Please will you kindly support and advise me, as I try to help a friend sort out his home? THREAD 2

[EatingTheElephantInChunks]

THREAD 2

All constructive posts very welcome, whether you are an old familiar, usually a lurker or completely new to the thread. It would probably be helpful if new posters read my OP and my posts on the first thread before posting - many thanks.

No posts on Thread 2 please until the first thread is completely full - thank you.

Maybe, but in this thread such a gap isn't uncommon.
As you'd know, if you had read the previous thread and this one.
Hence my comment that in this case, it might not be due to the site "upgrade"

Hello everyone

Well, I couldn't not come back with all this going on, could I?!

Just to clarify for everyone, no, this isn't a Zombie thread, no, this isn't in Active nor near the top in the Housekeeping topic because of the current Mumsnet changeover tech shenanigans, yes, long periods of radio silence have occurred before and are perfectly normal, and yes, I'm still here, still alive. It actually climbed back up the lists because some posters had kindly posted with good wishes, for an update and to let a new poster know that, on past form, I would probably be back.

And here I am. As most of you have correctly guessed, life has very much got in the way and beyond my control, but I always intend to return whenever I can. I want to say a huge thank you to those many posters who have kept me in their thoughts or with their very kind messages on here - thank you so much for keeping the faith. I really do appreciate it, as always. It's both lovely and heart-warming to see those friendly old familiars and even some new ones too.

I just wanted to say that for now, to stop any further need for speculation, thank you. I'll be back, as someone once famously said.

PS Look what I've found again - it's an omen:🐘

💕💕💕

I'm just happy to hear you're ok. This will still be here when you're ready.

Glad to see you!

Hope all is well.

Place marking because this is so very inspiring. Your motivation reminds me of my old self, pre parenthood and I hope to get back to those levels of productivity again!

Ooh thanks for coming back OP! Hope things are going well, even if slowly. The person I am helping is currently unable to live in their home at all (physically cannot get in the door due to sheer volume of stuff) so it will be a long haul and I am slightly hoping social services will insist on getting involved - but SS won't even visit to inspect the place until I have cleared a way in, so I've had to make a start.

Thanks for stopping by Nelly!

TheOccupier it's environmental health you need for hoarding or the landlord. Either have the power to force removal of the hoard and cleanup under fire safety or health hazard rules. Once clearance has been ordered, if the tenant/owner doesn't do/arrange it themselves within a specified time period, they'll send professionals in and bill the tenant/owner for it. A hoard of that magnitude will almost certainly be harbouring rats and will also be a breach of any tenancy agreement, not least because it prevents the landlord from carrying out fire safety checks required by law. Houses/flats are also not warehouses. They're not designed to be filled floor to ceiling throughout and structural damage can result due to the weight and pressure of the hoard.

It's trickier if the house is owned by the person living there, I'm guessing in those cases they can only order something to be done about the rats (which will necessitate removing at least part of the hoard in order to comply, I imagine) as I don't think there's any law against being a hoarder, living in squalor or ruining your own property (so long as it looks ok from the road, if it looks like shit from the outside they council can order it fixed/sorted and they don't care if you have to sell the house after to pay for the work).

Good luck with sorting it out.

Sooo good to hear from you Nellie! I hope the gin fund is looking healthy
I'm pregnant, so please have one for me!

It’s great to “hear” from you again @EatingTheElephantInChunks ! Keep on chunking 😊

Great to see you back, Nellie. I think of you often and use your 'eating the elephant in chunks' statement regularly. We're here, when you want to share.

Hello Nellie, thought of you and your 'thread anniversary' the other day! Hope all is well with you and your friend.

🐘🐘🐘

Oh! I’d missed Nelly’s April update - how excellent to know they’re around. Thanks for the ‘thread-iversary’ thought deco - it wouldn’t have popped back into my TIO otherwise and it really was nice to read that update.

Glad to see you post Nelly. Hope you're ok and your friend is too x

for you

Hello again everyone. A huge thank you to those who posted on the 'thread-iversary'. I was very touched to be remembered.

I do apologise for not having posted for so long. Please be assured that I haven't forgotten the thread or all of you. Life has been busy getting very much in the way for both me and for my friend. As a result, chunking has been painfully miniscule and slow and unfortunately not always moving in the best direction: unchunking, reverse chunking, dechunking?! This was perhaps always to be expected to some degree and especially given recent circumstances. Although I have to admit to some feelings of disappointment, upset, frustration and occasional hopelessness, I have not, and will not, give up - God willing.

I am delighted to report though that my friend is currently on holiday with us for some of Christmas and New Year. This alone seems quite an achievement at the moment. At times, I did not think this would be possible, and plans had to be changed several times and at the last minute, and we have certainly been having some ups and downs, but here we all are together and I see this as a very positive thing over all.

Season's Greetings to one and all. Wishing you all the very best at Christmas and for 2023.
🐘 no elephants wearing Santa hats were available

Yay! Lovely to see this thread pop up, Nellie. Hope your Christmas was suitably gin soaked. Hope you are well x

Oh! Nellie! Happy Christmas!! Many exclamation marks because I thought of you this morning, and even scrolled a few pages of Housekeeping looking for the thread to wish you well, but I couldn’t find it and gave up.

So pleased you and your family and your friend are on a holiday - change is as good as a rest, as they say.

Was thinking of you lovely Nellie as I Finally got round to tidying up after our lazy Christmas Day here. So pleased to find you update and gratters on the progress which has been made. Having plans for a holiday is a hugh thing, even if they did not go entirely smoothly, they did at least happen.

All the very best for you in the new year xx

Sometimes it’s “two steps forward, one step back”.
Wishing you all the best on your Christmas/New Year holiday together.

Lovely to hear from you Nellie, was just wondering how you were earlier today! Hope you are keeping well even if the chunking has become sporadic. Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Oh my bananas! Was randomly just thinking of you today! (Honestly not a stalker)! Keep well and happy chucking new year! X

Oh how lovely! Happy Christmas Nellie! Your love and compassion continues to shine through your posts.

Happy new year!