The Great Declutter Part 2

Craftyscholar

Filey wrote: »

Books furnish a home. Books are knowledge, entertainment, eye candy, indispensable. It never fails to amaze me that in some people's homes there isn't a book in sight. I do send any trashy (in my opinion) novels that I have acquired to the charity shop, but some of my books I can re-read years later and still find something new or forgotten, and enjoy it again.

If anyone got rid of any of my books without consulting me, there would be war.

YES! YES!! YES!!!

I remember being invited to the house of a friend of a friend.
Beautiful house, lovely garden, felt a bit envious. However when I thought back something began to bother me - then I realised, this was an intelligent, educated man and there was not one visible book or even magazine in the house.

Craftyscholar

HannahIOW wrote: »

I hate clutter too, just about got it to a manageable level at home. I still have stuff at my mum's from when I moved out back when I was about 18, I have stuff at dads too from when I lived there a couple years ago, and have stuff in my sisters shed from when I lived there too (lived in the house, not the shed lol)... obviously I don't 'need' any of it! Well I do need some but only live in a tiny flat so have no where to put it.

So you hate clutter.

How do your mum and dad and sister feel about clutter - esp. when it is someone else's?

gabyjane

Lol at the book replies!! I did say i was putting them in the garage just to see quite how long it takes for him to notice..really do some of you keep books on a shelf for 3+ years without moving them..i really can't see why? and also with not a huge house they are just taking over.
The rest is used just have too much of it..for example the tea towels are not thrown just used for something else..none of it is thrown away.

gabyjane

Craftyscholar wrote: »

YES! YES!! YES!!!

I remember being invited to the house of a friend of a friend.
Beautiful house, lovely garden, felt a bit envious. However when I thought back something began to bother me - then I realised, this was an intelligent, educated man and there was not one visible book or even magazine in the house.

See i get the magazines as we do have lots. I collect the sainsburys ones and they go in the kitchen and on to my sis when i get fed up of them! Dh collects pc ones and again there is a bag of them in the garage that have been there for about a year that he has no idea about..point proved there i think! I get the home ones which i read over and over but do get rid when they get too much.

anastasia666

gabyjane wrote: »

Lol at the book replies!! I did say i was putting them in the garage just to see quite how long it takes for him to notice..really do some of you keep books on a shelf for 3+ years without moving them..i really can't see why? and also with not a huge house they are just taking over.
The rest is used just have too much of it..for example the tea towels are not thrown just used for something else..none of it is thrown away.

We've got hundreds of books we've not got around to reading yet. We've been getting more bookshelves recently, in an attempt t sort them out, but there are books that I bought 10 years ago that I haven't yet read. One day I will though.

Will the books get damaged in the garage? That would be my worry (if there's damp or anything like that?) Especially if he finally notices and you find they've become damaged in some way!

Might it not be more practical to ask him to get more shelving units and keep them tidier?

You'd hate our house. Clutter everywhere. I collect films and various Disney items (and have collected lots of other things in the past). I prefer having clutter though. I grew up in a house where nothing could be out of place and you were scared to do anything for fear of ruining something or making any mess!

Filey

My daughter was looking for a house recently and took me with her to look at some. I assume people have been watching these 'how to sell your house' programmes on TV that emphasise how important it is to get rid of clutter.

My goodness some of these houses were sooo boring and soulless. There's tidy and then there's TIDY. Especially in modernish houses with flat walls and no nooks and crannies. By temperament I am not minimalist! In fact I might even admit I am a bit untidy, but that doesn't mean I don't like a bit of order. One house we looked at we knew the vendors, who were not present while the agent took us round, and we knew they had 3 children, but while it was very pleasant and light it was just like a show house, absolutely nothing to indicate anyone was in residence. Even the teddies on the childrens' beds looked as if the Interior Designer for the house building company had stategically placed them there.

Anyway the house my daughter finally decided on was also clean and well decorated in mainly neutral colours (as estate agents are so fond of pointing out) and tidy, but with character and interest, and showed some signs of occupation.

Still, I suppose it takes all kinds. I have often wondered when I see photos of minimalist interiors just what kind of people live in them. Certainly not people like me.

onlyroz

Only 100 books? We've probably got a few thousand in our house. True, I probably won't read most of them ever again, but i still want to keep them...

And why do you need 13 bags of rice???

fiscalfreckles

Food isn't really clutter, and if its stuff that won't go off soon like rice or pasta, then keep it, make sure you use it & don't buy any more until your current supply is running low.

If you MUST pick up a BOGOF or offer when u see it, you need an alternative place to store it, but keep some sort of check on what you have & try not to go over the top. If you end up not using something & throwing it out, then it wasn't a bargain, it was a waste.

Use what you have in! Your weekly shopping will go down.

I wouldn't touch the books either - 100 books isn't clutter!

I don't think you need to "take a black bag to it all.." Just get organised.

Filey

You don't need to bin most clutter.

Think freecycle or charity shops. I know both options require a bit more effort than binning, but this is MSE after all. Everybody's clutter is somebody's treasure. I am very fortunate in having a charity shop almost across the road from my house, and although I belong a freecycle group I haven't given away a lot through them as there is the charity shop so near. But it does amaze me what 'trivial' items go on freecycle and are snapped up in no time, things I would probably have previously thought 'oh no one will want that', and bin it. And some people offer assorted stuff as 'suitable for car booter'. I subscribe to various magazines and they soon were taken.

What amazes me even more about freecycle is that some people with no manners at all treat it as their Christmas wish list. Just put something in the wanted section like ' silver coloured Bosch dishwasher recent model in working order' or something equally breath taking, and no please or explanation why they have to be so specific. There are some very uncouth people about!

hngrymummy

I know what you mean about freecycle. I saw one person who wanted an upright piano, and any unwanted showjumps for horses. Yes because people have that kind of thing going spare?