I'm NOT a hoarder, it just looks that way!

[Randi]

Background: I owned a fully furnished house for 40 yrs. Tossed out things on a regular basis up until the last 5 yrs. After my son passed away, I lost interest in everything. I already owned a fully furnished house in another state that my dad left to me. Retired & moved there.

Threw away 3 dumpster loads & 2 truckloads of stuff from orig house. Moved what was left in a med sized u-haul, only furniture was 2 small bookcases, 2 twin beds, & a desk.

My dad was a compulsive neat freak, even the attic was nearly empty. I have been sorting through stuff for nearly 2 yrs now. Checking for duplicates, tossing 1, keeping 1 if I can use it, tossing both if not.

Ive already had 1 dumpster load go & a truckload. Am working on another dumpster load for this summer.

I still have boxes everywhere! It's really getting to me. I don't have the mobiloty I used to, so every 6 monthes, I have friends from the old area who come help & move things to the garage for me.

But if anybody were to come in they really would think I was either a hoarder or well on the way to becoming one!

[bankgirl05]

Originally Posted by Randi

Background: I owned a fully furnished house for 40 yrs. Tossed out things on a regular basis up until the last 5 yrs. After my son passed away, I lost interest in everything. I already owned a fully furnished house in another state that my dad left to me. Retired & moved there.

Threw away 3 dumpster loads & 2 truckloads of stuff from orig house. Moved what was left in a med sized u-haul, only furniture was 2 small bookcases, 2 twin beds, & a desk.

My dad was a compulsive neat freak, even the attic was nearly empty. I have been sorting through stuff for nearly 2 yrs now. Checking for duplicates, tossing 1, keeping 1 if I can use it, tossing both if not.

Ive already had 1 dumpster load go & a truckload. Am working on another dumpster load for this summer.

I still have boxes everywhere! It's really getting to me. I don't have the mobiloty I used to, so every 6 monthes, I have friends from the old area who come help & move things to the garage for me.

But if anybody were to come in they really would think I was either a hoarder or well on the way to becoming one!

In my area there are companies that will come in and sell your junk for you and take a commision on what they sell. They host open houses all weeken long, and you can red tag anything you want to keep. There are also charitable organizations who may come in and look your stuff over and take it off of your hands.

40 years of stuff can be overwhelming. I couldn't believe the amount of stuff DH and I had after only 7 years together, when we moved last year. Unfortunately, I like you have limited mobility also, so a lot went into boxes and into the attic at our new house before I could takle any real "purging". I keep vowing to have a weekend long yard sale and have my poor DH drag everything out of every closet, and attic space... He loves the idea, because this type of extra money always goes to our vacation fund!!!

[DisneyFan32WI]

I'm sorry to hear about your son. I know it's been 5 years, but I still wanted to give you a

[usnuzuloose]

I am sorry about your son. I empathize with you. It can be very hard and overwhelming.

[disneymarie]

Originally Posted by Randi

Background: I owned a fully furnished house for 40 yrs. Tossed out things on a regular basis up until the last 5 yrs. After my son passed away, I lost interest in everything. I already owned a fully furnished house in another state that my dad left to me. Retired & moved there.

Threw away 3 dumpster loads & 2 truckloads of stuff from orig house. Moved what was left in a med sized u-haul, only furniture was 2 small bookcases, 2 twin beds, & a desk.

My dad was a compulsive neat freak, even the attic was nearly empty. I have been sorting through stuff for nearly 2 yrs now. Checking for duplicates, tossing 1, keeping 1 if I can use it, tossing both if not.

Ive already had 1 dumpster load go & a truckload. Am working on another dumpster load for this summer.

I still have boxes everywhere! It's really getting to me. I don't have the mobiloty I used to, so every 6 monthes, I have friends from the old area who come help & move things to the garage for me.

But if anybody were to come in they really would think I was either a hoarder or well on the way to becoming one!

I must be your sister! I lost my daughter 6 years ago this week. With in years I lost my Dad, Mom, dd. I had dumpsters for their estates, but many things came home to go through. Then when ds married, the home was without storage, I ended up with his bedroom packed, large. Downstairs wit stero's, big screen TV, exercise all in one weight system...etc

I have chronic pain from herniations, work pt to support two disabled children while on soc sec. Home school, cyber school dd with panic anxiety disorder. Where do I find time, or help for me to regain my home.
Husband, hah! He'll not even carry a basket of clothes down. Tells me to tell the son.
Son, can tell him umpteen times. I just don't know how to find gen. Labor help TP help me. Lifting boxes, packing away, moving furniture, scour, sort old toys to throw away, give away or pass down.

I did the bathroom, all but scrub on hands and knees and its got towels piled, no one will wash them. The garbage is flowing over, not their job....
So sick of it, if I could find two people to help, I still have the small dumpster from last summer.

I need to reclaim my space, sadness, exhaustion, physical restriction and lazy family think I am the maid. When I could to it, I did.
I read Flylady and spend 15 min here and there. It's not working.

I do give delegated things, that's all they do. If I need the huge tube TV downstairs its a million excuses, weight of it is one. Well why did I get a new one?
There really is no storage, shed is filled with yard stuff. Sucks!

[yoopermom]

Disneymarie, you might want to call the counselor at your local high school. My DS is in BPA and NHS (as well as other organizations with acronyms, haha), and members of these groups often do "volunteer work" of this type for elderly or people with disabilities. You would have to provide the boxes, garbage bags, dumpster, etc, but they could do the physical labor.

If you have the $$ to pay for it, the counselor could probably also provide you with a list of names of kids who do "handyman" type jobs. DS does this as well, for $8-$10/hr (depending on how physically strenuous it is), you could sit in a chair and point to him, "put this in the Goodwill pile, put that in the dumpster, etc, etc".

He used to watch Clean Sweep with me when he was a kid, and loves to organize! Many teens would *love* to make a little extra $$...

Good luck....

Terri

[OhMari]

Originally Posted by bankgirl05

In my area there are companies that will come in and sell your junk for you and take a commision on what they sell. They host open houses all weeken long, and you can red tag anything you want to keep. There are also charitable organizations who may come in and look your stuff over and take it off of your hands.

40 years of stuff can be overwhelming. I couldn't believe the amount of stuff DH and I had after only 7 years together, when we moved last year. Unfortunately, I like you have limited mobility also, so a lot went into boxes and into the attic at our new house before I could takle any real "purging". I keep vowing to have a weekend long yard sale and have my poor DH drag everything out of every closet, and attic space... He loves the idea, because this type of extra money always goes to our vacation fund!!!

I am sorry about your son too. It has to be very hard when your child dies, no matter which age.

I think the person above gave you very good advice. You may have gotten rid of junk, but if things are 40 years old and if items are made in America, those are the new "antiques" people are looking for. With the television shows like "American Pickers", many people have started looking for people like you, that want to get rid of items.

Good luck to you.