De-cluttering, the never-ending process

Depends on how much you fancy a garden party at the palace . I'd go for getting rid, but each to her own.

😁

I'll buy a fascinator.

Had to laugh this morning when I was reading about a decluttering method called 'room quieting'. Basically you declutter the room of everything you don't want in it. I've done that a number of times. The clutter just moves from room to room - I guess in the end you just get fed up with moving it around and chuck it out.

AreWeThereYet

Had to laugh this morning when I was reading about a decluttering method called 'room quieting'. Basically you declutter the room of everything you don't want in it. I've done that a number of times. The clutter just moves from room to room - I guess in the end you just get fed up with moving it around and chuck it out.

Oh, is that what it's called!
I'm always doing that.

Oh, I have procrastinated researched the topic by reading all the theories .

There is the 'move it once' method, where you only touch and item to put it away or bin it. No moving to a 'decide later' pile. there is the 'timer' method, where you do as much as you can in X minutes. There is the 'asinine' method, where you tip everything onto the bed, lose the will to live and sleep in the spare room for 6 months. And that's just for starters.

😂😂😂

I've enlisted a daughter to help. Any younger person will do as long as they're not called Ruth.

Yes, the less we see of Ruth the better

Clothes, a few books and puzzles and a few toys went to the charity shop today.
🙂

I bought two new jumpers

Happy to bag a lovely Seasalt coat today, the lady in the charity shop told me "November is a great month for bargains as everyone is decluttering their wardrobe" .Yay!
What goes around comes around (in a nice way for once).

I met a lovely lady yesterday, widowed a few months ago, her dd does not live nearby. She is downsizing to a retired living apartment, paid the deposit and they are starting building on that site early spring. Her house is not yet up for sale and she is going on holiday for several weeks, has not started clearing

It is like she has not really grasped the urgency of getting this started. She is fit and well. I have dropped a couple of pointers but need to keep my mouth zipped. I did not tell her that I was de-cluttering for three years and even then I brought too much. She thinks she will be able to take most of her stuff but honestly the reality is so very different.

No-one really knows how hard it is, until it happens. I did cardboard cutouts for the house and that helped somewhat but I never did the cutouts for my old garage plus big outbuilding and I wish I had

Perhaps she'll get a house clearance firm in and even buy new furniture too, more suited to a retirement apartment.

If building is not even starting until next Spring, perhaps she is afraid starting too early will hex her move!
It also sounds way too early to put the house on the market.
Do they have a projected completion date for the retirement flat?

Congratulations to the bargain-baggers

My decorator is here, and the fun has begun. She is working in the third bedroom, which is empty (who would have thought it when I started this?) and will start on the main bedroom on Friday, by which time all the wardrobes will have to be moved to the middle of the room and the bed upended or moved. I plan to finish the sorting of the second bedroom over the weekend so she can do that next, and the little room which is going to be my study will be last. It is now full of overspill from the third bedroom, which should be able to be put back by then.

We chose a carpet today, and the fitter is coming to measure on Friday. We can order it when they've sorted a price and should be able to get it fitted in the third bedroom early next week, and fit the others as they become empty. I have no idea how they will manage the main bedroom, as the wardrobes are solid and very heavy, but I'll discuss that on Friday. I will order furniture to arrive ASAP after each room gets its new carpet - I need two new beds and bedside tables, a desk and bookcase for the study, and possibly a new wardrobe if the one that Mr Dog broke can't be fixed. I have everything chosen and bookmarked, but am nervous about ordering in case something goes wrong with the decorating/carpet fitting and I have to put it somewhere. Phew! I know that some people could have done this standing on their heads, but for me it has been a massive project. It really seemed that it would be impossible to get all four bedrooms sorted to the point where I could have them redone, but we are getting there!

The kitchen starts in a couple of weeks, but I'm not thinking about that yet. . . .

We had a new bedroom carpet a few months ago and I thought I'd had a good sort out then but that was before summer clothes needed swapping for winter clothes.

I've just cleared a spare room wardrobe, drawers and underbed drawers of stuff ready for the first visitor 🙂

It never ends, does it?

How did the carpet fitters deal with the wardrobes? Did you have to move them out of the bedroom, or was there a workaround/

Doodledog, you'll have 'Hotel du Doodle' all ready for the festive season

Doodledog

It never ends, does it?

How did the carpet fitters deal with the wardrobes? Did you have to move them out of the bedroom, or was there a workaround/

We emptied the wardrobes, left clothes in drawers and moved the drawers into the next room then the carpet fitters moved the bed, wardrobes and other furniture and moved it all back again afterwards. I think we paid a bit extra but it was well worth it.

I did suggest to DH we had fitted wardrobes but he wasn't keen.

You are doing a fabulous job Doodledog.

Doodledog, it will be so nice when you have finished, very well worth the upheaval.

I did similar all through last winter, it took me six months to have the whole interior decorated. I moved everything myself. I have quickstep flooring throughout and got everything onto felt pads, using a device that would help me raise the furniture. I could then just push furniture and even the heavy oak stuff moved. I slid big heavy chests of drawers into other rooms that way

Never again though, every wall and ceiling is in the same eco paint, matt soft white and it is lovely, a cosy shade. I have a roller and can touch up any area. I used that same paint in our last house and ten years later, was able to cover all the filled-in holes before moving out. It never changed colour or shade

Planning ahead, as always. I am never going through full decoration again

keepcalmandcavachon

*Doodledog*, you'll have 'Hotel du Doodle' all ready for the festive season

That's the plan. I might be in a recovery home, but the others can enjoy it

That sounds doable, Cal. I need to speak to the fitters on Friday, but it's good to know what's possible.

Thanks for the encouragement, chums. It's needed, believe me!

I have had all the bedrooms done in the same colours, kl, with your idea in mind. One spare tin of paint should be enough to touch up anything that needs it. That's the theory, anyway.

The new carpet is lovely!
Especially when trekking to the loo in the night.

It's not the most expensive carpet but we chose the best underlay which makes a difference.

I was tempted to get carpet fitted around the wardrobes and leave under the beds bare too . Carpets are expensive enough, but when you add the underlay (and you're right that it makes a big difference) and the fitting, the original calculations based on the advertised price are way out, and in bedrooms most of the carpet isn't seen.

I'll need new underlay for all but the back room, which should be ok with what's down.

We've only had ours done, the others are ok!
And a new bed but that's another story.

I’ve now got mould underneath my dresser and have also found it inside the piano. I’ve got to somehow clear everything out of the dresser so I can turn it upside down and treat it. My daughter has borrowed a footstool which was taking up a lot of space in the living room so I have a bit more room to manoeuvre. Last time my son came here the first thing he said was ‘you’ve got too much furniture in this room’ and he was right. There’s no flow of air round the room. The dresser is full of exquisite little things that my daughter made when she was little and I’m going to ask her to take them to her house. I think I’ll shed a few tears when they go.