I’ve heard a lot about Marie Kondo, and I’ve seen some of her content on YouTube. I’d really like to dive into her methods!
Garage update: 2 dump runs and one goodwill run. Slowly making a dent. I got some graph paper and measured and drew out the floor to scale. Gonna make plans for shelves, cabinets and work bench. My goal is to be done by xmas.
@HoofHearted
I loved the closet post. No matter how I go about sorting things, there’s always a keep pile and get rid of pile. As soon as the get rid of pile becomes so big… I don’t want to bother with it. Just one vicious cycle.
Sounds like a truly gorgeous plan! 
v excited to see your progress! Go Dan!
Update of my project: finished the last of the upstairs decluttering a few days ago w all the sewing, dog and hobby stuff. 
I have gotten rid of two small storage items, a basket chest and a shoe cabinet, and almost completely emptied my big main clutter/storage cabinet, redistributed what I keep to my other storage spaces and wardrobe and will relocate the big one to the basement.
Now only the basement to finish up and then to put some things from my flat down there, further freeing up space up here. Excited about that!
Painted my corridor too. Still need to sand and repaint shelves the darker wood colour that fits my furniture in the living room.
I am so happy I finally took the time to read through this entire thread. Reading all of your advice, struggles and triumphs motivate me immensely. Here’s a bit about me.
I thrive on routine and used to have one for myself. Bed made first thing in the morning, vacuumed daily, laundry folded straight from the dryer, the dishes were done before I sat down to eat. My house was always spotless. At this point I was drinking moderately and blacking out here and there.
My alcoholism got worse very quickly after leaving my daughter’s father. My new(ex) partner never cleaned and I was sick of doing it all. So I stopped. Losing complete control of routine bc of covid, it got even worse. He’s been gone 2 years now but the place basically looks the same. Cupboards full of junk I don’t use. Artwork that has never been hung up. Everything under my bed and closet floor hasn’t been touched since I moved in 6 years ago. Broken glass still stuck in the wall from when he threw my lamp at it. Shoes, shoes, and more shoes. My daughters room. I cant even explain the anxiety that gives me.
When I start cleaning ADD sets in. I move all around the house doing bits and pieces of everything but never finishing anything. Recently I’ve been trying to concentrate on one achievable thing at a time. Friday I organized my junk drawer that could barely close. I’m not a hoarder, I just hate going through a lot of little things. 75% of that junk drawer was literal junk. Small achievement but I was proud of myself.
I’d like to start posting before and afters here for accountability sake. I know I can get this done. It’s just a matter of beginning the act of cleaning.
Great thread Dan! I’m sure many of us feel stuck in this situation.
My next project is my balcony. I have some furniture there that is partially broken since almost one year but I was too lazy to start cleaning it up.
The next stuff I put there has to live longer than only 2 years before it falls apart 
Now it became a place where I put everything I don’t want to put in the basement. And there we are, the basement needs a decluttering too.
And the room I have my computer in too.
So…yeah…this is gonna be fun right?
I’ve gone through the three junk drawers in the kitchen. There is one that really is for all the stuff we want to keep but can’t assign anywhere else, one for paper and pens and tape, one for tools, twine, glue and some parts. I found two complete sets of Allen wrenches and about a dozen loose ones as well. Once set went to the thrift store donation pile.
I want to tackle the basement next. I have a fieldstone foundation that dates back to the original house built in 1870. So it’s not watertight, the damp gets in and ruins stuff. My tool bench is disorganized, there’s paint supplies that are decades old etc.
When my grandma died my parents moved into her house, which was across the street from theirs. They left behind everything in the basement bc theirs still had all my grandparents stuff. My brother stayed in the old house and the basement flooded and everything was lost.
To this day my grandfather’s workshop looks exactly the same as it did when he died, in 1990. Just really dusty.
It’ll feel good to go thru and get rid of stuff. Old paint doesn’t age well, lol.
My first accomplishment of the day
Then I got side tracked
My ex gave me this vacuum a couple weeks ago bc he was given 2. Apparently the previous vacuum owner had a white dog.
Nice work in both fronts!
Nice job! That reminds me that I need to clean vacuum too!
Dang - that was a hell of a day for you — great job on decluttering and cleaning out that vacuum (i know that is not an easy task).
Yes, hell is the correct word. After that my landlord came today to clean out the evicted apartment next door. He wanted to spray for bugs today(instead of tomorrow), so I scrambled off all bedding, loose blankets, etc before my 11:30 doctors appt. My apartment isn’t huge so it was quick but my daughters room looked like this when I left.
After all the laundry, I literally cleaned from 3:30 until 10 bc I saw what was left next door. EVERYTHING! They gutted it and threw it in a pile behind the back porch, which I use as a front door. There’s mattresses crawling with bugs, 10 feet from my house. Thank God it’s been pouring, I hope those fuckers drown, bc the garbage truck doesn’t come til Wednesday. I’m exhausted.
Oh i’m so sorry Laura! I do hope you get some peaceful sleep tonight. Today does sound exhausting. Grateful that they did spray for the bugs today so you don’t have to wait another day and WTF - leaving it so close to your door. thank goodness for the rain - i am with you on drowning them fuckers.
Here is hoping you have a better neighbor in the future.
Yeah, my landlord and his maintenance guy are both in their upper 60s. Another neighbor (probably 60) helped too. Idk why he doesn’t find younger help. He has 87 properties and does everything himself. So it’s usually not done properly. I’m just used to it after 16 years.
Still working on the garage, making progress.
Did a dump run and goodwill yesterday.
I’ve gotten most of the surface stuff cleared out. I still need to dispose of all the chemicals, will likely do that this weekend or next week.
Next step is to clear the middle, set up my table and start going through boxes. Plenty of boxes to go through, and I imagine most is going to be leaving the house one way or another!
Also - My FIL had a LOT of tools. A lot of specialty tools at that. I took them to the local pawn shop to see if I could some cash for them (I am no longer interested in accumulating tools that I’ll never use). Unfortunately, they wouldn’t take anything. They were either too old or cheap brands that they wouldn’t be able to sell (There’s a Harbor Freight in town). They said, maybe sell online, I could get $30 for the lot. I chuckled, said I’m not spending that much time and effort for $30 lol; I took them to goodwill.
Has anyone had luck selling items online, like through FB Martketplace, Craigslist, Offerup, etc?
I’ve used FB and CL - I found CL to be the most reliable but slow, FB seems to have a LOT of looky-loos and flakes; Seems selling something of FB takes a lot of effort. Anyone have different experience?
Edit: CL has been great for getting rid of stuff for free; (used cooking oil, cheap broken pool table, broken fridge, old CRT and broken TV’s) - People are willing to take junk as long is it’s free! Just throwing that out there incase you might need to get rid of bigger stuff (without paying!)
I’ve had luck selling bigger ticket items on FB, a play set for $500, a dining set for $150, a sofa for $40, and assorted ceramic pots for $30. Some other things like that, definitely higher quality items. The play set went fast, the table was posted for three-four weeks before it sold. The less pricey items sold pretty quickly, within a week. I think it might take a bit more patience but the buyers seemed to be more serious. I think it’s more of a gamble to buy off marketplace than to sell, but that’s just my experience.
I’m really unlucky selling stuff online. I had a solid wood dresser that needed to go. It was in really good condition, but I needed the space fast, so I thought £20… after three weeks I changed it to free… another three weeks later I called a charity and they collected it. Within 4-5 days I got a thank you email from said charity: they made nearly £100 selling it, after costs!
Clearly I’m doing something really wrong.