My goodness we have a lot of STUFF....

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Things I have learned on this move....


1. We have way more crap than I thought possible.
2. That my house wasn't as clean as I thought it was...hello sand (island living---it is even in my piano!), dust bunnies, lost toy parts, random shoe!
3. And I thought I decluttered. Round 12 when we unload the truck.

Geez.

Day 3 of loading tomorrow. In my defense--they only sent 1 guy and he hired a local crew of 2 guys to help with heavy stuff. But still. The dispatcher was thinking he would finish in a day. Poor guy didn't stand a chance!

 

[NotUrsula]

DS has an 8' x 8' room. We cleared it out a couple of weeks ago to re-plaster and paint it, and he filled 27 banker's boxes with stuff, not counting the contents of his dresser and storage chest. It was like an archeological dig!

 

[SC Minnie]

Our church has a huge yard sale very year. And every year I end up donating car loads to the sale. I have no idea how we end up with so much stuff every year and our house is still full.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

Years ago I read in some magazine that throughout the year you should pick a different room in your house to clean/declutter as if you were moving. I did this a couple of months ago with my laundry room and linen closet. It's amazing the stuff I got rid off!

 

[DisMN]

This thread scares the bejeesus out of me.
Mods, I think you should close it. It's a topic I just can't deal with.

(hoping to move and we've given ourselves 2 years to clean out the house. 2 months into it I'm thinking we maybe should have given ourselves 10 years.)


Good luck OP!

 

[Ohiodislover]

We moved about 6 weeks ago. I was amazed at the amount we got rid of, and even more amazed at the crap we moved. I am just so puzzled as I empty boxes and think why did we bring this with us We have had another 9-10 boxes of donation since moving.

Good luck OP

 

[minkydog]

We went through a period earlier in our lives where we moved every few months. During that time I learned how to be ruthless about getting rid of stuff. We've been in our current home for 19years now and we have TOO MUCH stuff. DH is retired on disability and I plan to retire in a couple years, soon as we can pay off the house. Or sell it. If I don't start *now* getting rid of stuff I will realy have my back to the wall come retirement day. Thanks for the motivation. Nothing like a good move to make you see the stuff right under your nose.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

How sad is this....

Bil and his wife just cleared a short sale purchase, but have several weeks until they move their 900sf apartment.

Sil is hightailing it over her with boxes to help them pack. Hasn't met my daughter yet.

Asked if she wanted to stop by as we need a little help...her response was that we had movers.

Some people are just clueless. Okay...vent over.

I did get my medical massage today..but my rotator cuff is still bothering me. The movers don't clean houses.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We went through a period earlier in our lives where we moved every few months. During that time I learned how to be ruthless about getting rid of stuff. We've been in our current home for 19years now and we have TOO MUCH stuff. DH is retired on disability and I plan to retire in a couple years, soon as we can pay off the house. Or sell it. If I don't start *now* getting rid of stuff I will realy have my back to the wall come retirement day. Thanks for the motivation. Nothing like a good move to make you see the stuff right under your nose.

But I cleared out so much. Our homeschool library...eek. I trimmed the stuff we didn't need. Can't be too ruthless as I reuse materials on a specific curriculum.


Hubby is getting annoyed with me. But 2-5 hours a day for 6 weeks...I'm burnt out and just want it done. I shudder at what will happen on the other end. I'm afraid that. Clearly labeled box will be "just put wherever" and I don't want to lug a misplaced box to it's proper location.

 

[minniecarousel]

Years ago I read in some magazine that throughout the year you should pick a different room in your house to clean/declutter as if you were moving. I did this a couple of months ago with my laundry room and linen closet. It's amazing the stuff I got rid off!

THIS!

I made a "to-do" summer list, since I work at a school. I've gotten a lot done, but still want to do these. I have way too many linens.

DH & I will down-size, probably next year. We have a 3200 sq. ft. house and plan on getting into something in the 2000 sq. ft. size. Lotsa purging needs to go on!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Y whole difficulty around this move stems from the fact that my dh has been gone since December. Prior to that, i had hyperemisis and couldn't do anything and my orderly house went to crap. Once he left, it took more energy than I had to do basics and the house was so far gone that deckuttering was not a priority. My kids had things in eveytime nook and cranny of this home. We are moving to a larger house and each of my older kids will have their own room. So the decluttering one room
idea didn't work too well because everything was all mixed up. I just thought that I did a good job and when stuff started leaving the house...endless lurking crap popped up.

Single mom (temporarily) with 4 kids in tight quarters---it was all about survival.

It was kind of like Hoarders...but without any sanitation issues...just the exploded look. Movers can't come into a house like that.

Just so bummed that hubby's family could care less. I started he adventure alone and will finish it alone. Heck....it's all easy peasy now. Lol!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Years ago I read in some magazine that throughout the year you should pick a different room in your house to clean/declutter as if you were moving. I did this a couple of months ago with my laundry room and linen closet. It's amazing the stuff I got rid off!

We're doing that to the basement as soon as DH is home for more then 2 days. He's been gone for 3 weeks this trips so next week I'm making him be done at 5 to eat and get 2 good hours a night in the basement.

THIS!

DH & I will down-size, probably next year. We have a 3200 sq. ft. house and plan on getting into something in the 2000 sq. ft. size. Lotsa purging needs to go on!

We downsized from 3200 sq ft to 1100 and we only ditched 1 couch and 1 piano.
OMG the stuff we had!! 8 years later we've had 2 tag sales, 3 dumpsters, and 100's of trips to goodwill. We are still busting at the seams! Of course we added 1 more kid to the mix to so that didn't help. What I wouldn't give to have the old house back.
DH wants to Downsize to an RV and road school the kids, I think I'd lose my mind.

 

[minkydog]

But I cleared out so much. Our homeschool library...eek. I trimmed the stuff we didn't need. Can't be too ruthless as I reuse materials on a specific curriculum.


Hubby is getting annoyed with me. But 2-5 hours a day for 6 weeks...I'm burnt out and just want it done. I shudder at what will happen on the other end. I'm afraid that. Clearly labeled box will be "just put wherever" and I don't want to lug a misplaced box to it's proper location.

Oh dear. I hope you didn't take my comment as criticism. I'm totally in your corner. BTDT. Except I only had one kid, a 2yo at that. When we were going through our big moves we knew we were in it for about 3 years, that it was going to be move after move after move. The only think I meant about being ruthless is that I had to cut our possessions to the bone--often we were given orders to move on Friday and DH was expected to work on the following Wednesday, in a brand new city.

Y whole difficulty around this move stems from the fact that my dh has been gone since December. Prior to that, i had hyperemisis and couldn't do anything and my orderly house went to crap. Once he left, it took more energy than I had to do basics and the house was so far gone that deckuttering was not a priority. My kids had things in eveytime nook and cranny of this home. We are moving to a larger house and each of my older kids will have their own room. So the decluttering one room
idea didn't work too well because everything was all mixed up. I just thought that I did a good job and when stuff started leaving the house...endless lurking crap popped up.

Single mom (temporarily) with 4 kids in tight quarters---it was all about survival.
It was kind of like Hoarders...but without any sanitation issues...just the exploded look. Movers can't come into a house like that.

Just so bummed that hubby's family could care less. I started he adventure alone and will finish it alone. Heck....it's all easy peasy now. Lol!

\
I know, we went through this too. When you have young kids there is only so much decluttering you can do(in their presence.) I vividly remember John(23) standing in the driveway crying hard as the movers carried his rocking horse out to the van. And that was just *one* toy, albeit, a favorite. No family or friends to help, just me and John and the movers. THank God for them. At least I didn't have to haul all that furniture out to the van and load it. They were very thorough, I have to say. One of our moves was very fast, like 4 days notice and we woke up in Miami. The packers came in like a tornado and packed up EVERYTHING that wasn't nailed down. 8 weeks later, when we moved into our permanent(sorta) residence they delivered our goods, complete with 8 week old Burger King trash from our old house.

BEst of luck to you. I know this is very hard and you're not getting much support. We had the same sorta thing going on. I also heard "Well, you have movers."

 

[DMRick]

I hope the rest of the move goes well.

We better hope we die before we have to move. Over 40 years in the same house with a hubby who hates to throw anything out, it will be a nightmare for our kids. Attic - filled, Cellar - filled, Shed - filled, Hubby's closet and office - filled.
Cleaned MIL and FIL house, stored in atic, cleaned grandparents farm, stored in attic..yikes!!
My stuff..not so much.

 

[Disneycrazy!!]

HA HA yeah we moved a year ago from a 4500 sq ft home to 2500 sq ft. OMG I was pregnant and packing the house up and I can NOT believe to this day how much JUNK and crap was in our house! It took the biggest Uhaul truck they had, 3 trips to our new house!!!
We also had to take a flatbed trailer TWICE to the local dump and we had a yardsale!! I used to be the worlds worst about holding onto something because I may need it later or sentimental reasons (like tickets to a concert). NOT anymore....if I dont use it everyday or at least once a month, then it gets tossed. I even donated the kids clothes they wore coming home from the hospital.

 

[Silent1CB]

We returned from a long vacation. It made me realize how little you really need. I'm sitting here looking at all this stuff I want to get rid of, but lack the ambition or energy to start. I have motivation, but I just need a cleaning buddy.

I'm sentimental about some times. And recently thought I could part with them. Then I talked myself into keep them. DH is deploying and I would had myself if something happened to him and I didn't have these certain items anymore. Dumb I know, since I would always have the memories, but I think I just need to wait till he goes & comes home safely before some of these items leave the house.

Know what I mean?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't think it is dumb at all.

My husband had a row of shoes in our closet. He has no intentions of ever wearing them again. He took the shoes that he does use. The shoes sat there until he came home this week and only then did I bag them uo for the red cross donation truck coming this Friday. That same truck has come 4 times since January and I have sent on other stuff. The shoes remained until the last possible moment.

You can always declutter the sentiment when your adventure is done and he is home for good.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

ItsIs's the move that just won't end. We have a relentless toss pile stacked in front of the garage. Eek!

But nice to know my in laws are shopping this morning and then the one will be giving tours of his new house. He wanted to show us...but planned a time that we can't do. I am so disappointed in my husband's family.

As interesting as my upbringing was...I can't think of a single time my family did not reach out to someone in a similar circumstance unless it was deliberate due to not liking them.

And the one twit is having a milestone birthday as an adult in a children's place (has done this 2 other times when noone had children---while fun, it isn't for the kids)....months ago I said that since we were moving so far away we may have trouble coming since I have the baby (17 hours nonstop which will require 2 travel days each direction or over $1000 in airfare before any other expenses)---her response...that is why I'm letting you know so far ahead of time. @&&$&@@@":$(!,&.

You cant squeeze in a visit of you personally driving 20 minutes to see my new daughter---but you want me to force that trip. No ma'am!!!

 

[SaraJayne]

The only thing that is keeping me from putting our house on the market and moving to a larger place is the thought of packing.

Once the kids go back to school (and I finally have some alone time ) I'll be starting the sorting/tossing process.

It's a lot easier to do when no one is around to "help". And most of the time, they don't even notice stuff is gone.

 

[kinntj]

The only thing that is keeping me from putting our house on the market and moving to a larger place is the thought of packing.

Once the kids go back to school (and I finally have some alone time ) I'll be starting the sorting/tossing process.

It's a lot easier to do when no one is around to "help". And most of the time, they don't even notice stuff is gone.

This is what I do too. I keep the house clean during the summer, but don't get much done in terms of clutter. Once the kids start school, then I can tear though everything and no one here with their opinions.