Anyone decluttering or need to declutter out? - Page 2

[Jyotsna]

Putting House on Market

I want to be able to put my house on the market in 2 weeks. I am also in a purging mode right now, but it is going awfully SLOW.

Anyone have advice for organizing it? Like bins for different things, goodwill, garbage..or whatever?

I have three kids, and I am constantly busy caring for them. We are looking at a house and if we don't get our house on the market and sold quick, then we will lose this really affordable and large house.

I feel like I walk through the house, to different rooms. Just to purge the unneeded in one room looks so overwhelming.

I need your tips!
Thanks,

Jyotsna**mama to ds 8, dd, 4 and dd 4.
See my blog...http://jyotsnasjournal.blogspot.com/

[Linda KS]

Originally Posted by Jyotsna

Anyone have advice for organizing it? Like bins for different things, goodwill, garbage..or whatever?

We've moved a lot -- here is my method.

I take a trash bag and a box (if you don't have a box use a different kind of trash bag) and start going through a shelf or closet or whatever. I put all the trash in the bag, all the donations in the box. As soon as the bag or box is full, I take it to the big trash can outside OR the back of the car (my family will take stuff back out if they have the chance so I have to get things out of the house as quickly as possible). Then I get another bag or box and keep going. I don't try to organize what is left because that just gets me side tracked.

I work for 1 hour at a time (I set the timer), and then take a break and get something to drink, sit down, think about what I want to work on for the next hour. My time is much more productive if I take breaks.

Since you want to put your house on the market in 2 weeks you have a lot to do. I find it easier to do this stuff without the kids -- so I would send DH out with the kids for a few hours OR send them out to play if the weather is OK OR just let them watch a video.

The next time I leave my house I take the donations and drop them off. Get a receipt -- it is a tax deduction.

Getting rid of the stuff that your family no longer needs will make it easier to show your home, keep your home picked up, and make it easier to move.

I've posted my list of decluttering questions before, but I can't remember which thread -- would you like me to type them up again?

[Amys1st]

Linda- yes post them!

Please please please get all that clutter out before listing your house. We just looked at a house today (open house) and they had so much stuff piled high everywhere. I understand they are getting ready to relocate but wow they had their stuff!

I remember reading in flylady to always make your house look like you're getting ready to sell it.

During nap time or video time or after putting the kids down for the night, spend one hour only and just start sorting. Have a keep bin, toss, and donate/sell. It will get easier after you do it a few times. You will learn right away once you get going how its going to work.

Once you make it a habit it becomes second nature. We schedule a charity pick up every 3 months to come. We get a box going and its always full and usually another bag when the day comes.

[Linda KS]

The Decluttering Questions:

Do I love this item?

Have I used it in the past year?

Is it really garbage?

Do I have another one that better?

Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it?

Does it give me guilt and make me sad when I see it?

What does this represent?

Why am I afraid to get rid of it?

How long am I going to carry it around?

Does it bless my fmaily? Could it bless someone else's family?

I have these printed out and I carry them with me while I am decuttering. I pick an item, and then read through the questions. I have gotten rid of a ton of stuff on "How long am I going to carry it around."

GOOD LUCK. This is hard work but it is very freeing emotionally.

[Ellien C]

Originally Posted by thistle

I believe our homes are a reflection of our emotional state. I have read enough on this. I prefer an uncluttered home and have worked hard to get ours that way, though keeping on top of it is still a challenge for me.

Thanks for posting.

There are a couple of great books written by poeple who are NOT naturally organized. "Get Your Act Together" by Pam Young and Peggy Jones (aka The Slob Sisters). They celebrate the great qualities of the disorganized and help you develop a system that will work for your family. Another is "The Messies Manual" by Sandra Felton.

I love the Messies manual - only thing that has helped me.

For the more spiritual side I found "Spiritual Housecleaning" (dunno the author, got it from the library)

I've been STALKING this on Amazon!
Recomended? I was even discussing with my minister, also a packrat.

And remember--even well organized clutter is still clutter.

Thanks. I think I really have a problem.

[Amys1st]

Linda:
Very good list!

That is basically along the same line of what I ask myself when going threw things.

[Linda KS]

I'm working on decluttering my book collection. I'm taking one bag of books (about 15) every week and donating them to the friends of the library. I don't know how many books we had to start with but I've gotten rid of over a hundred-twenty now and I've barely made a dent. We move often and I'm sick of dragging these books all over the country. I feel like they are weighing me down -- like I've got a stone tied to my leg that I'm dragging around.

So here's my question....

Why do I feel scared and panicky about getting rid of them? These are books that I haven't touched in years except when moving. When I want something to read, I can't find anything I want to read. I feel like I can't buy new books because I already have so many. We will move again later this year and I'm NOT taking these with me on another move. Why Why Why do I have weird feelings about letting them go?

Does anyone feel weird when decluttering things that you know you don't want?

[Amys1st]

I have heard almost everyone I talk to say the same thing- "I have trouble letting it go. " I also was like this. Then I started asking myself the questions listed on this discussion- try it, it works. Once you make that decision to do it its so much easier. I also have seen on clean sweep on TLC- the organizrs have very direct and pointed questions that make it easier. I agree w them 99% of the time. They will not pressure someone to do something they don't want to do, but they will point out that they wanted to get out of this mess in their house.

I found that I had so much stuff I did not know WHAT I had and would buy things two and three times since I could not find the first one.

Again, I and my family feel more healthy, clean, and energized by getting rid of whatever that takes over your house.

Do you have time to read all those books?
Are they something that someone else can use?
Do you have doubles of any or rlated books on related subjects?

You could organize a book lover's take away. Tell anyone you know that you're getting rid of books and have them ready to go when anyone comes to get them. Have boxes standing by and say to take how ever many. I did this with other items and off they went to a happier family since they did not have to pay for these items and it was 1 less thing in my house.

[arty_mum]

just reading this thread has inspired me to continue my slow but steady decluttering project... every time i get some done, it feels so good..

[MaryBethMoore]

Tackling Toys

My biggest problem is toys. Tons of toys.

I've manage to almost completely decluttr the main floor of our house. I must add that our house is pretty small Anway I'm down to ONE laundry basket of clutter. I should just toss it and in fact I may but I'm too compulsive to do that.

I've set up a "toy store" in our basement. I've got shelves full of bins sorted by type. The kids can take one or two bins to play with and return it when they are done.

Most importantly I am slooowwwly easing stuff out the door to Goodwill. I'm starting with the easy stuff that they've outgrown or show no interest in. Also happy meal junk too.

The hardest part is things that are missing parts. I'm packing them in boxes so they are out of sight. As I find them I'll send them along to Goodwill.

More than you wanted to know I'm sure.

My main floor is not neat or clean at the moment (the kids have trashed it) but it could be in half an hour. It's a wonderful feeling.

Mary Beth of Paul (8), Harry (6), and Timmy (3)

[Amys1st]

It is a wonderful thing that if you house is trashed, it can be rescued in a half hour. My DH says we are 20 minutes away from company always.

It takes me 5 minutes every night to tidy up our playroom/toystore. I did the same thing. I also move the merchandise every few weeks- moving stuff out and out of sight and putting new things there that we also out of sight for a while. We also just moved everything around- shelf on a different wall etc and DD has spent hours there busy w playing. Its so easy to do with this system of a different crate for each toy- I pick a few up and put away and put others in its place. It takes a total of 30 seconds.

Its a good thing this system is in place since we plan on selling our house this year to move on to a bigger space. Of course with our organization now, we will be very spread out in our new place.

[Ellien C]

Thought I'd check in (thanks for the PM) and give an update. I started doing 2 things earlier this year 1) Folding my towels and 2) Making my bed. And like Flylady and the kitchen sink, it has made a difference in my attitude. Kind of like, my DD deserves to grow up in a house where people respect themselves enough to make their beds and fold up the towels. I used to just cram the towels onto bar, but now I take just a few seconds to fold them neatly. I think I've succeeded in putting the energy into my house. My DH will make the bed on his own and I NEVER said anything. He has also voluntarily stared cleaning our shared office/sewing room, which has never looked better. He still have every bank statement, paycheck and quarterly investment statement for the last 25 years, but they are a little neater now in labeled envelopes!

I have the spiritual house cleaning book, but it hasn't been nearly as useful as the Feng Shui book Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life. We still have a long way to go, but we are starting to see some progress!

[Jyotsna]

Thanks!

Thanks for all the advice. We didn't get the house on the market in 2 weeks, but it is near ready now.

I decided to invite some friends over to stay the weekend of Easter, and that alone has motivated me to do something about this. The worst part has always been the play room, and it is finally looking great. I have the crib for sale on our local garage sale yahoogroups, and hope that will be gone soon. Once it is, the playroom will be done.

Unfortunately, I am a terrible pack rat when it comes to important papers and documents. So I started going through all that too and now I am so happy that I have really got it to a managable amount, only the most important papers.

I have made runs to Goodwill several times, or given things away on our Freecycle list in our city. That feels good.

I had to fill in some holes that were made by the kids swinging on the towel holders in the bathroom, and sanded that. It is ready for painting, and will look so much better.

My son's room is finally under control, and so is our laundry.

I think what is left now I will just store in the attic in rubbermaid bins.

Jyotsna

[5-of-us]

Originally Posted by Ellien C

I have the spiritual house cleaning book, but it hasn't been nearly as useful as the Feng Shui book Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life.

What is it that you do and don't like about these two books? When I look on Amazon, it looks like I'd like the opposite one, so was wondering what made the other more useful for you.

Thanks.

[G's mommy]

:

[PikkuMyy]

Hi everyone,

I'm prompted to post here by a thread in TAO where a family is living in squalor. No squalor here, but plenty of clutter in this tiny 1 BR cottage where I do my schoolwork, DH has his home eBay business (selling records, books, Cds, etc.) and where us nerds have Tons of books (in bookcases, with only about 4 piles on the floor and on our night tables). What we need to improve (no kids yet, thank God! from a clutter POV...)

Bedroom: laundry never put away but piled high in computer chair and in my under-bed drawer
books piled high on night tables

Kitchen: my desk piled with papers from school, bills, etc. and several file boxes of papers, and a drawer full of them; the area around my desk cluttered with stuff

Livingroom: books and records on the floor, table, couch, etc. We hardly ever eat at the table.

I'm mainly bothered by the trouble my paper clutter causes in terms of bills not paid on time and school papers lost or mishandled, and by the fact that Dh keeps saying that it'll be fine once our house is bigger, which is true, but I don't want it to become an excuse for letting it be cluttered now.

ETA: And a bigger house, although I'd have a real desk with drawers and all and it would help, would NOT solve my paper issues. That has to come from me.