Stuff everywhere!

[rhgs]

We have a 3 bed semi there are only 3 of us . Since lockdown the house is a tip.. dh and I working full time in v busy jobs. Ds 7 left to his own devices but I do try and do a couple of hours schooling/ playing

How do I stop the house being so messy. Ds makes random cardboard creations that we have to keep forever and asks that I keep junk for junk modelling

DH has his work papers everywhere. We have a spare room which we could make into a study but I can't get rid of the stuff in it as the tips aren't open and I don't think we are able to sell stuff of selling sites

I work at the dining table with 2 screens and a keyboard and it makes me so miserable to see "work" there every day

Ds works next to me and needs constant cajoling / support

Dh works in the lounge / bedroom wherever he can go on his many con calls all day.

Stressing that this will be the norm now....!
Help!

Over the last week or two, our local Facebook selling pages and the tip have opened up. Most people advertising on FB stress that they will do contactless collection/delivery or at least keep 2m away. The recycling centres near us are by appointment only - booking online. We went today, and it was very safe and well organised.

Otherwise, can you move stuff from spare room into garage/shed until you can sell/donate/chuck?

Yes you could do some Facebook sales and contactless collection... I’d get all the work stuff away in a room if at all possible. I’m working from home, on a desk in my daughters room, but I do put everything away every single night as it’s not fair on her to have it all left out. I have a wicker basket box which it all fits in, the second monitor is her Mac screen so I don’t need to put that away.
Re junk stuff, have you got some of those big flexi tubs or laundry baskets you can toss stuff in, on top of the fridge or in the garage. If the creations are bulky I sometimes pin them to a big pin board on the wall, at least they don’t need surface space that way.
Ihave laundry baskets in every room, if I need to quickly ‘tidy’ because the mess is getting to me I just launch everything that should be in a different room in to those tubs, it looks instantly neat and next time I move to a different room I take the basket with me and get the bits out that should be in there.... it’s always a work in progress but I feel like I’m making small steps to restoring order!

A room at a time and once its clear keep it clear. Start with your spare room and turn it into a proper office. You will then get your table back and that room next. I can guarantee that most if the stuff in your spare room you don't need. You will need to be ruthless.

OP I really do feel your pain.

I think I've a relatively high threshold for mess, but last weekend I realised it was really really getting to me.

We moved DH's 'home office' into a bedroom upstairs, and I hired a skip. I have to admit I have put items items into the skip that I may have been able to rehome or even ebay, but I couldn't stand it any more.

I can't visit the tip as my vehicle is a van and I'm out county that's still not permitted and I had to admit to myself that given I hadn't ebayed anything after 8 weeks of reduced working due to lockdown- I was never going to do it.

The skip company do recycle what they can so that cleared my conscience a bit, and I have some bin bags of charity shop stuff waiting.

I've been brutal and I feel so much better. Could you clear a room a day, be brutal and bag things up ready for your local tip / charity shops to open?

One category at a time, and keep only what fits into the home for that category. E.g. tea towels live in the tea towels drawer. You only have as many tea towels as fit in there.

Using the spare room is the solution to your problem.

You should be able to take stuff to your local recycling centre now by appointment.

Could you temporarily put things into a garage, shed or attic?

Don't put it is the loft or garage - you will only be making space for more clutter.

Sorry to contradict pp, but as a hoarder, I know what happens. Nature abhorrs a vacuum.

I think you need to use the spare room as an office.

Photograph creations and only keep a few.