Feeling low with clutter

whitewing

bestpud, I think it's a great idea. You could challenge yourself to sell enough stuff to cover the hire cost. Anything that is pure rubbish can be chucked out without going into storage. In the unit, group everything up. And think how motivated you'll be to see an empty house. (I wouldn't redecorate just yet though, as that always takes longer than you think. Just hire the unit, sort and box up, charity shop, sell or chuck. It's amazing what you'll get rid of).

On another thread, someone was talking about scanning their paperwork into the computer and keeping back ups, then chucking the hardcopies. Sounds like a promising idea.

I have BT digital vault as part of my internet package. Has anyone used it? What are the pros and cons?

Brighton_belle

chazsucks wrote: »

the house is full of piles of ohs stuff and boxes where he's just dumped everything in. he hates getting rid of anything and we have boxes of old wires and things from old appliances it's crazy

Chaz - are you living with my OH too:eek::D. And what is it with these bits of old wire eh:rotfl:. Does he collect stuff too?
At the mo I am concentrating on my stuff, to create more space for his to have a home. And I have cleared the attic so there is space for boxes to go up there, where I know they will remian untouched, as they would downstairs but at least they are out of the way.
And when your baby is 1 -could you ask for donations for one big pratical present for your little one from people rather than more presents he doesn't need?

best spud - welcome to the declutter club!! More thanks to the OP for starting this as you have hit a rich stream here!
I think the storage could be a great idea, if you definitely stick to just the 2 weeks - £35 would be worth it. I was in the same prob - couldn't get started as everything needed to be moved somewhere else. So for me, getting the attic cleared did that, and created the space to shift stuff as I sorted.
You'd need to plan how you brought it all back. Would it all go in one room and be sorted a box at a time and either properly homed or got rid? EDIT: whitewing - great suggestion in how to do it.

kingfisher - 4 bin bags is a brilliant start. yes, you need to pace yourself : if you get over exhausted you will just give up. Feel ok about giving yourself a day off if you have badminton today. That way, you won't feel any sens of failure about it.

Well done mupette:T
I am on the mood to try and get rid of some of my books today... will report back later.

peachespeaches

jeffgeorge wrote: »

Hi all,

I am wondering if it is only me who gets stressed about clutter. I have a 4yr old and the toys, games, teddies and rubbish she has is unbelivable.

I get so annoyed by all the stuff and just think why cant I chill and just enjoy my daughter. My house is clean and could do with being updated but its cosy and home to us.

Someone said why have you still got a stair gate she is 4 and to be honest I hadnt noticed!! Also the string around the tv stand so she wouldnt put toast in it when she was toddling and to be honest again hadnt noticed it. Funny the things you get used to.

Right best go declutter do you all get annoyed or is it just me

xxxxx

We have lots of clutter with 4 kids and to be honest I could part with some of it but dont feel like just giving away almost new stuff and Im not organised enough to get it all on ebay. I have put one or two things on there. Every few years I crack and put things on freecycle!

It annoys my husband more than me I think. He constantly goes on about "all this !!!!..." and its not crap its just kids stuff. Kids need stuff.

bestpud

Thanks for the comments on storage - you've made some good points. :beer:

I've contacted the company and they do a week to start and then you pay a month up front and have any unused days refunded. That's actually good for me and the way my mind works, as I'd be motivated into getting as much back as possible to buy paint and the like.

I have already packed up dd's toys into black bag for cuddlies, black bag for games/jigsaws, black bag for bigger toys, black bag for smaller toys, box for books and box for stationary type things.

I plan on her helping me arrange her toys when I'm done decorating etc. They are already sorted so nothing to throw out as such.

I've sorted all her clothes so she's only got what she wears left.

I still need to box up her dvds and videos, plus DS and games.

I've also sorted my clothes.

I'm going to 'cut' my wardrobe in half (easier than it sounds!) and give half to dd(8) as she will have room once her toys are downstairs and she needs her own hanging space now she's older. I don't need two double wardrobes now it's just me.

This stuff just needs being out of the way while I get sorted iyswim?

Buuut, I've just emptied 10 lever arch files of college/uni notes into a pile that will fit in two files.

I've also reduced two file boxes of receipts and instruction books into one.

Now though, I don't know what to do with the empty files iyswim?

I don't want to chuck them as I may want them when I get sorted, but then again, I may not, and I don't want them in the way in the meantime.

I'd love to get everything out of the kitchen, give it a good clean and assess what space I have in there. It's so hard to do when it's full! I think I'd probably take the lot to storage and sort it when it comes back in.

Some needs doing before, and some is best done after I guess is what I am saying... :cool:

I did get my ex to take any CDs/cassettes he wants yesterday so I am free to do what I want with the rest now. Most of it I will sell or give away as I'm not into collecting music.

I've sorted all my books out and they are going to be sold or given away - I need to set a deadline for that I think.

I'm working tonight so I'll be glad of the chance to ponder my options while not looking at it all.

Sorry, these are epic posts! I'll shut up now! You can see why I need to clear the house - my head is all over the place!

Thanks again - you are all doing so well - here's to more happy decluttering! :beer: :j

bestpud

peachespeaches wrote: »

We have lots of clutter with 4 kids and to be honest I could part with some of it but dont feel like just giving away almost new stuff and Im not organised enough to get it all on ebay. I have put one or two things on there. Every few years I crack and put things on freecycle!

It annoys my husband more than me I think. He constantly goes on about "all this !!!!..." and its not crap its just kids stuff. Kids need stuff.

That's what I tend to do!

I find it easier to gather up everything for sale, or everything of one type, then take a photo of it, weigh it, and jot down the condition/measurements etc.

Then I later have a mass listing session as I have all the photos and can just crack on with it.

It seems quicker and easier than doing things one by one.

You don't need to list stuff straight away and can pack it back up once you've taken all the details down and got a photo stored.

I think it is important to have a deadline though - that's what I'm doing this time.

CDs/DVDs will have a week on ebay and any left will be sold in a job lot to these: http://www.musicmagpie.co.uk/index.asp

I've listed bigger stuff in my local paper as that can be done online - it's free for one week in the printed paper and two weeks online. You don't need a photo for that either.

Go on - give it a go - you can always freecycle if it doesn't work out but at least you'll be able to say you tried selling it.

Brighton_belle

wow bestspud!! Great stuff.:T:T
I have so far cleared my craft desk so i have been able to get on with some projects for the last hour. I am itching to sort some books that this needed to be prioritise as I have a deadline looming.

I need to get a set of shelves up on the wall asap to take my cookery books too. an I get that done today...Of out now for mothers day related trip.

jellyhead

thanks for the nudges everyone, but I've stopped halfway through the windowsill. the plan is to get a see-through box from poundland, and put all the bubbles and bubble paraphernalia in a box on top of the fridge. I didn't buy enough boxes last week, but have already sorted the paints and sponges, brushes etc. into another 2 plastic boxes for the top of the fridge.

It sounds rubbish, putting stuff up there, but it's already got piles of stuff on it so I've got rid of those piles. I think this is a step forward because from now on the rule will be if it doesn't belong in those 3 boxes on the fridge then it does not get dumped there!

It makes sense to me to have paints in the kitchen because that's where they've always lived, and the kitchen is the only room where we have space to paint. The difference is that now everything has it's place so there won't be pots, brushes etc. clutteirng up the draining board after they've been rinsed.

the window sill's less cluttered, but not done yet.

What I need now is to actually go to poundland tomorrow after college, and get the boxes instead of procrastinating!

1sttimer_2

Oh my - I've not been on here for absolutely ages - and when I read this thread, I thought I'd been talked about LOL!

My clutter is mainly my OH's - he works from home and has paperwork stacked to high heaven! He has an office, the spare bedroom (double), uses the dining room and when I went to attic this weekend found more stuff on all the steps! He also is loath to throw out anything just in case it's needed! I know paperwork has to be kept for 7 years but he has stuff going back 17+ years!

We had some work done on the house last year which meant lots of moving around (next door adjoining semi discovered dry rot so we both had to have roof done+attic joists re-placed) it affected our bedroom so we took the opportunity to get built in wardrobes to cover new plaster and unreplacable cornices. I sorted out clothes etc but things that I didn't want back in now nicely tidied bedroom, my OH wouldn't let me throw it away so we've all that extra stuff floating around too!

Both DD's have left home so we've got 2 spare rooms (1 staying as bedroom/1 going to me MY room for sewing + I do rainbows + Junior Church so have lots of my own paperwork to be stored somewhere). OH just cannot get hiself off his backside to do anything. You wouldn't believe it if you saw it all. He'd need at least 4 offices to store it all.

What can I do about that? He's agreed that the re-furbished attic could be used as his new office but hasn't even started to think about moving anything (besides you cannot get up there because of the stairs (see above!!!).

I look after DGS one day a week and if we haven't cleared up his toys (put into a toy box which was an old blanked box of his mothers that he couldn't throw away after she died LOL) after he's gone home - he wonders why it's a mess in the front room!!! :eek: GS is only 18 months old but is tidier than his grandpa!

My DD & SIL are planning a set too with him over easter so we can get some use back into my house (I want my dining room back!) then I might give his some peace over his stuff! I would then have to make sure that non on MY stuff is lying around as I'd get an earful about that!

kingfisherblue

Well done to all those who have made such a good start. I have to confess that I haven't done any decluttering today as things didn't go according to plan

I hurt my leg in badminton, so I came home a bit earlier than planned and started the treatment that the coach had recommended, but the pain got worse instead of better. I couldn't put any weight on my leg an hour after hurting it, so I rang NHS Direct, who told me to go to A&E

I was dealt with very quickly, but I'm on crutches for a few days as I have sprained the larger muscle in my calf - very painful! I can't stand for long as all my weight (and I have plenty ) is balanced on one side, which then starts to become painful.

I've cancelled Brownies tonight as I can't drive for a few days and there is nobody to take us - my daughter is the assistant guider, and she doesn't drive.

Hopefully later I can do a bit of decluttering and maybe I can get on with some whilst I'm at home for the next few days, but I need to rest as well.

Mupette

floss2 wrote: »

If you are hoping to be moved within a few months, can the redecorating wait until you are in your new place? Or have you asked the HA if they can repaint it for you, as you are unable to do it yourself?

Council don't and won't do.
I'm only getting the really skanky bits done because next month i have a French Exchange student staying for 2 weeks and feel very embarrassed about the state it is in.



Ohh and i made space in a corner of the living room today, must stop the urge to put something there. Scrubbed the loo, and told DS that we will pack away the Wii for now seeing as we are not really using it