Hoarding help

[anahata]

Hi all

In a nutshell, I started buying too much when I first got my job and had a good disposable income. Over the years that's increased. I became seriously ill so the housework was dropped down the list of priorities. I was married then, also to a hoarder.

Fast forward a few years. We've split up and are divorcing ( this is a very good thing ) so the house is being sold. He's gone to live with his girlfriend and left most of his crap here, along with my own.

It's a mixture of rubbish and some saleable bits; so I can't even just bin the lot, I need to go through.

I was doing ok with it and sorting through thinking I'd got another 2-3 weeks before I get the estate agents in. until someone up the road has just sold their small cottage and wants a bigger house on the same Street.

Long story short, they're coming to view on Friday night, the place is a mess and I'm ill and exhausted. Help!

Bag it all up and hide it in the loft?

Shovel it all into bags and boxes and hide in wardrobes, cupboards and the loft. Freecycle is good for getting hold of boxes. Opening a cupboard full of boxes is better than a random load of old shit. You can say it's your husband's stuff waiting to go....

You can then go through each box one by one and decide whether to chuck, charity or sell.

Best of luck!

How badly do you need to sell the saleable bits? Because I completely understand not wanting to chuck things that could bring in money, but the effort involved in sorting through, cleaning things that need it, arranging to sell, dealing with buyers... it's not a small undertaking. I have hoarderish tendencies with clothes and have hung onto some things for years on the basis that they're worth money so I can't just chuck them. In actual fact, having a clear and usable bedroom all that time would have been worth so much more and I genuinely wish I'd flung the lot in a skip. :(

Totally agree with sadsquid. I've been doing Marie Kondo and have thrown out loads, mostly to charity/recycling as it's made me think about how much it's worth to me just to have some clear, organised space versus the few hundred pounds I might have got if I'd got round to selling it all. If you really need to sell then think about ways of getting rid of a lot quickly like car boot sales or there are people who will ebay stuff for you, but it sounds like it might be a relief to just get rid, especially if you are unwell. BTW charity shops can sometimes collect if you have lots of bags, even if they don't advertise a collection service & you can at least feel happy that you've given the equivalent of a big donation of money to help that cause.