KM. Downsizing, things and homes.

Well done crafty. I am not thinking of moving, but in the past I have moved 13 times and this enforces decluttering. Now I have stayed put for 23 years and have accumulated "stuff". Last year I followed the "6 a day rule" which worked really well for a few weeks and made me feel virtuous.

Unfortunately I then reached the harder decluttering, eg. paperwork, which had to be read through first, and individual decisions made, then the nuisance of hovering over the shredder to get rid of it, and I ground to a halt.

Your post has inspired me to make another start in the New Year.

I realised just now that we, as a couple, originally started in 2004, I remember having to get rid of things such as a chicken house. The loft was ful then, just in case the children would want them but of course they didn`t. That was the family home of 32 years, then we sold in 2006 and I remember that panic when we had to hire a skip

Sparklefizz, you are right to get started, life catches us up and suddenly we get older and circumstances change. I remember accompanying my husband to do the official photos of a brand new sheltered housing complex, was lovely with running water in the atrium. That was 2008 and I almost had a panic when I realised the size of those small flatlets. One small living room/kitchen, one tiny bedroom and a bathroom and that was it

I could panic now thinking about that but right now I have too much that I want to do, so much crafting of all sorts. Key has to be to carry on clearing, in small steps and not to be blind as to what can easily go

Took me four and a half years to totally get rid of clutter. My large garage/shed at the bottom of the garden in the house, reached the point of virtually no room to turn round. When I started to get rid of stuff there, I discovered things I had totally forgotten about. Thought it was an umbrella under some other stuff, and then discovered it was actually one of those fold-up pushchairs, that I had bought when I was looking after one of my g.children when she was small. I did sell a lot of the stuff in there on London Gumtree.
Did not actually finish clearing this garage out until less than week before I moved to my flat a few weeks back. The last lot of 'stuff' was paid to be collected by house clearance firm.
Little annoyed with myself as I gave away a perfectly good double duvet with a lovely cover and fitted sheet, just before I moved, thinking that there would be room for a double bed sized anything in the spare room of my flat. In fact there is, and I have put in a sofa bed that opens out to virtually double bed width - and then have had to buy new duvet and cover and bottom sheet!!#
Never mind, means my guests will have new items.
Only a few months back my larder freezer died, = convincing myself that (having been let down so many times), the sale would not go through - I replaced it with a large upright new one.
Neither room nor need of it in my new flat, have purchased a small under-counter one. That one has sat in my garage - thought about advertising it for sale (it is still under manufacturers guarantee), but have decided to take the easy way out and have offered it a local charity that helps homeless and other down-on-their-luck people set up home. They are coming to collect it on Saturday - hope it will do some family good service.
I found clothes about the hardest item to really get rid of. So used to having items in three different sizes as my weight goes up and down. But did bite that bullet, although I reckon when I get my new fitted wardrobes in and sort out the boxesI still have, will get rid of some more.
Books are also hard. When I moved into that house from the large family house, I managed (with great pain), to get rid of nearly a thousand books. Still took quite a lot with me -and have tried very much not to add to many to those over the years (do also use electronic book). Those I still have I desperately wanted to keep and, thank goodness, I do have room in the hallway of my flat to place them on some Ikea units.