudsey - I think until you've stopped having babies it's very hard to make space as you keep everything 'in case'.
Once we decided 3 was (more than) enough we've got rid of so much.

Need to jet wash and tidy the patio furniture today and decide if it's all still worth keeping as some chairs were v cheap and are now old and rickety. Not sure they're all safe to sit on!
Haven't done the memory boxes yet either.

Dh away with work from tonight til Friday - I actually think I'll get more done!

I got rid of 50 (yes 50) black sacks of old toys and books last year and it's been wonderful since as instead of the books double stacked we can see what we have - fewer but able to access them.

We also stored 20 storage boxes each in the loft of my two daughters' things from their bed rooms (still a lot left in their rooms but just in the wardrobes even though they've left home). I got a company in first to put a light in the loft, boarding and a loft ladder - well worth doing.

What I have found is that when I had small children it was very very hard to clear out things as not much time. Now they are teenagers (the youngest) it's easy so everyone's time for this will come even if they find no time for it now.

I can't understand how no matter how often I clear things out to the charity shop we still have so much more.

I did my home office the other week. I got rid of about 6 black sacks again of books.

Then about a month before I cleared about 50 storage boxes of files (for confidential shredding from the garage - I work from home). It seems to be like painting the forth bridge - as soon as you finish more has built up.

I still have the other garage full of furniture etc from my parents' house from when they died supposedly for my daughters.

It is much easier now children are teenagers however. Their stuff tends to be electronic, so much easier to store than loads of baby toys and baby equipment.

Well I've started already and have cleared one wardrobe and just sent dh out to put 2 black bags of clothes and 3 carriers of books in the charity bins at the local supermarket. Will clear the other wardrobe and the blanket box out tomorrow.

I have a whole storage crate of royal doulton reflections dinner service my gran left me but can't find an online china place to buy it from me. It's not to my taste and I'd rather sell it. Any ideas? I tried chinasearch I think but they didn't want it, I guess they already had lots of it.

Yesterday I cleared all the -lego- toys out of the sitting room post easter holiday build up.

It is back !

I managed to re home some books etc and that is it.

Pudsey keep the dinner service. As you get older your tastes change and you might regret selling it [sentimetal fool] but it is a lovely set

It is true that it often seems like a never ending battle. You clear space and then before you know what's happened the space is full again

JKS you have now reminded me twice to check through my DCs memory boxes, I really should do it...

Well I'm aiming to do them tomorrow - I have the first ever 'day off'! All 3 kids are in school for their respective full days, 6 hours alone, woo-bloody-hoo!!!

Jetwashed nearly everything, missed one chair, grr. And probably could do some other bits anyway, so may get it out again tomorrow (6 hours rapidly filling up!).

DH away with work until Friday, and need a hand to get all the furniture back onto the patio from the grass so that may wait unless a friend pops round in the meantime.

Think I need to review my list, and add to it:

GONE:
ebay stuff
ink cartridges from old printer
charity shop box
more toys in 'halfway out' box
spices/sauces/pasta/etc cupboard cleared out & lots composted
toy cars mountain reduced
cot
last maternity bits
other random knackered sofa
pile of garden bits too big for bin
old keyboard
unwanted freebie coffee table
squeaky toy!
box of girls clothes for friend
baby battery swing
general toy cull for anything too babyish
kids book cull
old cardboard box
eBay; reusable nappies to photograph & list; other slings
balance bike that my kids don't like - on Freecycle
old big print - on Freecycle
junk/rubbish from my wardrobes

Still to go/sort:
box for school fair stuff - added even more to - to school soon!
baby swing seat - on Freecycle
potties/toilet seats
try and have a cuddly toy cull
bathroom cabinet
DD's shelves
my desk
drawers in living room
arts/crafts area (big area of doom!)
kids memory boxes
DH's study (nightmare, but he's away, heehee!)

Hmm will think about the dinner service but I'm not convinced I'd ever use it. I have a Denby set for best that we never use too but I want to keep the Denby as that one is to my taste
You've all reminded me to create a memory box for ds, will help store his precious things together better.
Another drawer cleared this afternoon, and a load of unworn clothes to ebay tomorrow. Be nice to make a little cash too!

Have googled - is it the blue set? I think it looks lovely - though it would prob gather dust right now in our house. we only use ikea/tesco/asda plain white stuff that can be broken and replaced as needed.
Our wedding company went bust so we never got a dinner set :(
One day - when I'm a 'proper' grown up, I'll get one from somewhere.
Though we had agreed on plain white with a silver edge, I think maybe a better choice now would be something more interesting like that blue set.

It would get dishwashed though!

inspirational thread. Have written a to-do list and decluttered the bookcase; sadly have got nowt worth selling but lots and lots of useless and worthless crap.
and 3 dc, including a 4 week old...so will be doing ''tiny bits and often'' the less crap there is, the less crap there is to keep clean.

I love spring

Yes it is blue. I think it's okay but I don't even have a dining room let alone somewhere to store or display the full dinner service! I guess that might change in the future and I might never afford a full formal dinner service like it in the future. Although not sure about ever affording a house with a dining room either at this stage!!
I will put it to one side and clear the rest of the loft first.

ok. in between baby feeds I have done under the stairs. and removed a massive spider complete with egg sac EEEWWWWWWWWW. have ordered fancy coat hooks off amazon for £3 to put on wall to hang school bags/caps to clear off the floor.

have also mucked out the craft box of doom which was out of control but is now almost empty. result.

Mmm, days off with no work or children !

pudsey good idea to put the dinner service to one side. I also wish I had a proper grown up set JKS

I wonder at what age does one become a 'proper' grown up?

I have sorted out a large box for charity, a bag of rubbish and some recycling this morning

I haven't done as much as I'd like, but it all helps.

Chaff congrats on the baby I'm amazed that you are even able to think about decluttering at the moment!

it's because of him
and his one million baby things everywhere leaving no room for the reams of tripe that usually hang around

Agree

1 small bundle of loveliness = 1 million things that you never knew you needed

How does that happen?

I don't know re proper grown up ness,I'm 40 next year maybe illsuddenly wake up more mature??

Have sorted 2 out of 3 memory boxes. Ds1's is done but thought he might like a look before I put it away.

Also done tonnes of laundry not that that helps with decluttering much.

And friend dropped round bag of clothes for dd. Thanks & sigh!

Boxes of crap to ds2's sch tomorrow though yey. Then I can try and tackle the studywhiledh is away.

I have a real problem pressing space for some reason!

The dinner service may be in the loft for many years before I feel like a proper grown up! Mid thirties but in my mind I'm still an irresponsible teenager.

Can't believe those that are doing clear outs with little babies- its taken me 2.5 yrs after birth of mine to get the time to do it!

Eww at the big spider too!

Cleared out a wardrobe and a blanket box today. More to go to charity. Given ds room a good hoover afterwards. Feels good to have a room done!

Well done Pudsey.
I can't really say that I've 'done' any room yet.
My youngest is. 3. ( 3? How did that happen ?!) so hats off to anyone with younger ones trying to declutter.

I finished and put away the jet washing stuff.
Put a few other bits in the shed.
Lots to leave the house tomorrow but then at work all day so nothing else to report.

Loads of boxes gone to school today.
Charity bag in the car.

Ds1'smemory box tidied and put away.

good work!

small bag gone to charity today, all the unused tripe from the craft box, an old book and toddler hat/scarf extras

even though ds3 so young, the thought of ''saving'' everything of ds2's for the next x years is unrealistic, so only keeping the good stuff - ie football kits, good coats, spotless clothes, and binning off the cheap stuff.

like the thought downthread of letting stuff go...when you have had your money's worth - just let it go..love that concept

Holby on now