How does one accumulate so much junk???

[kbkids]

We're getting ready to put our house on the market this spring, so I'm starting to declutter some, and it's just amazing!! We've only been in this house a year and a half. We purposely didn't unpack everything when we moved here because we knew it was only temporary. But still, there is just so much junk in here!! SIGH!! I swear DH and the kids never throw anything away! I got three garbage bags out of DD's room yesterday - not literally trash, just junky Happy Meal toys, stuffed animals (I swear they breed), coloring books that are all colored in. I start DS's room today, and I'm really dreading that one!

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

I think we don't realize how much stuff we accumulate over a week's time. What would happen if we actually wrote down the list of every new thing we brought in over one week?

Some people swear by removing one thing everytime they bring in something new, but I've never been able to do that myself. It's not that I don't WANT to get rid of these things...it's just a matter of time, it seems.

I feel for you because I'm going thru the same thing right now. I need to get this house on the market in a couple of months...it's horrible!

 

[Disney Doll]

You know, I was just talking about this the other day with a colleague who is moving after living in her home for 28 years!!! Imagine what she's accumulated!!!

I have been actually looking aorund my house lately with a critical eye as to what sort of things I might be able to "off-load". I have a lot of knickknacks, from the days when I was first marreid and thought it would be cute to have all the cutesy bric-a-brac for each holiday, and all the cute "country" type stuff that is in all of these zippy little gift shops here in New England. Now it is just more stuff to dust!!!!!!!!

I received a mailer the other day about the Habitat For Humanity Restore. It is a store where you can buy "gently used" home improvement and home decor items. I am seriously thinking about going theough my house and clearing out some of the home decor items. I just hate to throw things out, but something like this, where deserving foilks can buy stuff at a reduced price, would make me feel better about getting rid of the stuff, and if it would help someone make their home feel more homey, then I am all for it.

The older I get, the more I believe in simplifying.

 

[Olaf]

We have the same problem. I'm getting better at just "looking" at things. You really have to ask yourself whether or not you really "need" it. Once you have it, you gotta find a place for it.

 

[Disneyrsh]

My MIL is selling their house of 20 years, and since she can't ever throw anything away, the stuff that she can't take to goodwill or sell on ebay ends up, yep, on my front doorstep!

This stuff is GROSS! Old, dusty, used crap.

Last time the box she brought in had dead cockroaches in with 70's christmas stuff. People, don't do this to your offspring, just THROW IT OUT.

 

[SC Minnie]

We had this problem in our last house.

With this one I have been better at going through things. Our church has an annual yard sale so I start going through every room and closet about 2 months in advance, there is a bi-annual kids consignment sales and I go through DD stuff twice a year and sell what she doesn't wear or play with-- this year I am hoping that all the Barbie crap can go

 

[Ava83]

How does one accumulate so much junk???

Please feel free to ask my husband....

 

[Missy1961]

I'm about to get a new computer so I've been cleaning out the room where it's going to be. I can't believe some of the stuff I found in there. (It's an extra room that no-one really uses--we've just always thrown stuff in there.)
I'm afraid to go thru the basement--I know there's lots of junk down there.

 

[kbkids]

We had this problem in our last house.

With this one I have been better at going through things. Our church has an annual yard sale so I start going through every room and closet about 2 months in advance, there is a bi-annual kids consignment sales and I go through DD stuff twice a year and sell what she doesn't wear or play with-- this year I am hoping that all the Barbie crap can go

Oh, I've got a fortune in Barbie furniture that came out of her room. My dad built her one of those "Pottery Barn" type dollhouses, doubles as a bookcase. Well, it's been a Barbie house for the past 3 years - each room complete with all that little bitty Barbie furniture. I bet she's sat down and played with it 3-4 times in the past year. So, it's all boxed up and in the garage. You can actually now see her dresser since I arranged everything in the bookcase now. I told her her where the furniture was. If she wants to play with it, let me know and we can go through it and pull out a few pieces. I can almost guarantee you that she won't miss it. If it's still in the box when we sell the house, it's all going on eBay.

 

[Disneyrsh]

-- this year I am hoping that all the Barbie crap can go

Sell it on ebay, seriously! That stuff sells, I know, because I bought somebody elses barbie crap!

 

[Linnie The Pooh]

I am getting ready to put our house on the market this spring also so from one lister to another, good luck. We've been in our house 8 years and in those 8 years added two kids to our family. Talk about clutter now!! They are even bigger packrats than I am!! I can't believe how much stuff we have! I've been packing things away and putting them under our house and now my fear is having to drag them all back out again!! There's so much stuff under there!!

We had a garage sale last spring and we have a very long driveway. It was literally covered with things to sell-I was getting rid of all the baby things. After the sale (at which I sold ALL my stuff-there was nothing left in the driveway), I looked around our house and you couldn't even tell I had sold anything!! We just have too much junk. I'm having another sale this spring...

I'm always amazed at the things I find that DH keeps-electronic wires, old boxes, he has about 1000 hats, 1000 coats and 1000 shoes. And claims he needs them all.

 

[SnowWhite33]

FLY!!! Everyone with clutter "issues" or CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)really, really should visit Flylady.com,(I'm not sure I can post that site, just google flylady if not.) My life has changed because of her site and book!!

 

[TxDisneyFan]

I could have written your post. We put our house on the market March '05. Our local charity store received 2 loads of furniture, clothes and household items. I thought I did a really good job getting rid of stuff. ) We'd been in our house for 12 years.)

When we sold our house, we rented a smaller townhouse while our new house was being built. As I packed I knew we couldn't unpack everything so most of our things have been stored for 6 months. Now that we are in our new house, I'm thinking ....if I didn't need it for 6 months, do a still need it? I'm again going through things as I unpack and I'm getting a lot more things ready to donate. Yes, I could take things to a consignment shop or put it on e-bay or have a garage sale, but all of that takes time, which I don't have.

It feels really good to de-clutter. Good luck on selling your house!!

 

[LeCras]

Aah, this is the reason I love moving house! Yes, I am a freak. I have moved eight times in the last ten years and can honestly say I have nothing I don't actually need. Whenever I move I get rid of everything I can live without. Born minimalist! Now, DH is a different story... He used to be a total hoarder, but I'm slowly reforming him... He even suggested throwing away some ten-year old magazines the other day!

Oh, and we're looking at houses again at the moment... Move number nine; bring it on!

Charlotte