De-cluttering, still at it, still no end

My worst problems are the mismatch of intentions and ability to do things. So on a day when I feel up to doing some sorting out, am often physically struggling, so either cant do anything or very little. Of course on good days I try to do many things, mostly basics like shopping and cleaning up etc., so then too weary to even start sorting things out!! Gets very frustrating, and cant decide if I really do want to clear stuff or am glad of the excuse that I cant do it, to not even make an effort!

I used to decide to deal with one room and have a major day sorting, at the end of which I would feel shattered but pleased with my efforts. Now I need to scale it down to a cupboard or one drawer at a time, and be satisfied with that. But I need something to give me a push to start sorting things out again. At the moment, physically not able to do a lot, but even the thought of sorting a drawer seems too much. I always miss my lovely husband, but he was a great sorter out , and would be great at encouraging me to keep going to the end of something.

Not expecting anyone to come and stay either, which was always a great spur to tidying up and getting nore organised. Dont know how I change this as even aside from the cost I wouldnt be happy for someone just coming in and throwing stuff out without me going through it too, which rather defeats the object. !

I think I would do small Madelaine45

As the expression goes, how do you eat an elephant? 1 bite at a time.
That method has worked for me on oaccsions.

I second what Fancythat says. Many a time I only do a teeny bit, a drawer or a small shelf and I too find that a bite at a time works

Today I put an armful of old clothing out, collected a bit at a time over a week. To me that is another cubic foot of space as I did not put anything new back.

I make it a rule to dispose of one thing every day. Sometimes I do more but my one a day rule is gradually making space and helps me to feel I’m making progress.

madeleine i have a similar problem, in my mind I’m still in my 30s,fit and strong, wheras the reality is very different. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
The skip arrived this morning and so far I’ve put 6 old flowerpots and a lump of wood in it! My excuse is that I’ ve been awake since 4 o’clock this morning and am now tired. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

I am finding that I am putting more and more of my gardening tools and accessories into my allotment shed and keter storage box on my plot. I am just realising that no wonder my garage is looking more organised and neater. I inherited an empty shed and very badly overgrown and decrepit plot

I doubt I will ever bring anything back from the shed and the people up there will be welcome to all of its contents when I die. The magic of me getting space in my garage comes from that, not me waving a magic wand

No house de- cluttering done during the last few days, although I might well shift the bottom half of my heavy tagine out, the top went a couple of weeks ago.

There is nothing like an imminent house move to spur you on. We have done 2 Boot Fairs since Easter and another looms,

Books is the one thing I feel I failed at.
Only rehomed 6.
Result? The books were already overflowing a bit, and I shall need another bookcase.
Oh well.

fancythat I find it hard to get rid of books and have bookcases everywhere, including two empty ones in the loft!

Ah, books, that is why we always have a 'study' plus lots of bookcases in the living room and scattered round the house.

We are currently doing some hard book culling. When we sold our French house last year, all our English books came home. Some in boxes labelled 'Charity shop', but some to keep. Now we are downsizing in the UK and a lot of books have got to go.

It is hard work. 4 boxes have gone so far and 3 boxes are piled up - but we haven't even started on the study!!

My airing cupboard is so neat and I can find everything

2 years ago I bought 6 periea beau folding storage boxes from amazon. They are incredibly good. I measured shelf space and height very carefully and have two big boxes side by side on the two lower shelves. They have a folding internal metal frame and easily access via 2 way zips, plus a viewing window. Also they have space on top for a vcuumed woolen duvet

I bought 4 large at £14 each and 2 medium at £12, the medium ones to stack one on top of the other on the top shelf. I used vac bags and packed anything with wool into the vac bags and everything has gone neatly into 2 large and 2 medium. I do have a lot of welsh wool blankets, woollen mattress covers etc

The lower large bags have summer linens in one and winter in the other. I also have spares for the spare beds in them

I don`t trust packmate to remain in a vacuum but do trust them to keep the moths out. All those bags are neatly contained within those boxes

I have a double sided lined linen hamper in a spare room, it contains all my vac nags including the big double layered lakeland ones. I am keeping all of those as they made moving house so easy

It is not just about de-cluttering but neat storage and keeping good quality items safe to be inherited or as needed

Two hundred books have gone this week, to the NT bookshop. A volunteer came to my car with their buggy and lifted the boxes. So helpful. About 200 to go now.

I have a double sided lined linen hamper in a spare room, it contains all my vac nags including the big double layered lakeland ones. I am keeping all of those as they made moving house so easy
Sorry what are “vac nags” ?

Vac bags…

And they are….?

RosieandherMaw

And they are….?

Have a look at videos of packmate. These bags get rid of air and compress eg duvets and woollens plus moths cannot get in. There are bags that roll the air out but easier are the ones that can have air extracted via a vacuum cleaner

Still struggling to de-clutter as I have been side tracked by other things going on in my life. Not sure if my recent mood is what is holding me back - it's either that or DH.
We did spend a fair bit of time in the garden yesterday and the patio is almost clear - we have been cleaning out the grouting or whatever it is called between the flags as it needs re-doing but have been doing that and other jobs in between resting because of back ache or whatever pain is aggravating at the time. It all seems so very slow going. It all needs jet washing before the new grout stuff goes in. However everything that we are throwing is behind the gate so a trip to the tip is needed.
We have a family holiday coming up so will use the opportunity to find out what bits of our camping gear that DS wants and then we can sell or boot sale the rest. DD says she has a friend who likes up-cycling old furniture (we have a family 'heirloom' that no-one in the family is interested in) so need to take photos and see if they will make an offer to take it off our hands. If not I may just take a sledgehammer to it for therapeutic purposes!!
Have some more pieces to put on Vinted but some of it has been in the wardrobe so long that I want to wash and iron it before doing so. Holiday suitcases will be coming down from the loft soon so there maybe more bits there too. Plus old Christmas decorations to go too.
DH's train room is a nightmare - he agrees that it needs to go as he's not done anything with it in a few years. But in the meantime I keep sneaking in and getting rid of little bits that can get lost in the bin. I have emptied one cupboard which now houses old 45s and our important paperwork. But I reckon even the records could go. He kept them because they were his brothers' but he's been gone a good few years now and we don't even have a music system to play them on - there might be some valuable bits in there before letting them go. Lots of games that need sorting through although GCs like playing some of them - a lot are quite adult games so beyond their comprehension.
DH has finally said that the fish tank in the kitchen can go to the tip too - I said to him yesterday that these are his hobbies but if he's not using them then just get rid of them because the 'projects' never come to fruition. Neither of us had anything when we got together 24 years ago and the amount of stuff we have now is ridiculous. It just all saps my energy.

‘It just all saps my energy’
That pretty much sums this decluttering lark up doesn’t it! I look at what I need to do and just want to curl up in a ball and go to sleep.

I practically emptied the loft yesterday and my lovely gardener is coming today to do a tip run for me as she has a permit and a van. I do a cupboard at a time but it is a very slow process.

We did our third boot sale today, over the last few weeks, after paying for our pitch we are £150 better off.

I have been round the house twice but with removal companies coming in to give quotes I am going round the house, one room a day, and taking out everything that I think we will not need or have room for when we move.

Yesterday, it was the bathroom and airing cupboard, I have a great pile of towels and sheets and duvet covers I will never use again. The towels will go into the textile recycling at the tip, the bedding to a local charity that furnishes houses for the homeless. The council gives homeless people and families an empty flat or house and the charity helps them furnish it - and you need bedding as much as you need a bed.

In a moment I will start on the 3rd bedroom - most is coming with us, but there is a chest of drawers with all DH's theatre props, and lots of clothes hangers.

You are right, M0nica- some of our foodbank clients are in need, and appreciative of, linen, towels and household goods.
My old saucepans were snapped up last week.

I’ve been going through various rooms and am horrified by how many things I’ve bought and never used and clothes and shoes that I’ve never worn. A lot of it is impulse buying. A lot of it is stuff I’ve bought to organise the things I’ve bought. I went to pick up a picture I’d had framed and bought a painting that was in the picture framers shop, even though I’ve got pictures in boxes that I’ll never put on a wall because I have no wall space. A few years ago I could have taken the clothes to shops that sell good quality second hand clothes but those shops don’t exist now because everybody sells clothes on vinted and you only get a few pounds ( if that) for them. I drove to a second hand clothes shop that I used to go to only to find that it had closed down years ago! And I’ve just bought two dresses from Next even though I can’t remember the last time I wore a dress! It’s like an addiction. When she died my partners mums bedroom was full of clothes that she’d never worn. I think she just sent away for things because she got a buzz from receiving them in the post and I realised that I’m doing the same.

My local Oxfam isn't accepting clothes at the moment because it has too much. But happily accepted books and knick knacks.

Another charity shop is advertising for stock!

Oh dear MayBe70.

I dont know what to write or suggest, but good that you have worked out your problem.

I've been in the loft again today, I'm envious of those who can clear their loft with one trip to the tip! I have enough for another trip & I've probably taken 4 carloads already over the last 4 months, & sold 50+ items on ebay & vinted.
We do have a big loft & got into the bad habit of putting things up there because I don't like our rooms cluttered.
When we had our roof done, they left everything in the loft & didn't even use dustsheets (I was in London & didn't know roofers were coming that week). I did clear the big chunks of plaster & cleared all the dust from valued things, but the obscure boxes & corners were still all covered with fine dust, so I've been up there with the Henry in overalls & dust-mask all afternoon. It does look much better but there's still so much stuff!