Preparing to move house
@163Mandolingirl (1052)
January 15, 2012 7:07am CST
I cannot believe how much I have accumulated since I have been a householder. I used to live in one room, with very few belongings, when I lived on a school compound in S. India from 1978-1981. It was blissful not having to think so much about personal belongings. So where did all this rubbish come from over the last 23 years of having my own house?! Of course I needed all the furniture and essentials but did I really need to collect so much stuff/clutter?! The answer is NO! Why do we do this to ourselves? We should make our lives as simple as possible so we don't clutter our minds in the way we clutter our abodes!
I'm now de-cluttering in a major way so I can buy myself a much smaller, cheaper, house in a better area. I think clearing our spaces is a very cleansing thing to do. We should certainly all do it a bit more often, even if we aren't moving.
1 person likes this
9 responses
@Sebastion1234 (293)
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15 Jan 12
I know the experince of moving out it difficult exp the packing the boxes make me fill headache
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@163Mandolingirl (1052)
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17 Jan 12
Yes, packing-boxes give me a headache too! The last time I packed up a house was only five years ago. Now I have to do it all over again! Help!
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
15 Jan 12
As I was just staying in one room I was amazed how much stuff did come out of it as I moved into an apartment.
At this moment I still have boxes filled with ?? on my ceiling. Never unpacked them as I moved in. A big part are belongings of my kids. As the eldest two moved out I gave them a lot including the photo-albums etc. but they also left stuff of them behind. I try to clean up frequently, throw away or give away what I don't need.
I am not really collecting for me but for others. Clothes, toys etc.. if I go to Africa or Hungary I take it with me but to be honest sometimes I get sooo tired of all those boxes and bags laying around. I wish I had an empty house but with kids it's impossible. Drawings, paintings, toys, it's everywhere.
1 person likes this
@163Mandolingirl (1052)
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17 Jan 12
It sounds like you are snowed under! It's great that you take unwanted items to Africa or Hungary when you can but I'm sure that becomes a bit of a burden too for a kind person like you!
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
16 Jan 12
Good luck with all your clutter clearing and getting ready to move home. Yes, it is amazing how many possessions we get over the years of living in a particular home. I remember packing up my possessions from my cottage which I had owned for fourteen years. It was so sad seeing it completely empty and waiting to be driven away to my new area.
It was even worse when in 2010 I moved from my house I had lived in for five years. I had double amount of possessions in my loft and way too many in my house. Taking the boxes into my bungalow we ran out of space so put all less important boxes in my garage. Now I do clutter control on a regular basis. I hope that your move will go smoothly.
@163Mandolingirl (1052)
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17 Jan 12
Many thanks for your good wishes! It is early days yet and I haven't even put my house up for sale, but I had to start clearing because I know how long it takes and how difficult it is to do. It is not something I enjoy, especially as I have to do some essential decorating too!
@163Mandolingirl (1052)
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17 Jan 12
I agree! I would love to live a clutter-free life but I have so many hobbies and interests that need equipment and storage: singing and playing the guitar and other instruments, writing books and songs, and gardening, to name but a few! I also have a pet Cockatiel who has his own little cupboard to sit on in which I keep all his paraphenalia!
I've promised myself that this time I will downsize and de-clutter as much as I can!
@163Mandolingirl (1052)
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17 Jan 12
I forgot to mention that being a painter means that I have loads and loads of reference material in the way of large books and thousands of photos!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
16 Jan 12
I have an uphill struggle with clutter although I do have him "trained" to a certain extent (hubby that is) lol.
I agree that we don't need so much stuff. My in-laws accumulate loads of stuff in their attic including a few suitcases and I bet you they're used to put even more stuff in. They have no excuse not to go to our local recycling centre as they have a car but they can't be bothered..and I think hubby is the same.
However, we're taking a few things to the recycling centre when he's off from Wednesday and I can't wait to have a bit of a clear-out. You're right about it having a "cleansing effect" too as I've done this with my clothes in the past.
I agree that we don't need so much stuff. My in-laws accumulate loads of stuff in their attic including a few suitcases and I bet you they're used to put even more stuff in. They have no excuse not to go to our local recycling centre as they have a car but they can't be bothered..and I think hubby is the same.
However, we're taking a few things to the recycling centre when he's off from Wednesday and I can't wait to have a bit of a clear-out. You're right about it having a "cleansing effect" too as I've done this with my clothes in the past.@163Mandolingirl (1052)
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17 Jan 12
Ooh, and don't you feel good after you've done it! I always feel stones lighter! The energy in the house feels lighter too and life seems a little sweeter!
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
16 Jan 12
Yes, my friend it's so nice if we have a house where it is easy to clean and tidy.
With so many things in the house, one cannot actually easily find a thing that we are trying to locate . We have to lift some things in order to take a look at what's inside, or move a piece just to see what's beside it actually.
So it's nicer if we get to organize things even on an annual basis , in such a way that things that aren't used anymore could be thrown or sold as scraps.
@163Mandolingirl (1052)
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17 Jan 12
I do agree that an annual clearout is a good idea. We need to be able to find things without getting into a flap about where we put them! My dear Father used to put things away so safely that no-one ever found them again! Unfortunately, I'm just like my Dad! So now I am sorting things out for the move, I'm finding everything I lost in the last five years! 
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
15 Jan 12
I fully concur, with all the responsible things that you are saying here...Know they are right, and would love to abide!
Add another 10 years of collecting onto your 23..plus 3 acres of property of where I have stored clutter...and yes, I do face a big task! I have tackled this task...many a time, loads and loads of de-clutter, and everytime I get rid of things...two weeks later I find a need for it..LOL! I started collecting shortly after I moved to this small Island, where shopping is a minimum...and repairs are usually fabricated from something you have on hand! Yes..it's a clutter, but if I NEED IT...I probably have it, so it's a poser as to what to do..de-clutter OR keep spares/parts/tools..etc., on hand!
@163Mandolingirl (1052)
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17 Jan 12
I'm the same! I keep things because they might be useful one day too. Usually if I have thrown something away I need it the next week!
@savypat (20216)
• United States
15 Jan 12
A vert timely discussion, just this morning I was looking at all the stuff we have collected over the last twenty years. I have got to clean house, it's terrible to clutter your life in this way. Blessings
@163Mandolingirl (1052)
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21 Jan 12
Don't do what I do, Pat. I pick something up, remember who gave it to me, feel all warm and cosy inside and then keep it! We both have to be a bit more ruthless than that!
Blessings to you too!
@bhonti (1246)
• Philippines
16 Jan 12
Re-assessing the clutter in your house is one heck of a job. First you have to sort your things by 2 parts, or more if you can: Things that must be kept and things that must go. Deciding would be the hardest I assume because throwing things that have sentimental value for you is quite hard.
@163Mandolingirl (1052)
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17 Jan 12
Yes, that is the hardest part. In the end, though, even our sentimental clutter is, as my Granny used to say, 'only things'. Over the years I've had to part with quite a lot of things I didn't really want to, but in the end I felt better and freer.
