But a house that’s half empty is better than a house that’s half full, right? Or something like that… Hmm, I’ll settle for, “I’m glad I have a house.”
^and great kids! 
And when you are ready to deal with the stuff - now or later - you’ll make some people happy who will be glad to get the stuff. I’ve been doing some much needed purging over the past few months and it has been win-win. I’m happy to clear out stuff and clutter I no longer need and I’ve met people - many of whom are single mothers and single fathers - who have been happy to get stuff in good condition that they can use when they are trying to live on a tight budget. It definitely can be cathartic. But deal with it when you have the time and mental bandwidth for it.
MIL is now in a nursing home and H’s siblings have decided to sell the house. She was an awful hoarder and it is a dump. There is no question in my mind they should sell it to one of the places that will just take possession full of stuff. Any proceeds will go to the nursing home.
Lots of issues between the 4 siblings. Other 3 kids are responsible for some of the mess, buying her useless trinkets and using her place for storage. It should have been addressed over decades, not the most frigid weeks of the year.
They don’t include H on anything, but sis called to ask him to help clean it out the week after Christmas. We’ll see where that goes. He has one speed–“get it done.” He will order dumpsters and cart if out. They will be “deciding” and arguing who gets what. Childhood papers/pictures/report cards, etc are in one dresser and scattered throughout the basement.
This is weighing on H and I resent them ruining the holidays and his mood. Trying to be positive–we live 2 hours away!!
Not letting this happen to my kids. I agree with doschicos. It’s great to lighten up personally and also help others at the same time.
I do help others. I have been donating as much as I can. Some things, otherwise useful, are not appropriate for donating because they’re covered in mouse droppings.
I’ve been doing a triage of sorts. Stuff to the dump, stuff to donate, and some stuff for selling.
We are dealing with similar situation in my H’s Aunt’s house - she had no children of her own so H and his 2 brothers are the beneficiaries. A dumpster is there since we had to do a reroof (in December in Syracuse) so everything is going in there (it’s mostly crap that thankfully no one wants) and clothes got boxed up and dropped off. Two of my SIL’s took some very small sentimental things and H took a big farberware pot - which we gave to S and he also took a spoon rest because we don’t have one.
One brother lives in same city, we are 2 1/2 hours away and other brother lives in Florida. H has had to schlep several times already this month to deal with contractor and realtor. FIL doesn’t trust son who lives in same city with anything - only H and son in Florida, Huge PITA. Hoping to be able to get it on the market after the holidays.
On top of this his parents can’t be alone in their home anymore but it’s been like pulling teeth to get them to face reality. FIL is currently in rehab in Florida because he fell - again - while visiting son and DIL and he is frail. Meanwhile, MIL has memory issues that are getting worse by the day, only wants to go home and thinks she is at my house. Getting rid of their stuff and selling their house is going to dumped on us very soon because they have to go to assisted living. It’s not their choice anymore.
I am so grateful my parents were proactive about everything!
I think that for some of us, “Bag-a-Week Club” is insufficient. But doing something is better than doing nothing, so I keep plugging away, whether it’s a bag, a 25-year-old desktop computer, or 40-year-old LPs. And I’m going to have to rent a dumpster next year to deal with some of the things too large to go out with the regular trash pick-up.
@rosered55 - I considered getting a dumpster when I was cleaning out my mom’s house and my basement … I was surprised at the high rental cost even for just a couple of weeks. It may depend on location, but I have found that paying a one-time junk removal service for the large items was far more cost effective than the dumpster.
Yes, I was amazed with what a 1-800- JiUNK type service did in getting rid of an accumulation of decades of stuff in my family’s old house. My sister and I pointed them in the direction of what to take and they did it. They even pulled up old carpeting in one room and hauled it off with not extra cost. Well worth it. I was impressed with how it all worked from the initial quote to seeing all the stuff hauled out by nice guys that were very respectful of the process.
It is very helpful if you have already taken out anything at all valuable and are just leaving the stuff that is just not worth hauling elsewhere. My parents were not hoarders and cannot even imagine how difficult adding on that layer would have been. My sister and I spent many hours going through things , donating things, before calling in 1-800-Junk. When they arrived we asked them to bring anything to our attention that we may have missed from the basement or attic that may be sentimental and they did that. I was impressed that the guys brought us a couple of things that they thought we might want to look at before they added it to the throw out pile. They hauled out everything, including old large tables in the basement. The basement and attic were left clean as a whistle when they were done. Worth every penny.
Just found out about this. I have no shortage of Amazon boxes this week.
^ just heard about this as well…too bad it wasn’t last week, when I flattened 15 boxes for recycling, thinking it was such a waste…
Mr disposed of an old and heavy TV - yeah!!! I dropped a couple of boxes at the Goodwill collection site this morning. I am planning on spending a few hours this weekend to sort our colllective textbooks!
I went though the unused 4th bedroom upstairs and took a quick “inventory” of stuff S has stored in there. Next step is sending an email to him asking what I can/can’t get rid of.
We started the clean-out of MIL’s house. There just aren’t words…we worked 6 straight hours just on paperwork. Appears she saved everything since the 50’s. SIL had found a CD and money in cards, so she wanted to go through all the envelopes. We did find some important papers, but they probably could’ve been replicated.
H had said to get a dumpster. His sister isn’t “ready” to do that. Absolutely everything in that house should be pitched–3 floors of it. Brother wants the furniture–which is in awful condition. He lives close and will never come pick it up. There’s a garage and shed too 
We are stepping aside until there’s a dumpster in the yard. Meanwhile, I’m going to my basement. I will never do this to my kids.
I agree. That is a great motivator right there.
Same here. I told my younger daughter this weekend that I don’t want to pass down a messy house to her and her sister.
For the 2nd year in a row, I requested that my adult sons go through their old bedrooms to decide what they wanted to keep. Didn’t get very far last year, so this year I told them to box up what they absolutely wanted to save so I could either trash or donate the rest. S1 got through his room, but not his closet. S2 got through his closet, but not all of his room, but he’ll be back here in April and will finish then.
So many toys, games, stuffed animals, books. I’ll have to decide what it able to be donated.
Kiddo is almost done with clearing out her old school papers! The recycling bin is almost full. You guys are motivating me to keep tossing things… I too will not leave a house full of junk to my heirs.
I cleaned out the bathroom cupboards, found some old vitamins, and tossed them. Kept the Tums - those are just calcium carbonate, that stuff does not go bad.
Cleaned out the pantry yesterday. Some spices had seen the Carter administration. (Mace? Why did I have that?)