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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Has anyone completely gutted their house of stuff?

71 replies

Mousey84 · 28/05/2009 17:06

I have come to the realisation that I have all the stuff I do because I feel bad about throwing away stuff I have paid money for.

I have too much stuff. Im ashamed to say that I have 2 storage rooms, 1 that I cant really get into, and they take up almost the same amount of room as I had in my flat (only moved out a year ago)

Last month I sorted a load of clothes and packed them up to give away (none worth selling, I dont think) but the 4 bin bags of stuff is still in my room.

I sort of want to get rid of it all, but at the same time, I struggle to part with it. How do you let go?

Do you do it all in one go? Or do the flylady type thing where you do it little bits at a time?

OP posts:
Original poster
Mousey84 · 28/05/2009 18:43

In this area doing that would mean that you would have a nice bonfire in your front garden within 24 hours!

Im off to sort my daughters wardrobe now. Hopefully without her noticing...

OP posts:
crokky · 28/05/2009 18:44

FeelABitCrapToday - I wouldn't do that. If stuff gets wet, it will be a PITA to get to the tip. You could put it into black bags and ask a charity shop to do a pickup from your house - plenty of them do that. Also, if you have any busybody neighbours, they might report you to the council for keeping rubbish outside like that. I got reported for keeping plastic recycling outside - some busybody thought it was landfill rubbish and thought it was therefore attracting rats! I was only putting it out as my mum takes lots of recycling to the tip that the council doesn't collect in the green box.

TheProfiteroleThief · 28/05/2009 18:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LovelyTinOfSpam · 28/05/2009 18:50

I would love to do this.

But none of the crap is mine, it's all DHs, he's a shocking hoarder. And if I say "let's go through and have a clear out" he looks terribly panicky and upset.

His dad is the same. they both like to nest. FFS.

TheProfiteroleThief · 28/05/2009 18:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LovelyTinOfSpam · 28/05/2009 18:53

Right.

  1. DH
  1. Problem solved

Seriously I can't just start chucking his stuff out can I. If he did that to me I'd be livid...

SOLOisMeredithGrey · 28/05/2009 18:53

The thing that I worry about is what if I died? what would people think of me or do with it all? Similarly, I think well what if I had a flood or had to call the police out and into my house? I'd be very about all my 'stuff'.

LovelyTinOfSpam · 28/05/2009 19:03

If you died you wouldn't know. Your family though would be utterly mortified and would never forgive you for going before you tidied up

FeelABitCrapToday · 28/05/2009 19:03

I can't imagine having the mental or physical energy to sort the rubbish from the possibly reusable though [things-are-really-that-bad emoticon]

TheProfiteroleThief · 28/05/2009 19:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

crokky · 28/05/2009 20:25

FeelABitCrapToday - depends what sort of rubbish it is - you can send all sorts of random stuff to the charity shop and they can deal with it as appropriate - say something like a ripped piece of clothing - they'll send that to the rag man who buys stuff like that by weight. As long as it's not wet/muddy/actual rubbish like food wrappers the charity shop will deal with it all. If it is actual rubbish and things are that bad, I would seriously just put it all in black sacks and landfill it because it'll be out of your way and it might help a bit.

SOLOisMeredithGrey · 28/05/2009 20:56

Exactly Spam, exactly!

FeelABitCrapToday · 28/05/2009 21:01

yeah I think a lot of it is actual rubbish - not decomposing, fly-encrusted type rubbish but just general tat (plus the giant pizza box I am about to leave on the floor)

CarGirl · 28/05/2009 21:02

CAn you drive? could you hire a van to do a car boot?

Don't start adding to your piles by sorting through their bedrooms deal with what is already being stored!

I was a hoarder but I'm cured. I found it easy to get rid of the kids stuff which led on to it being easier to get rid of my own stuff.

SOLOisMeredithGrey · 28/05/2009 21:09

Can you clutter free types please send some decluttering vibes out to us clutter bugs. Pretty please

LovelyTinOfSpam · 28/05/2009 21:14

Get some bin bags.

Chuck the stuff in.

Leave it somewhere out of the way for a couple of weeks.

If you haven't had to go and fetch it, you don't need it, throw it away.

Job done.

SOLOisMeredithGrey · 28/05/2009 21:19

I don't know about Mousey, but I feel like it's overwhelming. I also feel like I'm in a vicious circle. I know I'd feel better if it was sorted, but can't muster up the anything to actually sort it.

CarGirl · 28/05/2009 21:24

I think a car boot is a good way to start just take all those bin bags of stuff and sell sell sell.

Decluttering vibes all sent your way!

SOLOisMeredithGrey · 28/05/2009 21:32

Thanks CarGirl.

CarGirl · 28/05/2009 21:34

If you pay me I'll come over and help out!!! I'm around the other side of the M25!

SOLOisMeredithGrey · 28/05/2009 21:40

, if I wouldn't be so mortified, I'd let you!

CarGirl · 28/05/2009 21:42

You need an incentive. DH said I could have another dc if I cleared the loft, so I did

Original poster
Mousey84 · 28/05/2009 21:47

So I sorted dds wardrobe (straight into a bag for her best mate to pick through and bag is in hall to be brought to school in the morning), then gutted the living room which was ok to begin with, but much more minimalist now, bar my coursework books that are now spread over my lovely clean otherwise-clutter-free floor.

I havent actually sorted stuff from the living room, just moved it to another room BUT it feels great to walk into the tidy room and I feel very motivated to keep going. Would be tempted to do whole house this way, but know I would lose motivation once I had another mountain of boxes to sort through even if the rest of the house is immaculate....

OP posts:
SOLOisMeredithGrey · 28/05/2009 23:06

Well done Mousey

messageinabottle · 28/05/2009 23:14

but what do you do with baby bits when you're unsure whether you're having another????

pram, cot, moses basket, toys, car seat, clothes etc - they were obviously expensive to buy so may be worth keeping? but undecided as to whether to have another - and if I do it wont' be for another two or so years - so should I cut my losses now and sell/get rid and just buy new (if there is a) second time round? obviously less to buy second time round as well as I'll be seasoned by then