Is anyone just starting to declutter? Or hasn't yet.

[LushLemonTart]

I know there's lots of decluttering threads but I'm just starting (again) but this time I mean business.
What's inspired you to declutter now? Mine is clearing out an elderly relative's home and realising I don't want dcs to ever have that much stuff to clear. Plus it's quite depressing having too much stuff.
Dh and I travel a lot,mainly uk, and you realise you need very little to get on in life.

I'm not going minimalist although can see the appeal.

Care to join? I won't be counting items but I will list as much as possible. I should really try and sell some stuff but cba.

I've been working and working 12 hours tomorrow so back at it Monday.

@LushLemonTart hope you have a good day at work.

I can't make much progress until my DP sorts the floor out. My house was built in 1640 and is wonky in parts, including the floors.
At some time someone has done a bodge job (eg downstairs has concrete swirled on the walls to cover God knows what up, total dust collection area)
Bizarrely, instead of fixing the floors they've concreted everything, including the stairs.
When I took up the carpet there's been a bit of sag and the floor now has a ridge running across it.
So now I've got to wait for DP to borrow a grinder/sander thingy, to take the ridge off, then level the floor best as he can in order to put the laminate down.
I wanted to take the wallpaper off but I'm scared of what's underneath it 😅
I'm paint shopping today and culling whatever I can reach in my bedroom.

@CherryogDog wow your house sounds amazing. Is dh dragging his feet? I once thereto get someone in or get quotes and next thing the job was done. Could you ask ther person for the sander? Hope it gets done soon.

I start at 10 today so just having breakfast and then going. Beautiful weather again. Hopefully I'll get outside?

Joshua Becker has helpful thing about changing focus from 'what I want to get rid of' to 'what I want to keep'. I'm planning to try that but have been in poor health recently so the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!

@LushLemonTart DP is a master at procrastination! There's a very thin line between reminding him and nagging 😄
To be fair his work is a bit stressful at the moment, plus his truck was stolen and the insurance company is playing silly buggers.
I've got my paint, some nice new sockets and light switches, and got really lucky and found the exact IKEA cabinets that I wanted on Facebook marketplace so I'm ready to go.
I've got plenty of decluttering to keep me busy.
@Jabtastic that's a good mindset. Hope you feel better soon!

@Jabtastic yes that's a good way to look at it.
@CherryogDog that's awful about dh's van. There's a lot of that nowadays.

Eventually made it back to update and see if you can all give me some much needed encouragement!
@CherryogDogyou are an inspiration!

We have done loads over the last week and DD now has her ’dream’ teen bedroom, but we have of course caused untold chaos in other areas. Been let down multiple times on the collection of her old furniture and poor DH has manoeuvred it around the house several times , hopefully it will leave the building on Tuesday.
We had to clear her room in four hours flat so the new furniture could go in last weekend so needless to say we haven’t sorted through all her things yet , instead we dumped it on top of all the other junk in the spare room.. sigh !
Today we have made a start but I am totally overwhelmed and not feeling like I can really see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Will keep at it but I am so sick of living like this ! DH actually said the other day as a joke - ‘do I need to buy you a one bedroom flat to escape to ? ‘ I was a bit too enthusiastic with my yes please response!
He grew up in a very cluttered home so I don’t think it affects him as much as me , but he must be so sick of my moaning !
will update again later.

@holidayfever2024 that's fantastic. Don't concentrate so much on the negative but what you've achieved. A peaceful place for dd ❤️
How about putting on some fab music and going through the stuff until you need a break. Just keep what you really need. Have a place for everything (eventually)

We took stuff to the charity shop yesterday but had been so busy chatting to friends it had closed. Still it's definitely going next week. We're working tomorrow and away Sunday to Wed. Back at it then !

We really don't need this stuff. Or loads of clothes.

Thanks @LushLemonTartyour reply yesterday really helped me.
Of course you are right - we have achieved a minor miracle with DDs room- she has her friends coming over today and can’t wait for them to see it. I need to focus on that ! I do get into a really negative state about it all.
After my last update we carried on for the
rest of the afternoon - I have managed to get a few bags together for the charity shop and started dealing with the playroom which needs a huge cull too, so we can store some of Dds things in there. I can at least get to everything now so it’s easier to declutter.
At one point my DS went off of his own accord to do some tidying in his room and all 4
of us were busy sorting ! If I could recreate that more often we would perhaps not be in this state .
We won’t do as much today as we have DDs friends here but will make sure I do something.

@holidayfever2024 that's such a good update. I hope dd has a lovely day.

I am updating again, maybe it will help me to see we are making small progress. Today the charity bags left the house! This is where we often stumble, DH said it felt good dropping it off and DS helped move it all. DD loved having her friends over and I managed to potter about looking at areas I need to tackle next. I feel like I can see a way forward, just got to keep going .

Yes it's good to write it down. That sounds excellent. It's so freeing.

I'm just having a rant, I can't sleep because I'm so wound up 😠

I'm living in chaos.
My DP and his procrastination....
Me "can you take the carpet up please"
Him "yes, I'll do that tomorrow ".
Same conversation repeats for a week.
In the end I pulled it up, discovered the floor problem.
Me "can you sort out borrowing the grinder".
Him "yes, I'll do that tomorrow "
Same conversation repeats for a week.
The big day arrives, I go out, come back at 3pm thinking the floor will be in process.
He's in bed having a nap.
He gave up because of the dust ffs.
He's going to put a ply floor in instead on top of the concrete.
But he can't get the ply because he hasn't got his van.
Meanwhile my dining room is an obstacle course, full of my new cabinets and flooring, the hallway has a pile of stuff I asked him to take to the charity shop years ago, and my bedroom is making me cry with frustration, I've got a small pathway to get to my bed, I can't shut the door because the old underlay is in the doorway, I can't open my wardrobes without moving something.

Sorry for my negativity, hope everyone else is making progress!

@CherryogDog so sorry to hear that. Would threatening to get someone in spur him on? Is he tired from work? He needs a proper mask if he hasn't one already. I hope it's sorted soon as that sounds awful for you.

I just woke up but need a bit more sleep hopefully?

@LushLemonTart that would definitely work but sadly the budget won't stretch to that.
I did manage about three hours sleep but feel really groggy.
Had a little meltdown this morning and DP has stepped up.
This morning he's sourced some 6mm ply (left over from a house build he's been working on) , it's just down the road. Once he's emptied the (horse) muck trailer he'll collect it and with a bit of luck get started today.
I shouldn't moan about him, he's a good egg in so many ways, and does so much for me.
I just feel in limbo, mentally stuck.
I've still got so much stuff to sort but until I've got somewhere to put what I'm keeping I feel I can't continue.
And this is where the emotional side works against me.
Because of course I could be decluttering my bathroom cabinets, I could be organising my cleaning products, etc etc, but I've got tunnel vision over one room.

Hopefully I'll update later with some positivity.

Oh great update @CherryogDog . Get that banging music on and do those cupboards. You know you'll feel better.

We're travelling today be away until Tuesday or Wednesday? Back at it then.

@CherryogDogyour situation sounds very hard. Keep going ! Do you have any space you can carve out at all as a small haven from it all?
I know it sounds silly but when I get overwhelmed I tidy my small utility room and hallway and it always makes me feel so much better.

@LushLemonTart I hope you have a nice time away, I'm going to stay with family this Thursday, coming back on the Monday, really looking forward to it.

I had a chill out catching up with jobs at my field. Everything is tidy, organised, how I want my house to be 😁

I've had a very late breakfast and I'm contentedly watching TV.

My DP, collected the wood, but the tailgate fell off the trailer so he's fixed that, planned his "cuts" (?) and is putting it down in the morning.
I'm in a much better mood now I've had fresh air, sun and food.

@holidayfever2024 I don't have a "me" space yet, especially as my bedroom looks like a squat at the moment.
It's one of the reasons I get the hump, I've got horses and over the years I've amassed a huge amount of gear.
I only keep the bare essentials at the field, partly because of security, but also stuff gets damp and mouldy.
At home I've got one alcove cupboard with my "best" stuff in it, and a brick shed that's about 6' square.
My DPs workshop in the garden is an old stable/coach house, with a loft and a lean to, plus he's using half of my garden to store materials.
So that's why I want my own room, for reading, and my music (I play and sing in a little band).

Anyway, apologies for my early hours moaning!

@CherryogDog don’t apologise for venting here - it’s a hard situation! From what you are saying you are renovating and trying to deal with clutter- I only have one of those to worry about and it nearly sends me over the edge !
I was going to post earlier to say I have done noting today as it’s been Eastery ( visiting PIL , egg hunt and a roast !) but unexpectedly I have done a few bits more - sorted out some unwanted bedding and helped DS do some more organising in his room.
I feel so much more optimistic- when I go into DDs room I feel so much lighter ..
Don’t get me wrong there is tons to do but at least I have some momentum now.

I've spent a few minutes filling up a black bag of clothes.
I've had a brainwave 💡 re how to easily do my 2nd stage purge.
I started trying to wear everything and weeding out uncomfy/ impractical clothes, black bagged a few bits, but then fell back into my old habit of constantly wearing the same few bits from the laundry rack.
My new idea is to completely empty one wardrobe, squish the contents into the other wardrobe, then as I wear/wash things I can put them straight into the empty wardrobe or charity bag.
I might even have a separate laundry basket for things that are going in the bag.

DP is putting in the ply floor. Hurray!
Hopefully I'll be able to paint the room before I go away as the laminate floor can't go down before (I'm a very messy painter...).
So pleased things are moving.

@CherryogDog sounds like you've had a great day. Fab news.

I've had a good day too. Back home tomorrow.

Great news @CherryogDog hope the progress continues there!
I am still on a roll, back to work tomorrow so tried to balance the day with some pleasures and some
sorting.
I have 3/4 ikea bags for charity and a bin bag to go.
wanted to get it all in the car ready to exit the building but we have to take it to the garage tomorrow so that will nave to wait.
Determined that back to work won’t stop me.

It is very good news indeed! DP will wash the ceiling if he gets time (I've got balance problems so I don't do ladders) then I can wash the walls and stick the wallpaper down where it's peeling in places, ready for painting when I get back next week.

@LushLemonTart glad you've had a good day.
@holidayfever2024 long may the roll continue! I'm retired now, and much as I loved my job it really did interfere with life 😄

Also good news is that of yesterday we are a two vehicle household again.

Can I join? I’m feeling overwhelmed at the task ahead.