Clutter free help please

Freecycle is very good. People are often glad to pick up something they need for free.

Two thoughts, as our loft and garage are in a very similar state.
It can be an idea to bring in some "muscle" to help with trips to the dump or being ruthless, for instance I "hired" my cleaner for a whole day to blitz the garage, but when I read this

I think you need to hire a professional team to perfectly declutter your home.
I did wonder if the professional team in mind might be called clutterbusters

So I would lay it on the line with any family who are using you as free self storage!
and 2)
Go at it a corner at a time - or if storing things, a "person" at a time

There's a corner of my bedroom occupied by paper work of various kinds - some most of it out of date. I try to pretend it isn't there and close the door on it when I finish getting ready in the morning, but something must be done before my DS2 brings the boys up to visit the week before Christmas!

I think you need to hire a professional team to perfectly declutter your home.

So, here's another clutter story....Hubby and I have also been thinking of downsizing. Not right away, but hopefully within the next two to five years. We could have done it earlier, but the housing market in our area (Pennsylvania, USA) has been such a drag and is finally beginning to show signs of life. Our two story house is just too big for two people and upkeep is a lot of work. Like many of you here, every time we try to de-clutter, nostalgia gets in the way. We live in a community where yard sales are not allowed and Ebay is too cumbersome for selling heavy furniture, exercise equip. etc. Local pickup is risky, because you never know who you're letting into your house. To add to all this, one of our daughters and SIL bought a new house in 2006 and stored a lot of unwanted furniture and boxes in our basement (much of it is still there). My mother died in 2010 and a lot of her things are in my house now too which added a few more boxes in the basement. So, here we are with a house full of memories (and way too much stuff). It's so easy to dispose of things you don't want; not so easy if they're things you love or have sentimental value. So, I'm left wondering how I'm ever going to "psyche" myself into detachment from such prized possessions. Otherwise, I will never be ready, no matter how much time passes. Thankfully my house is tidy and well organized and I know where everything is (unlike TV show 'hoarders') but I need to listen to some of your advice, even if I have to start one knick knack at a time...and for whatever it's worth, that was my rant. Best, Willa

What a fantastic idea willa45

Had friends who moved to another part of the country (1500 miles away) and decided to sell everything and replace brand new on the other side (save money on movers too). A short time before the big move, in a near empty house, they hosted a (free) Chinese 'adoption' auction, one tag per guest, per item. Basically, my friend collected all the things they hadn't sold or never wanted to go to strangers, and put them on display. They ordered a keg of beer and lots of pizza and invited neighbors, friends and family. All their unwanted things found new homes! Lots of fun too and a great success!

It isn't wanting things back when I send them to the charity shop that stops me de-cluttering it is the fact that whatever I send off, a couple of months later SOMETHING will happen and I will think "I have the very thing!" only to realise whatever it is, the item in question was in the last charity bag. Of course if I hang on to things they are no b*** use whatsoever!

Marie Kondo...brilliant book. Has helped me. So much advice and fun to read as well.

jings
I like your giraffes too and quite understand you fishing them back. Perhaps too much thinking about things once they are in the bag should be avoided?

This advice is all very well but if your OH is a hoader who will not part with any rubbish you have to be far more subtle and smuggle it out of the house when he has gone out.

They havewn't gone to a charity shop. I got them OUT OF THE BAG AND PUT THEM BACK IN LIVING ROOM.

Oh shoot! caps again.

I like the giraffes; which charity shop have they gone to?

We have loads of books which we never look at and don't particularly want, but they could be worth something. CBB to Ebay them though (or I might if I could sort out exactly how to do it and what all those terms mean, eg 'slight foxing on the end paper' etc. )

I will never be able to declutter unless I offload DH! Wires! Screws! Tools! Piles of paper! Objects that the French call 'trucs'

But he has his uses so the house will just have to remain cluttered! Makes housework a nightmare though

I am dreadful for keeping things in case they are needed in future. My husband's rule is...if you can replace it, throw if away.
Wish I was better at following it.....

As downsizing move is imminent, I have just spent the morning clearing a small cupboard of paperwork that I kept when I retired.

None of it had been looked at in 3 years! Also, why did I keep all the receipts, MOTs from cars long gone? I have no idea!

A Removal firm came to give a quote this morning, it looks like less than 50% of what we have got is being removed. Lots of trips to the tip in the next couple of weeks! I'm tired already!

x

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Giraffes one and two.

We need to downsize from a four bedroom house due to deteriorating health. How do I let go of sentimental things? I don't have a Kindle but love books. My art book collection Is worth a bit of money. I thought about Ebay but can't work out all the individual book postage costs. I have hundreds in a huge box in the garage.I gave a lot of art materials to the art college where I trained. How do you give things away without feeling like you're giving parts of your life away? Thanks for the tips. They're really helping.

You mean that not every home has giraffes?

I used to take great comfort from friends who said that they loved coming to my house because it was so relaxing. I'm not entirely sure that it was a compliment

At least they went home thinking how wonderfully tidy their own homes were

Is this some sort of joke? Like elephants in a mini?

Jinglebellsfrocks - how do you accommodate 2 giraffes in the living room?

That was about buying, not decluttering, I should add.

Jalima - when I was small my mother used to say
'Do I want it? Of course.
Do I need it? I think I do.
Can I do without it?'

The final answer, for most things was 'I can.'

That was her way of getting through the 1940s.

We used to have a caravan in N Wales and once when D and SiL were visiting SiL saw and really liked a large wooden duck in a gift shop on Anglesey. The shop was closed so the next time we were there we went over, an hours journey to buy it for him for C******s. Within weeks every garden centre within 2miles had them in. ?
This has made me wonder who got custody of if in the separation.

Jingl ??? Everyone needs a wooden duck in their lives!