If your house has ever got seriously out of order … and you have managed to get it back under control …

[Scatteredthoughts522]

Can you please help and advise? This question is for people whose houses have got really bad in certain areas - not hoarder level but I can imagine it getting that way if I don’t intervene now - but who have managed to rein it back in… .

I am facing a situation where I need to get back on top of my large six bedroom house. The ground floor is just about ok. I can invite people in. Apart from the utility and garage which are in a bit of a state.

The upper floors, apart from the bathrooms, are a disaster though and getting worse. And I hate this feeling of not being on top of it!

My physical fitness is limited atm following an accident, a bout of depression, and another health condition, so I can’t physically do a lot in one go. I am not young either!

What is required is a major all hands to the deck clear out of stuff before I can deep clean but realistically atm I don’t have the capacity for either.

So my question is … has anyone honestly managed to get back on top of things by doing two hours focused decluttering and organising a day?

Is it possible? Or am I whistling in the wind? The reason I ask is that I have a cleaner for two hours a week but can’t afford any more help atm. I work for four hours a day so thought of doing one hour before work and one hour after work until it gets done.

Thanks for any thoughts. I am at my wit’s end with it all and desperately need to be back in control.

Get a skip. The best days are when Father Skipmas has been.

I would get someone in. U can get anything if u pay for it. I wluld then.target getting someone I to do the deep clean. For the sorting/ decluttering, I would tackle downstairs first. Have u got any fit youngsters who could help? I needed to declutter, so I could put my 2 bedroom house on market. Garage and shed were full. I started gradually over 18 months.

This made me 😃

I am finding this thread so inspiring.
recently moved into a 100sqm apartment from a house. Managed to downsize the furniture ok but finding unpacking. Decluttering and organizing a massive chore (plus DS has left to go to uni which has just about finished me off emotionally).
but some great ideas here, very motivating. Am going to dedicate a time slot today )maybe an hour) to sorting out a dedicated area, maybe the pile of plant pots in what will be dds room.

do you have any friends/family that can help you? If so I would go about it a bit differently to others. I would get a skip in for a week, take the week off and ask people to help me one day a week and basically have a huge cull.

If you have the money, I would find someone who does decluttering. My home had got completely out of control due to poor mental health, undiagnosed ADHD & Autism & physical disabilities, I found a lovely lady who didn't judge who worked with my ds & son in law to get the place cleared while I was staying with my mum. Between them they filled skips, sorted my belongings from the rubbish & got everything cleared so my flat could be redecorated & new carpets could go down, I've been home nearly 6 weeks now & it's so lovely to have somewhere I'm not ashamed to have people visit.

I’m in the middle of dealing with five rooms which were stuffed floor to ceiling and just about accessible. I’m limited by time and another adult in the house who is largely responsible for the stuff but refuses to engage. I’m about 18 months into the task and reckon I realistically have another 18 months to complete to a satisfactory standard.
I began by eliminating all the cardboard and utilising the many clear storage boxes we have. Physically seeing what I needed to deal with has helped rather than having piles of boxes with unknown quantities in them gives me a reality check. As others have said stuff those council bins each week, I managed to get an extra recycling bin by just asking and this has been the most helpful thing so far. It provides an obvious target each fortnight to fill.

I made an effort to get to know the manager of my local Cancer Research shop, always ask what they actually need and never just dump stuff there. I want him to welcome my donations rather than dread seeing me. I Gift Aid everything which helps the charity and helps my tax return.

I’ve been able to sell many items too but there’s a time cost to this and I question if I’ll continue with this going forward.

It can easily become daunting, overwhelming and exhausting so limiting how long is devoted to each space is very good advice.

Wishing you all the very best.

Don't bin towels. Give them to a dog charity or homeless charity.