Hoarding - A New Start

This_Year

It only took me 10 minutes to tidy the kitchen and wash up today. Everything has a place and it goes back in its place. In doing so I unearthed a vile boat shaped dish which had crept into a cupboard.

I hate it and told OH it's for the charity shop, he agreed and wondered how it got in the cupboard. :think:

I went to "my" charity shop the other day and as soon as I was in the door this lad said to me "buy a heart for £1" - I was wearing the same heart on my coat already! I pointed to it and said, "I have one" and so he pushed a donation sack in to my pocket :eek: and said "have a donation bag then" I pulled it out again and said, "I do donate regularly, actually..." but he had gone. I just walked out, and had been looking to buy some stuff.

I found that very intimidating - I'm not one who gets intimidated easily but his demeanour was threatening! I thought about it over the weekend and have now raised a complaint as I don't want to be harassed as soon as I walk into the shop!

May rethink my charity of choice for a while.

lostinrates

Well, I have started spring cleaning. It's a slow process. The bathroom is done, the back landing too. Continued decluttering bedroom. Today I want to clean the TOTAlLY de Richarded front landing. . That's all I aspire to complete, because its an achievable target.


The study we had under control is full of boxes again.....just boxes and boxes of books and CDs. Sigh.


On the sort of plus side, the wheels bin collection is next week, but is already almost full of Richard. Parting with stuff is getting easier and easier.

whitewing

Sun is shining here. DH has gone into town with a list of chores as long as your arm, but has been organised enough to take everything I got ready for him while he was at work yesterday, and the couple of things that I didn't have time to prepare.

I have been round straightening the house, collected all the 5p's, 2p's and 1p's that get left lying around and popped them into DD's moneybox.

Also collected the weekend's dirty washing, but am just tumble drying a couple of bits that have been on the airer, which need finishing off and then they can go away.

Got a small pile of bus tickets that I need to reimburse DS for.

So again, am feeling pretty organised at the moment.

Have a work document to write that will end up about 30 pages. I will have to chip, chip away at this in between the other work jobs.

May go and vacuum now.

penguin83

Morning all hope the sun is shining where you are.

Hall is still looking good after the dehoarding/putting things away mission. There is even a vase of flowers on the coffee table in there which is a novelty as normally you wouldn't even know there was a table there!

Going to sweep the hall and then straighten the living room and then tackle the 25 black bin bags full of clothes that are in the dining room (not that any dining can currently take place in there). Should be a nice stash for the charity shop. Not going to do my clothes until after the baby is born as I am lighter at 39 weeks preg than I was at 12 weeks (I was overweight to begin with) so I have no idea what will fit me so will concentrate mainly on kids clothes and my clothes that I know I won't ever wear (what on earth possessed me to buy a pale pink above the knee skirt in a size 20. Like I would have the legs to carry that off!)

Will report back later. xxx

penguin83

By the way I stumbled across this flowchart which may help some people with the decision making process of what to do with certain items. It may be unsuitable but thought it could be of use to someone.

http://www.wonderfulpages.com/doodad/files/2008/05/declutter_flowchart.pdf

Florenceem

penguin83 wrote: »

By the way I stumbled across this flowchart which may help some people with the decision making process of what to do with certain items. It may be unsuitable but thought it could be of use to someone.

http://www.wonderfulpages.com/doodad/files/2008/05/declutter_flowchart.pdf

Thanks - a visual always helps me.

pelirocco

This_Year wrote: »

My partner is a hoarder.

You're in my house. From the front door, look towards the stairs. That's them, behind the freezer. Which has boxes of "stuff" stacked on either side. Go left into the lounge, what's that in the other archway to the dining room? Boxes. Those green boxes that T*sco have salad delivered in. They stack so well, and look so *right* in the lounge, don't they?

Go through to the dining room. That's a dresser behind those boxes, and that window is actually french doors. Careful as you pull that chair out, that radiator hasn't been connected to the wall yet and it'll hurt.

My kitchen is relatively clutter-free, just careful of those trainers in the doorway and that tool box sticking out from where the old boiler has been kept for the time being (no idea why, as it doesn't work).

The back hallway has a row of Avon boxes stacked five high, do turn to the side so you can wiggle through the gap to the back door, mind as you open it!

On the right is the downstairs loo. Currently with a set of old cupboard doors, a huge green glass bulb which was bought to make an indoor garden, 2 pairs of hiking boots and the empty loo roll box (destined for the allotment). All making the use of that room hazardous.

Back to the dining room and up the stairs. In front of you more Avon boxes four high here, and then the bathroom on your left, kept clear only by my persistant [STRIKE]nagging [/STRIKE]reminders and removal of inappropriate items.

Ahead is the spare bedroom. Somewhere under those boxes is a bed. The shelves groaning under the weight of accumulated "stuff" - sorry, that small box there is my current ebay auctions, but the rest is his. I've not been able to get to the window for 5 years.

And it needs a damn good clean! :eek:

Come back out, that's the children's bedroom - those Avon boxes (four high) against this wall are my partner's too.

Turn to the side a bit here, need to wiggle through these M&S boxes (four high along the entire length of the passage) and into my bedroom.

On the right more boxes. In front of you, more boxes and over by the window, a pile of - boxes. To the side, on top of what used to be my lovely chest of drawers with a few photographs displayed in frames on top, more boxes, shoebox size now, stacked to the ceiling, and also on top of the wardrobe. Some semblence of order here; these have a number on them for indexing purposes. :eek:

The lovely bay window, the main reason I bought the house? Stacked window ledge high with more stuff. I can use my dressing table if I sit with my legs to one side and don't open drawers too wide. Lastly there's more green boxes to the right of the bed, and then those shoved under the bed.

I'll leave the shed tour to another time.

As I'm "not allowed to touch his stuff" - he does fret and get panicky if I seem to be thinking about it! I spend my time dreaming about living in a uncluttered house and never ever, having a single box in or out of sight!

I am not sure if anyone has said it ( working my way through posts )


But that is a fire hazard, not only that the stuff may burn well, but you have blocked fire escapes , and that has to be addressed

This_Year

pelirocco wrote: »

I am not sure if anyone has said it ( working my way through posts )


But that is a fire hazard, not only that the stuff may burn well, but you have blocked fire escapes , and that has to be addressed

Thank you - that was a few weeks ago now and we're a lot less cluttered now

whitewing

This_Year wrote: »

Thank you - that was a few weeks ago now and we're a lot less cluttered now

Can you repaste your original post and tell us what's changed, I love updates but I tend to remember posts and users but not which user wrote which post?

I think it is worth people remembering about fire and health hazards of hoarding. If one is anything like me, with things that I am reluctant to deal with, I need at least 5 reminders over 6 months before I will start to pull my finger out, but goodness me, when I do get moving....!

So much more is getting done in our house now in general. We are beginning to free up time from daily tasks and still work the same or slightly longer hours; we may even be able to have a life soon!

I have never been as quietly happy as the last 3 weeks. You are all inspirational to me.

This_Year

whitewing wrote: »

Can you repaste your original post and tell us what's changed, I love updates but I tend to remember posts and users but not which user wrote which post?

.

My partner is a hoarder.

You're in my house. From the front door, look towards the stairs. That's them, behind the freezer. [STRIKE]Which has boxes of "stuff" stacked on either side.[/STRIKE] Go left into the lounge, what's that in the other archway to the dining room? [STRIKE]Boxes. Those green boxes that T*sco have salad delivered in. They stack so well, and look so *right* in the lounge, don't they? [/STRIKE]

Go through to the dining room. That's a dresser [STRIKE]behind those boxes,[/STRIKE] and that window is actually french doors. Careful as you pull that chair out, that radiator hasn't been connected to the wall yet and it'll hurt.

My kitchen is [STRIKE]relatively[/STRIKE] clutter-free, [STRIKE]just careful of those trainers in the doorway and that tool box sticking out from where the old boiler has been kept for the time being (no idea why, as it doesn't work).[/STRIKE]

The back hallway [STRIKE]has a row of Avon boxes stacked five high, do turn to the side so you can wiggle through the gap to[/STRIKE] the back door, [STRIKE]mind as you open it[/STRIKE]!

On the right is the downstairs loo. [STRIKE]Currently with a set of old cupboard doors, a huge green glass bulb which was bought to make an indoor garden, 2 pairs of hiking boots and the empty loo roll box (destined for the allotment). All making the use of that room hazardous.[/STRIKE]

Back to the dining room and up the stairs. In front of you [STRIKE]more Avon boxes four high here, and then[/STRIKE] the bathroom on your left, kept clear only by my persistant nagging reminders and removal of inappropriate items.

Ahead is the spare bedroom. Somewhere under those boxes is a bed. The shelves groaning under the weight of accumulated "stuff" - sorry, that small box there is my current ebay auctions, but the rest is his. I've not been able to get to the window for 5 years.

And it needs a damn good clean! this is my next project

Come back out, that's the children's bedroom - [STRIKE]those Avon boxes (four high) against this wall are my partner's too.[/STRIKE]

Turn to the side a bit here, [STRIKE]need to wiggle through these M&S boxes (four high along the entire length of the passage) [/STRIKE]and into my bedroom.

[STRIKE]On the right more boxes. In front of you, more boxes[/STRIKE] and over by the window, a pile of - boxes. To the side, on top of what used to be my lovely chest of drawers with a few photographs displayed in frames on top, more boxes, shoebox size now, stacked to the ceiling, and also on top of the wardrobe. Some semblence of order here; these have a number on them for indexing purposes.

The lovely bay window, the main reason I bought the house? [STRIKE]Stacked window ledge high with more stuff.[/STRIKE] I can use my dressing table [STRIKE]if I sit with my legs to one side and don't open drawers too wide. Lastly there's more green boxes to the right of the bed,[/STRIKE][STRIKE] and[/STRIKE] then those shoved under the bed.

I'll leave the shed tour to another time.

As I'm "not allowed to touch his stuff" - he does fret and get panicky if I seem to be thinking about it! I spend my time dreaming about living in a uncluttered house and never ever, having a single box in or out of sight!

****************************************************

Hope this makes sense?! Everything crossed out is done. Which looking at it is a phenonomal achievement. Worth my hissy fit!

So I have a clear-ish hall (just the freezer still there) clear-ish lounge, no boxes! Clear dining room, lovely clear uncluttered useable kitchen, clear back hallway and clear downstairs loo.

I can have guests over!

Upstairs the hallway is clear, the back bedroom is a project pencilled in for April and the boxes on the chest of drawers although not ideal, are indexed and the contents are being gradually sold - OH wrapped 15 parcels today from ebay sales.

So a lot has been achieved, but still more to do.