Help me declutter my 2bed flat for impending move

[Thandeka]

Am surveying the bombsite that is our house at the minute. (we used to have a cleaner but she quit (not because of the state of the house!) and we haven't got round to getting a new one yet).

At some point in the next few months we are hoping to move from London to Bristol. Since we are unlikely to be able to buy a place in time we will probably need to rent and then buy meaning two moves. We have a lot of crap- especially since having our DD (4months) as babies seem to come with lots of stuff.

I don't want to take all our crap with us and sort it out there but where on earth do I start to declutter?

I need to start NOW so I have time to freecycle/tip/carboot ALOT of stuff.

How do I find the time to do this when I also have DD to care for? (is there anyone I can pay to do this!? Would it be worth it?)

Have tried flylady in the past and didn't get on with it so well- am not really a shiny sink person.

Help!?

It doesn't take that much time. But you can just call a charity shop and ask them to pick it all up you know?

You have to be ruthless

First step: Walk around each room for 5 minutes putting everything you wanna get rid of into two boxes one for give away another to sell

Next weekend Do a car boot. It will be hellish with a 4mth old but you and DP can take it in turns and I promise it will be less hellish then living with the clutter and getting bogged down with it

I must confess that with a 4mo I'd forgot the carboot idea and just freecycle/charity shop/tip the bulk of stuff. If there is anything that's to valuable to give away maybe look at ebay - slightly less work!

I'm in mad nesting mode at the moment and am doing 1 room at a time (doesn't work when you walk into the kitchen to get a black bag and decide the oven has to be scrubbed immediately!!), and following the flylady decluttering tips - no shiny sink involved.......

Good luck

I do it methodically room by room otherwise i get overwhelmed.

Pick a room, and go through every cupboard. Use a laundry basket and put the conents of the cupboard in it. Take the basket away and sort it out. Pack what you are taking and label it. Chuck/recycle the rest.

When you have cleared the cupboards, do the rest of the room, windowsills, piles up corners, shelves. Get your laundry basket and put it all in then take to the place and process again.

Good luck

I feel for you !

I have moved house 4 times and have decluttered every time over the past 10 years and it somehow seems to be never ending. We move again in a month and I thought I wouldn't have much to do but there is alot that needs to go.

The last time I moved I was really good and threw loads of junk, gave books and toys away that the dc had grown out of, practically emptied my wardrobe of stuff that I hadn't touched for years (all went to red cross) including bags full of shoes.

As you have a few months before your move I would suggest trying to do half an hour every other day, once you get started it doesn't take long. It's being in the right frame of mind too though, sometimes it's difficult to decide if you you want to or can part from an item (sentimental, valuable, new, hardly ever used, shame to waste etc) that's what I found hardest.

Yeah I think my difficulty is we haven't finished our family yet which means already although DD has grown out of all her 0-3 stuff I am keeping it, likewise my mat clothes, her pram cot, even my breast pads! So a whole heap more stuff we don't need at the minute but will in the future hopefully!

Even the thought of freecycle is daunting at the mo- I think what I may do is start in the spare room and clear that. Then once I have a space for "freecycle" stuff I will create a freecycle mountain. Which one sunny day I shall list on freecycle and put outside the front door with a note to "help yourself" anything left over at the end of the day can go to the tip.

Am struggling to get started at mo as at the minute we are still in limbo as DH hasn't heard about the jobs- we defo have to move as this flat will be baby death trap once DD starts crawling (she is already rolling about and can end up on other end of her mat sometimes!).

If I knew we were defo going on X date I would find it so much easier! [or maybe am just making excuses!]

Can you store all the baby stuff in a family members attic now so you only have to get in down when you need it again?