I have so much stuff in the loft/attic. Have you, and when will I get rid?

choccyface2006

I cleared my parents loft out only this week, I took a week off especially to do it with my mum.

it was pretty much untouched since they had an extension 24 years ago but lots of the 'treasures' have been there since they moved in - 37 years ago.

I knew I had lots of sentimental things up there and I found them all (I'm 41 now) diaries from the 80s, love letters from my first love, in fact lots of letters including some from school friends, House of Commons, TV shows, my Blue Peter competition winners letter and prize, my favourite books, favourite cuddly toy, some hideous 80s clothes, exam papers, schoolwork, GCSE results, posters, first records and tapes, the outfit I wore to the Queens jubilee in the 70s, things I bought for my first house in the 90s which my dad could never find...

I also found my mum's diaries, old passports, receipts for my dad's first cars, very old work contracts, postcards send from my now departed grandparents, cine film...

Of course there was a lot of rubbish too, broken furniture, bags and more bags of clothes, loads of things that should never have been up there in the first place so it's been a mammoth task but it is now it's completely empty and I've brought all my goodies home to sort, my siblings have a pile each and we've taken multiple car loads to the tip and charity shop.

My mum has washed any special clothes and is making tags so we know why they've been kept, we've bought proper storage boxes which will be well organised, everything going back up there has some sentimental value now.

I am so glad we did it because I've found all the things that were precious to my family and I many years ago. I keep a daily diary now so finding my old ones has been a revelation but reading what a little swine I was as a toddler in my mum's diary was enlightening. Sitting with her and talking about it this week was lovely but at the time my mum couldn't see an end to the dirty nappies, not being able to sleep, trying to cope with my baby sister and my tantrums...

I'm happy I did this now while she is around to explain otherwise how would I know that the little red patent bag was saved up for over several months and my mum was so proud of it and loved it so much in her late teens?

It would be really hard doing this because she had died and out of necessity (she is only 64, fit and heathy and not going anywhere for a long time hopefully but you know what I mean).

Next time I take some time off we plan to tackle the garage (gulp!).

Sarah

VfM4meplse

choccyface2006 wrote: »

Next time I take some time off we plan to tackle the garage (gulp!).

Sarah

I did this a couple of years ago, but out of necessity as my parents had mice and you guessed it, one of the points of entry was through the garage. It's still used for storage, but aside from my dad's gadgetry it's mostly fast moving bulk consumables in there (toilet rolls, oversize cartons of drink, tins etc). And thankfully mice free

Last year they were unlucky enough to be burgled by professionals, which meant that nothing was untouched. It could have been a golden opportunity to ditch a lot of stuff but one that my mum stubbornly resisted. We did have some funny moments though amongst the clear-up operation; they found my grandfathers birth certificate, which my mum had been trying to locate for years, and my old clarinet that my dad had promised to gift to someone but then couldn't find

What made me really laugh was every now and then, buried amongst the debris we'd find the odd tampon and ST.....one of the things my mum no longer needs but still buys in case her daughters come to stay and get caught short!

pollypenny

We have a huge loft, over a big bungalow and OH is a hoarder.

When we had to clear it for the ungraded insulation, I discovered that almost everything from DS' house, sold for move to the USA, was in our loft. He'd actually moved in with us while I was in France on a school trip.

There were bags of clothes, crockery, bedding, CDs and computer games.

It took us weeks to sort it and we kept all the local charity shops going. we put a section of hard flooring down, foolishly, so there's loads there again.

Rainy-Days

My late parents home was a bungalow that had an absolute Tardis of a loft space. My dad had installed a train track running around the edge of it!

Two years ago when I decided to sell I had to have a huge think about the loft - there was 30 odd years of stuff up there.

Over the course of four weeks on and off I cleared through loads and I means loads of stuff. I also found my dolls cot up there which my dad had made for me in the 1970's when I was a little one! I have kept that because to me it holds significant sentimental value and I have it in the third bedroom here with one of my big old dolls sat in it!

Only thing we have in the loft now is a fan and three cardboard boxes with the Christmas decorations in. Thats it. Facing up to that mountain of stuff in the last loft made me realise that you have to - at some point - deal with what is up there and when you do it's pretty liberating especially when you look up and see this huge vortex of space!

greent

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

Still got a cot bed in there, bunk beds, etc. need to get around to doing something with them.


I hate to throw things away, but will happily give to someone who can make use of them, but it is finding them that is the problem. Everyone wants new.

PoppyOscar - I have no idea where you are, but there are lots of 'baby banks' around the country which are crying out for cots, bedding, childrens toys and books etc to pass on to local families who need support - like a food bank, but physical items for children in families. There may be one such organisation near you who would probably love your cot bed


I volunteer for one in Gloucestershire and people have to be referred to us (like foodbanks) - by family workers, housing associations, social workers, midwives, schools etc - and sadly the demand is growing. When we first started about 4.5 years ago we'd get one referral every 6 weeks - now we get the equivalent of more than 1 a day.

slowcoachme

My loft and garage are also heaving. Took some choice bits to a local auction house and made £143.

Rummer

We have loads of things in our loft, however we have been clearing it out over a period of time. Emptying one box every so often is far less intimidating than trying to do it all at one time. There are also lots of thing up there that we use at various times throughout the year like the Christmas decs, halloween costumes etc

Goldiegirl

We had stuff from brought from our first house loft, and then put in this house loft, plus everything accumulated from our years in this house. We are not even major hoarders, but our problem was that, when we got something new, like a TV or a computer, we'd put the old one in the loft, 'just in case'. We had periodic culls over the years, but got really serious with it about 6 years ago. We only finished this year - but we were taking it very slowly, as a lot of stuff was sold on eBay.

pollypenny

Goldiegirl wrote: »

We had stuff from brought from our first house loft, and then put in this house loft, plus everything accumulated from our years in this house. We are not even major hoarders, but our problem was that, when we got something new, like a TV or a computer, we'd put the old one in the loft, 'just in case'. We had periodic culls over the years, but got really serious with it about 6 years ago. We only finished this year - but we were taking it very slowly, as a lot of stuff was sold on eBay.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

OH is a 'just in case" type, as well as thinking some stuff 'will be worth money' in years to come.

He has every tool since he started his apprenticeship!

greenbee

pollypenny wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

OH is a 'just in case" type, as well as thinking some stuff 'will be worth money' in years to come.

He has every tool since he started his apprenticeship!

Maybe suggest that the time has come when it should be worth money and he can start getting it all down and selling it...