Leaving your affairs in order..

Newly_retired

We easily managed to fill 3 skips from my parents' house, the first one being from Dad's woodstore and outside junk, the second from the shed, garage and greenhouse, the third from the loft space. Family members kept a few special items, afew peices of furniture were sold, then we got the house clearance people in, and they insisted on another skip for what they didn't want to take away.
I MUST NOT DO THIS TO MY CHILDREN.

margaretclare

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Well, the wildlife in Mum's garden is going to have to get on without the bits from her garage. There's enough clutter around her garden without adding a logpile reinforced by discards from the garage.

I bet they love it. Wildlife need places to hide, to be undisturbed.

You could use some of the bits to make your own log-pile. I've seen one made out of old pallets, with all kinds of stuff in between.

pollypenny

We took 5 boxes of stuff, which had intended to take to a car boot sale 2 years ago, to the Salvation Army shop!

Had a major, final chuck out of all school stuff - stuff I'd kept in case I tutoured.
We can walk in the garage now.

I also took a bag of good clothes to Oxfam. I was greeted by the most po-faced woman ever. This is the second time I have been made to feel like an undesirable there. I am a 63 year old retired teacher!

Is it me or has anyone else experienced the superior attitude?

margaretclare

I've taken good clothes to our local hospice shop and no, there was no 'attitude'. They were delighted.

Reason I took them: weight loss.

lilac_lady

dzug1 wrote: »

But spreadsheets can be just an easy way of compiling a list - you don't need to use any of the fancier facilities that no doubt you were expert in.

My method of writing a list is now pen and paper. Spreadsheets are on my mental (handwritten) list of things I never need to do again now that I've retired. :T

Eenymeeny

margaretclare wrote: »

I've taken good clothes to our local hospice shop and no, there was no 'attitude'. They were delighted.

Reason I took them: weight loss.

I presume that you were wanting to lose weight Margaretclare? In which case congratulations! I have 2 charity bags of clothes waiting for collection now. This thread and putting the house up for sale have really helped me be more decisive in clearing out. I've also decided that I'm never going to fit into those clothes again and if I do lose weight I'm going to treat myself to some new clothes!:D

seven-day-weekend

We had a good de-clutter of our UK house when we moved to Spain in 2004 as it seemed like a good opportunity to do so as our son and lodger were moving in. However they (now joined by son's girlfriend) have cluttered it up more than we ever did in nearly 30 years of living there! :rotfl:

We have managed NOT to clutter our Spanish house in six years of being here. I know where EVERYTHING is!:D


I actually find it quite stressful now to live in clutter. I have some friends who are the world's biggest clutter-makers, I advised themn just to throw away all the boxes they haven't looked in for years without ever looking in them again (as they obviously haven't needed or missed whatever is in them), but they can't bring themselves to do so. However, sometimes it's the only way to de-clutter, you have to be brutal.

As regards putting affairs in order, I have a list of our bank accounts and other documents readily accessible; however the accounts themselves and any other inportant documents are all accessible in files in my 'office'. Our executors have copies of our wills. However these will have to be redone as we will be making our UK house tenants-in-common this year.

margaretclare

Eenymeeny wrote: »

I presume that you were wanting to lose weight Margaretclare? In which case congratulations! I have 2 charity bags of clothes waiting for collection now. This thread and putting the house up for sale have really helped me be more decisive in clearing out. I've also decided that I'm never going to fit into those clothes again and if I do lose weight I'm going to treat myself to some new clothes!

Yes, it was a cause for celebration, although some of those clothes had been very expensive so that was sad, but the charity shop was delighted to have them.

I've gone down from size 22 to size 16 - slowly, over the last couple of years. Thanks for the good wishes.

pollypenny

Well done, MC!

SDW, one of reasons that I could never do a house exchange is clothes store storage! it would take my ages to empty drawers and wardrobes for the exchangers. I suppose clothes would have to go in the loft.

rexel

were is link on age concern website