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.

Good luck @Ididntsaybanana . I thought you had posted?

We're on doing the back bedroom. Lots of adult dcs clothes need to go. Ds2 is only here occasionally He's back again for a few days soon. He'll go through them then or I'll send pics to see if I can charitise them. Non if ds1's here.

Sorting through paperwork at the weekend, 3 bags for recycling, a massive box for shredding/burning. Statements going back 15 years in some cases.

Also DH did a tip run with some old computers and electricals. Cant actually see any difference but there is stuff going out so we must be doing something!

That's good @Hoolahoophop .

Got rid of 2 single beds yesterday. We have a triple sleeper bunk in the back bedroom now. More room.

I have a few bags to take to the charity shop Saturday.

My declutterring is continuous- like painting the Forth Bridge. I just do a cupboard/drawer/wardrobe every so often. My nemesis is the loft, as arthritis makes me unable to climb around it like I used to - a warning to younger fit people! I make a point of not buying anything new that I don’t have space for or can’t easily make space for

@Happyher can anyone go up in the loft for you?

Yes - I have an adult son and daughter who will if I ask them but they’ll have to bring everything down to be sorted whereas if I could go up myself I could sort it in situ and organise it better. One way or another they will have to do it!

@Happyher is there much up there you'd miss if it went?

@LushLemonTart Sentimentally yes, but I do realise that when I’m gone most of it will have no value to my son and dtr and they’ll just throw it out like it did when I cleared my parents house. My aim is to clear half of it and then organise what’s left in labelled storage boxes, stored so there’s access all around. About 1/3 of it is toys in good condition saved for if I have grandchildren. Sorting and throwing out is quite easy for me. It’s the access that’s the problem

I'm going through my paperwork this weekend, I do it every year , this time though I'm going to photograph some of it and shred it instead of filing it away in a metal file .

I try and declutter every six months to stay on top of everything.

@Happyher I hope you can let go of lots. I know it isn't easy.

@PinkribbonBonnBonn you sound very organised.

@PinkribbonBonnBonn I wish I were like you, we tackled paperwork this weekend. Some of it went back to 2010. We now have a box for shredding or burning that could hold about 7 reems of paper.

But, we are 90% there with paperwork, just need to organize the keeping section. We went through the junk cupboard and book case in the office and cleared all of that.

So upstairs only have the on suite bathroom to go. Time to get rid of old makeup, gifted beauty products I will never use, and some of the costume jewelry I no longer wear.

...then I start downstairs. We have a LOT of storage in our kitchen and utility so have tons of use it once tableware (le cruset individual stew pot that look like cauldrons!) Enough jam jars to start a factory, candles galore. And the play room has more craft supplies than the average primary school. So While one two floors are complete, there is still a way to go.

Very, very minor progress from a starting point of zero, in that I listed six items on Ebay.

@BadSkiingMum we have never sold anything on any online market place. (Though we buy half our stuff from there!) but this weekend are planning on listing all the kids old bikes and scooters.

Because the loft is sorted, upstairs is sorted, downstairs is my responsibility as the kitchen and kids craft stuff is my domain.....so DH is banished to the the garage!

@BadSkiingMum good luck. It's a start.

Nothing much happening here. We've been having little trips away and going again today. I'll be back on it when we return.

More minuscule progress here! I bagged up some worn-out clothes for textile recycling and they went today.

I always try to think of it in terms of ‘drawers’, so I suppose it was about one drawer’s worth!

We just got rid of a double bed frame out of the loft, it’s gone to a good home as my friends grandaughter is setting up her first home. Also took a small box of bits and bobs to the charity shop. I realised I did not need 3 glass jugs for starters.

Well done @BadSkiingMum and @ViciousCurrentBun . It feels good doesn't it? 🙂

Nothing more been done here. I'll be on it tomorrow.

Little and often is always a good approach.

We are going for the giant cull! This weekend's job is to clear the spare room of all the odd bits ive put there from other rooms before deciding their final fate. Then the Children's play room will be culled and the remaining content moved to the spare room so we can decorate the play room. We have all agreed in our chain that we want to complete before the end of March. So all hands to de-cluttering ready for the move and sprucing up the house for sale.

@Hoolahoophop good luck. Sounds like you're going to get a lot done.

Trying to sort out the loft ......
just found 2 large bags of clothing I have clearly forgotten about.

NIGHTMARE

Oh I did that @Diplidocus4 . I was ruthless!

How's everyone doing?

Got rid of some mattress toppers. Still lots to do.

I'm back in the loft later today.

Hi @LushLemonTart I have had a couple of weeks with not much doing.

But the whole of my loft and upstairs have been decluttered. Which is amazing. Next up in downstairs. My kitchen is very much overstocked so that needs a cull. But first, I have found lots of old baby clothes that need to be sorted, donated and sent off to be turned into memory bears. Then I have about 20 boxes of craft stuff that needs to be cleared out.

Just need to keep ploughing on!

when I had a combi boiler fitted the hot water tank was removed from the airing cupboard which became just a cupboard. It had one shelf which was rammed full of bedding and towels plus I kept some cleaning products, ironing board and laundry bin. We took out the one shelf and replaced it with 2 ikea shelving units and I’ve sorted through the linen and have 3 full black bags to give to charity. I bought vacuum storage bags for the things like woollen blankets and sleeping bags which I want to keep and managed to get all my bedding and towels neatly folded on the shelves and in the process of sorting the cleaning products. Going to fit two brush holders and a tension rod and now have a tidy organised storage cupboard 😀

That made me laugh about painting the Forth Bridge!! I think you are right about it being continuous. An endless process of getting rid of stuff.