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Decluttering
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jema
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28100
Location: escaped from Swindon
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:02 pm    Post subject: Decluttering Reply with quote
    

I think I'm adding this to my new years resolution list

Have just totally cleared the loft, a prerequisite for some overdue work on wiring and insulation.

There is a lot of junk that came with us from our old house 7 years ago, it was in the loft there and now the same worthless junk was in the loft here

I bet many people here would have to admit to the same?

Northern_Lad



Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I still have two cans of red kidney beans that I got when I moved out of parents nearly 4 years ago. I think I might leave them if I ever move.

mochyn



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have a similar problem. Just looking for the time/impetus to do some clearing... Then I can fill up the space with new stuff!

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We're quite good about this. I say we, but I'm a bloke so I'm rubbish at it, Mandy however is good at doing a periodic: "Is this useful or beautiful? No, then why are we keeping it." Which keeps things under control.

Northern_Lad



Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

sean wrote:
...Mandy however is good at doing a periodic: "Is this useful or beautiful? No, then why are we keeping it." Which keeps things under control.


How've you survived?

gil
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Just out of interest, how do you (Jema) and other Downsizers define :
a) clutter
b) junk
c) useless
Would you be prepared to give examples ? Probably different for everyone, depending on their situation...

I'd say that
Clutter is something visible that takes up space and has no regular, practical purpose
Junk is something you don't and most likely won't use, but someone else might, either on view or stored away
Useless is something broken, or waiting to be mended (but you really know never will be), or for which you have no current or foreseeable purpose, and maybe noone else in their right mind would have either.

monkey1973



Joined: 17 Jan 2005
Posts: 683
Location: Bonnie scotland
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

My loft is a real state. The problem stems from the fact that we have a very small cottage and storage is limited. Whilst this keeps us very disciplined with what we have and keep in the house there are times when we are not ruthless enough and resort to popping the stuff in the attic. Over six years this has started to accumulate considerably.
I do intend, this year, to gut the place so I can place chipboard down and add more insulation but I hate working up there due to the glass fibres that abound the place. I only need to spend 10-15 mins up there and my throat begins to get scratchy and that's with a mask.

Last edited by monkey1973 on Wed Jan 11, 06 12:20 pm; edited 1 time in total

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Northern_Lad wrote:
sean wrote:
...Mandy however is good at doing a periodic: "Is this useful or beautiful? No, then why are we keeping it." Which keeps things under control.


How've you survived?


By the skin of my teeth.

bernie-woman



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7824
Location: shropshire
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We cleared our loft last summer - on one of the hottest days of the year

I still struggle to get rid of some stuff though - we currently live in a 1960s house but I used to live in a Victorian house and much of the stuff in the loft is from that house and as we don't want to stay here for ever I will not get rid of it in case we buy a victorian house again - I bet I end up taking stuff from this house though with me which will go in the new houses loft too

mochyn



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We can't use our loft: it's small and has bats at one end and bees at the other.

gil
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

But what is this 'stuff' that you refer to ? What do folk put in their lofts ?

My main problem is paper - photocopies of journal articles etc, various drafts of my own past work, current work-in-progress, past project documentation (gets boxed up when done). This chaos is mainly confined to my study. Old curtains that don't fit the windows here are bagged up in a cupboard just in case I move somewhere they do.

Most obvious junk = 3 pushbikes in the outbuildings, which I intend to repair at some point.

gil
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

mochyn wrote:
We can't use our loft: it's small and has bats at one end and bees at the other.


likewise, but just pipistrelle bats.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We refused to start putting anything in the loft when we moved here, partly becase we both knew how much was in our parents lofts, and partly because we reckoned the ceilings wouldnt take the weight. I'm so glad now, we are terrible hoarders and its one thing knowing the house is packed, if I thought the loft needed sorting out too I'd go even more bonkers

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We refused to start putting anything in the loft when we moved here, partly becase we both knew how much was in our parents lofts, and partly because we reckoned the ceilings wouldnt take the weight. I'm so glad now, we are terrible hoarders and its one thing knowing the house is packed, if I thought the loft needed sorting out too I'd go even more bonkers

jema
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28100
Location: escaped from Swindon
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 06 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

gil wrote:
Just out of interest, how do you (Jema) and other Downsizers define :
a) clutter
b) junk
c) useless
Would you be prepared to give examples ? Probably different for everyone, depending on their situation...

I'd say that
Clutter is something visible that takes up space and has no regular, practical purpose
Junk is something you don't and most likely won't use, but someone else might, either on view or stored away
Useless is something broken, or waiting to be mended (but you really know never will be), or for which you have no current or foreseeable purpose, and maybe noone else in their right mind would have either.


Some of the stuff that has gone is:
cards from our wedding 18 years ago, newspaper cuttings from past campaigns , read a classic there "Never in all my years of reporting including in Lebanon and Beiruit have I seen such scenes..."

51/4" floppy disk cases.
Some old computer bits.
Old carpet.
A very scruffy backpack.

The list just goes on, it ain't freecyclable.

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