My house is horrible

[fiveacres]

My actual home (from the outside) is lovely.

Inside - it's horrible.

There's just a plethora of STUFF, which never seems to end or cease, no matter how much I throw away, sort, organise - I seem to end up with piles of things that have no discernible home.

The carpets are grubby, the furniture we have is old and tired - I can't afford to replace it just at the moment. Sagging sofa, which is dirty to be honest although I've cleaned it as best I can and put a throw over it.

The bedrooms are horrible. I have two black cats who moult extensively and everything seems permanently covered in black fur. I hate it; drives me mad. The beds themselves are also old and sag. Everything is old and sags! including me!

The bathrooms just again - STUFF.

I just need some basic tips to help me organise and sort and keep on top of things. I always used to be so clean and tidy but lately I am not and I have friends who also don't have much mo eh but have clean, pretty, tidy houses.

Help

Please get a large black bag and start putting things inside it that you no longer need or want.

Don't think about it or make a plan just go ahead and fill that bag.

Once it's full, fill another. Do twenty minutes tonight.

The cats, Do you have to keep them?

Check gumtree for things that are free. Sofas are regularly on gumtree for zilch.

I've tried, with the bag - honestly, I seem to be able to get rid of stuff, but it just keeps coming back

Honestly, seriously - I just think it always looks messy, untidy, scruffy.

Cats - yes, although I am frequently tempted to shave them!

They get in as I or DS leave the doors open and in any case, they scratch when denied access.

Ok so what's the stuff coming in? Is it stuff that needs to be kept but you never get round to finding it a home/putting it away or is it junk that should never make it over the threshold?

If you are throwing stuff away with no discernible difference, then you must either have a very large amount of stuff or keep bringing more back in.

Sounds like you need to be more ruthless and throw more stuff out. Could you explain what's in the piles of stuff?

Gumtree ebay for sofa?

Hmm, at the moment, glancing around my lounge there is:

A half drunk bottle of volvic apple juice (mine.)
A pack of juice plus - also mine (I know, I know.)
Pregnancy vitamin tablets (mine.)
A jar of pens
An aquarium with no fish in it (no one is taking responsibility for this!)
A book (DS)
A pile of washing (everybody's)
Pyjamas (DDs.)
A bottle of furniture polish
Unopened letters
Several cushions.
A cat.
A dustpan and brush
A Hoover (ha!)
A black bin bag...
A cloth

Unfortunately I am very pregnant and I don't think I could manage a sofa - I am just too LARGE!

Op at a guess I'd say your nesting

Can you channel some pg lady fury at everyone so they clean it up?.

Try a furminator or a zoom groom on the cats? gentle but effective.

Ok I would relax tonight then start tomorrow. I wouldnt keep the cats in the house. Get some rubble bags and black bags. in the rubble bags stuff anything for charity and black for bin. This week try and fill a bag everyday. When you are in the shower and drying off bring a few things to bin. Same for dinner. Getvrid of spare things - how many bowls etc do you need ... dump dump. I have gutted everything I dont use. Can you afford some new rugs and sofa cushions.

I would just put the stuff away. The drinks in the fridge, polish in cleaning cupboard, dirty laundry in basket. Years ago mine would start to get the way yours is now, the best thing to do is clean or tidy up as you go. If you bring something out, put it away where it belongs as soon as you are finished with it, dont just let it sit until a pile builds up. And get others to do the same.

Oh, and the cats, I have 3 black ones, one casts the others dont. Just hoover often, I do sometimes twice daily for a few minutes. That keeps on top of it.

Sorry but by the sounds of it you have to simply put stuff away!

A half drunk bottle of volvic apple juice (mine.) - okay if drinking, but okay if it's been there all day, bin it!
A pack of juice plus blush - also mine (I know, I know.) - as above!
Pregnancy vitamin tablets (mine.) -keep them in a drawer or cupboard, they don't need to be on display in the living room.
A jar of pens - why? If dc are colouring fine, if not, find a home for them.
An aquarium with no fish in it (no one is taking responsibility for this!) - take responsibility for it and bin it, or get some new fish?
A book (DS) - okay if dc is reading, else away in dc bedroom.
A pile of washing (everybody's) - washing does not belong in a living room, get it in piles and make the owner of said clothes put away nicely.
Pyjamas (DDs.) - why, under pillow if to be worn again.
A bottle of furniture polish - put cleaning products away after you've used them.
Unopened letters - open, action, bin.
Several cushions.
A cat.
A dustpan and brush - see furniture Polish above.
A Hoover (ha!) - again see furniture polish above.
A black bin bag... Why just why, take it out.
A cloth - see furniture Polish above.

you just need to put stuff away after you're done with it, get into the habit of doing that and you'll have an easier house to clean.

I would only allow the cats in one room. That's sounds awful.

It just seems you need to tidy up and bin anything you don't want.

I hate piles, if more than 2or3 things keep clustering together I get rid of them. Tackle them when they start

Switch on Hoover. You will move two things that way- the Hoover and the cat!

My house is very similar, just stuff everywhere. One big difference I've made was buying cheap fabric laundry bags - think they were from the £1 shop - one each for me and DH, and one each for the kids (4 and 1 year old) and anything gets thrown into these that is left out, plus clean washing. Means that if I don't have time to properly tidy I can at least make the lounge look presentable, then I can sort the contents of the bag when I have time, or get the owner of the bag to do it when home from school / work!

I think it all feels worse when there are things you can't do anything about - like your sofa. We bought our house as a project - it needs a lot of work, so even if it's clean and tidy it puts you off. I can declutter and vacuum and polish all day but in the end, there is still one wall that's bare plaster, the carpet is threadbare and the windows need replacing.

Can you make a plan to completely do up each room? One thing at a time. As PP poster said, gumtree or FB selling for a sofa, or save up!

Re the cats: is it normal to moult this much? I have 2 dogs and they go throuh phases (when weather changes) of moulting but not that much! Do they need more grooming? Diet makes mine lose hair more - why not pop over to the Litter Tray section on MN and see if anybody can advise?

Firstly if you're heavily pg give yourself a break!

Secondly - Google Marie Kondo for long term changes to your attitude to stuff. She'll help you get rid and stop bringing more in.

Then make a realistic plan about furniture. Freecycle and other suggestions are good but you also need to think about collection - do you know friends with big cars/vans? Or ask the freecycler sometimes they will deliver.
And find out your council rules on getting rid of old stuff.

Cup of tea and Google are my starting tips though!

And I have two cats who moult. One more than the other. I have a Furminator brush that helps. When I remember to do it.

I agree with suggestion about Marie Kondo. I loosely follow fly lady too, to help me keep on top of things generally. I got behind in last two weeks as toddler was ill and poorly so getting stuck in today to get back on track. It's so daunting, isn't it?
But I know one room at a time for 15 mins makes a big difference. It really helps you prioritise the stuff that needs done.
Do you have a budget plan in place for eventually replacing things?

When are you due?

How old are DD and DS?
You need to be training them now to help you and to instill good habits, especially if there's going to be another mess-maker arriving shortly.
Everything needs a place, and Always put stuff back in its place. That way things can always be found. Anything without a place should be jettisoned.
I think keeping cats to fewer rooms might help- it's so demoralizing chasing them round with the vacuum all week.
Baby steps!