house

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Saturday 14 March 2015

Decluttering notes**

Another week over and another one beginning... as I get to be older and older, I feel that the weeks are just running away hell bent for leather...weeks that are gone forever, and no way of slowing them down. When I was young, the weeks seemed to take forever to reach the weekend when we could stay at home and not go to school. Now it takes a breath of air, and we are seemingly again, at the end of another week. What have I achieved this past week? I have been deep into trying to declutter the rooms. It is a thankless task, because all the things I have accumulated were saved because they were or might be of use to me. How, is not the answer, but maybe in the future, might be** I have to be totally ruthless with myself and if I have not used the item, or clothing in the past year, then it has to go, despite any need in the future. so far I have decluttered two cupboards and taken the several black bin liner bags to the Charity shops locally. What will I do with all this extra space? I must not fill it up again, and for that reason, I have barred my self from buying any more in the Charity shops. This is a hard rule, as I have been visiting the local ones on a daily basis for all the 17 years we have lived in this area. Quite a ritual, getting out to the shops to see what new things were in, and whether I thought I could use them, and then buy them and they joined all the other things that I might have wanted in the future. Of course I had a valid reason at first for visiting these Charity shops. Moving into a much larger house, being a Georgian Rectory, I had to find furniture and decorating items for the house. It was great fun seeking them out, and I generally made a good deal of great choices. Gradually over time, filling all the spaces in the house and making it into a cosy home. Now I have got the house right, I need to declutter and make just the very best things I have, be used, and all the rest recycled back to the Charity shops or the Dumps. I never thought that I had anything of value that I had accumulated over the years. Then, looking at back stamps on china I realised that what I h ad chosen for its colour and usefulness, was generally a good well known name, and so these Items became even more precious to me. Then I discovered the amazing world of Ebay and started to sell a few bits of china, and clothing and furniture. Gradually over the years, I have been happy to see my chosen items going to newer and happier places all over the world. It is difficult to know the lines that sell the best, but I generally stick to china and teasets. These have been very useful and decorative as well as managing to give a good return on what I had spent originally. I see that I have been with Ebay now for almost 9 years, an amazing chunk of time, where did all those months go to? Now I am retired and getting rid and decluttering my house because it is highly likely that in the near future, we might consider down sizing now that we no longer use the house as our place of work. Originally we bought it so both of us would have space to have an office and work from home. Now we dont need all the space, so this is a real consideration in the future.

9 comments:

  1. I do the same thing, Janzi. Went to the thrift stores almost everyday for years. Now we are out of town so the habit has been broken - but I still have so much of the "stuff". Wish I could figure out Ebay - but it's the shipping that always gets me hung up. Good for you for selling on there - and 9 years! - that's a bit of success there, isn't it?

    I've always said that I hoped that someday you would give a real tour of your beautiful house - maybe someday you will still consider it.

    Hope you are well. I know I've been gone for far too long, but hopefully will write soon to let you know what's happened. Till then, keep writing :)

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    1. I will get photos done to show you all soon.. x

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    2. photos being taken shortly so you can have a peep... how are you doing?

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  2. I am in the process of decluttering and am finding it quite hard to be ruthless. You have inspired me to give e-bay a try.

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    1. You go girl, its great fun, although I seem to need more than one go to get them sold, it did work until recently I have not had the time to put things on... so good luck to yu anyway..x

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  3. I think it's always wise to declutter and downsize while one is still young and active enough to do it yourself.

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  4. Oh, isn't it hard to start the decluttering process. I'm always holding on to things incase I may need them in the future. We have started on the process of getting rid of surplus 'stuff' over the last year or two but I still hold on to so many things - especially those things that have been given or left to me - I have all my Mum's, grandmother's and aunts jewelery for example and a cupboard full of their china and no one will want it when I'm gone. Perhaps ebay is a good way to go?:)

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  5. I always think "my kids are going to have to deal with this STUFF when I die!" And that inspires me to get rid of things that are no longer precious to me. It's daunting though! Lol

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  6. It's hard to 'let go' of things isn't it? I have just read a book about decluttering and found that where I move things around the house I am not really decluttering very much at all - the things actually have to part company with me!!! I now have a car boot full of old clothes that have been driving round with me for 2 weeks! I am getting there, a lot of 'stuff' has gone over the last few months and it feels so great to have space and no junk - I just have to keep at it. Lovely to find your blog as I noticed you started following mine :D Betty

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