eddie007

Ok... If there had been a category for the Barbie Pack Rat of the year in the new years dishonours lists I would have won hands down...

Worlds biggestpack rat.... As anyone who has been to my house and/or seen the inside of the garage will vouch for.....

Today I am commiting to decluttering and creating a peaceful minamilist environment....

Would like to get started right now...but HE wants to go to bed.... So will have to hope for a good nights sleep so I can start fresh first thing in the morning...

First job...... The wardrobe...

I have T shirts I've owned for 20 years+
Handbags i've never used
Shoes i've never worn
Clothes i wouldnt be seen dead in or havent been able to wear for 10 years...
Brand new bra's with tags that I can't wear because they don't fit properly or make me feel claustrophobic....

We are moving from huge bedroom with walkin the size of our second bedroom in the uk to a small double room with just 3 built in wardrobes...

So I need to get rid of at least 70% of my stuff....

Have been reading up on it.... Do it fast... Get everything out.... Have 4 piles... Bin, giveaway, love not sure..... Be HONEST about what I've worn in the last. Year etc etc etc,


Any decluutering tips you have will be gratefully recieved...

rasen78

Make sure you have plenty of bin bags.

Work out the best route to the local charity shop, recycling centre and tip and check the opening hours. Turning up to the local tip half hour after it is shut, with a huge sofa hanging from the back of the car is NOT the way to do it

Sort out any stuff you can sell, take photos and wack in on ebay. Might as well make some money while you can

Anything that looks a bit worn is good for chaity and anything with holes, stains etc can be recycled.

Don't rush yourself and do it one wardrobe/cupboard at a time. Don't let yourself get distracted by stuff you rediscover. If you forgot you had it, it ain't important and don't need it

If you are finding it a bit hard, get a friend in to help you, preferably an impartial one. I wouldn't suggest using HIM as IME, men can be a tad, erm, brutal

Good luck

moneypenny20

Unless it's their stuff in which case it becomes vital that you keep it, regardless of the years it's been hidden under six boxes of crap.

rasen78

Indeed.

Japonica

Move overseas and don't ship a full container. We only shipped boxes, and "only" about 70 at that, so it meant 11 years of clutter, junk, mementoes and the like all went bye bye (along with all the furniture, lol).

And we had a four bedroom house, two floors, with a huge storage room.

Three years on, I can count on one hand the items that got binned or donated that I wish I'd kept (one was a set of framed Bill Reid art cards, so I'm ordering them from a gallery online and I'll have my replacements). The rest of the stuff, don't miss it.

I am though waging a new ongoing battle of clutter with the kids...they bring home a huge whack of art projects etc. from school. By the end of my daughter's school year last year, I had a plastic bin full of her portfolios, exercise books, posters, art projects...I'm going to have to do what I did in Canada with her preschool projects...take photos and bin/recycle the real things. Otherwise, imagine what the house will look like by Year 12.

The other thing is to follow through. I have about five bags of clothes for donating and items for gumtree and I haven't got around to dispatching either yet. The results of my decluttering is cluttering up the garage.

northernbird

Wondered if the Thermomix ended up in the 'give away to great NOR people' pile??

carolinephillips

Wish I could declutter my teen and OH. They seem to have masses of stuff. OH has a chest full of cables and keyboards etc. In a fortnight the council is having a free get rid of your old computer stuff (10 items max) so I am encouraging him to choose the most bulky 10 items and take them away. As for the garage.....well one side is clear as a car has to go in there, but the other side is piled up with STUFF. I'm too scared to try to find things in it.

eddie007

Sorry... Everything BUT the thermomix...

Looked at a declutter your house in 7 days youtube last night... Have a feeling that it'll take me 7 days just to do the bedroom...

In fact i think i'll put it off..... Sont want to start something i can't finish eh?

moneypenny20

Pay for my flights and I'll come over and do it for you.

eddie007

Thanks for the offer... But I may well be finished with the underwear draw before you get here... Being at it for an hour and nearly half way through!!!

You would not believe the new with tags frilly lacey UNWEARABLE stuff I have that came with us when we immigrated.....

moneypenny20

Don't do frilly lacy, never bought it. I don't really want to do your knicker drawer thanks, we all have our limits and other peoples undies drawer is mine.

eddie007

Ok.... 4 bin bags full ready for op shop..... And thats just the lacy stuff that MP says I can't talk about

Liberating... But VERY scarey....

Have a pink jaques vert outfit thats never been worn.... And an original pair of Beba trousers... Tags still on size uk small 10.... Will never get into them but they are all chinoisey.... Blacks reds, blues golds....

But i will never

But i will

Ok... Cant ditch them yet

jad n rich

Yeah, keep it!

As soon as you chuck it out someone will want the very item you binned last week

eddie007

NO NO NO NO NO I'm doing so well......

Well the bin bags are nest to the front door.... Havent made it out of the house... Perhaps I'll just... NO THEY ARE GOING

eddie007

Five bin bags.. Five pairs of shoes and five handbags... All going OUT!

Still can't give up the Biba trousers... I mean... They cost 20 quid nearly 30 years ago and it was a weeks rent at the time.....