Before you die

[Netherfield]

I know no-one is planning to do so, try and clear away some of your detritus of your life.

Clearing out at dads, we find lots of stuff which belonged to mum,and she died 2002. Material for making dresses and skirts.
Plus dad had over a dozen suit lengths stored in a chest going back to the 70s, I was let pick one out for my wedding suit.
Dozens of old 78 records, but had nothing to play them on, and probably came from their own parents house clearance.
Three DVD players, 3 kettles,2 food mixers, 2 slow cookers,George Foreman type grill, a cassette player(but no cassettes to be found)
Down the cellar there were around a hundred empty jam jars, around a hundred full jam jars some going back to 2000, an upright freezer that gave up working many moons ago, used since for storing Jam.
Half a tonne of coal, last coal fire was some 10 years ago, 20 x 30doz egg boxes full of books, left over bits of carpet, enough of my grandads rusty tools to fill a garden shed ,no longer usable. 30 bottles of wine from the 1970s.
500 clay plant pots under the greenhouse bench, mostly cracked and broken, garden canes and garden furniture rotting away.

We've been trying for 10 years or more to keep clearing things but he would never allow it.

Just had to order a second skip.

But after all my moaning,, I do miss him.

 

[Raider112]

It's an old person thing, mam's the same, magazines, letters from charities, old hospital appointments, the things you have are useful in comparison.
We've probably gone too far the other way now, a throwaway society where useful stuff isn't valued any more.

 

[Dry Rot]

Definitely, an old person thing! I am getting round to sorting my obsolete stuff, but might just leave it until tomorrow.

What's the hurry?

Maybe time for some of you youngsters to watch a few episodes of Salvage Hunters. I don't have obsolete, I have potential antiques! Wish I'd kept those MF cutter bar mowers I bought for £25. I see they are now worth hundreds!

 

[vantage]

Just what you need to see yourself through a nuclear winter!

 

[matty]

I think that's just the generation thing never threw anything away , make do and mend mentality.
Today it's a case of if it's broken buy a new one and if it's not needed throw it away.

 

[nick...]

Mums house is much the same but she still lives there.7 bedroom Manor House full of everything including lots of my late dads stuff,he died 13 years ago along with relatives stuff too.her garden shed(the size of a small house) is the same with probably 4/500 flowerpots,plastic and clay that will never be used.dozens of half used paint cans and dried out brushes along with garden waste and tools that will never get used again.i think she is coming round to the fact we need a skip and just through it all out.dunno how she woukd manage in a terraced house.having said all that I’m probably nearly as bad
Nick...

 

[Still Farming]

All the same

 

[7610 super q]

Doesn't really matter, till the time comes when you have to move / clear the house. One thing that strikes me is the utter tat that they hoard. If it was a collection of priceless antiques, some gold bullion, or the odd Rembrandt or 2, OK......but plastic flower pots ? Xmas cards from 1982 ?
I've tried to get a skip here over the last few years......surprisingly difficult. They want paying up front, many, many rules about what goes in the skip.....give up. Probably have a big bonfire, and bury what's left.

 

[Exfarmer]

It's not just an old persons thing. My loft is full of crap that my son has stored from half a dozen carp rods and associated gear . he last used 20 years ago, through training wieghts to a couple of thousand of LPs from the days he was an aspiring DJ 15 years gone. Even got a wine fridge full of booze which I find amazing his mother has not cleared out
He just wont let me get shot of them , but I know he will never use any them except the odd bottle at Christmas time

 

[nick...]

It's not just an old persons thing. My loft is full of crap that my son has stored from half a dozen carp rods and associated gear . he last used 20 years ago, through training wieghts to a couple of thousand of LPs from the days he was an aspiring DJ 15 years gone. Even got a wine fridge full of booze which I find amazing his mother has not cleared out
He just wont let me get shot of them , but I know he will never use any them except the odd bottle at Christmas time

Tell him you’re moving and you want it cleared
Nick...

 

[Steevo]

Doesn't really matter, till the time comes when you have to move / clear the house. One thing that strikes me is the utter tat that they hoard. If it was a collection of priceless antiques, some gold bullion, or the odd Rembrandt or 2, OK......but plastic flower pots ?
I've tried to get a skip here over the last few years......surprisingly difficult. They want paying up front, many, many rules about what goes in the skip.....give up. Probably have a big bonfire, and bury what's left.

Easier and cheaper to load a trailer up and take it to the local waste disposal company. I did that recently paying £/t with a 14t trailer - so much cheaper than a skip! You need 2t in weight to cover the cost of an 8yd skip....not easy to do with junk.

 

[Yale]

Neighbours of ours who are in their 80’s prepare meals in their touring caravan as the kitchen is now to full to get in.

The rest of their bungalow is apparently sheep tracks.

Hoarding in the extreme.

 

[Still Farming]

Lots of waste collectors around here .
Transit with mess side type vehicle and often cheaper than skips.
Most then sort and put best on fb and eb shops.
2nd bit of the cherry for them?

 

[snarling bee]

My paternal Grandmother was the exception to the rule. She gave away all her possessions to her grandchildren in the few years before she died. Very easy sort through what was left when she did. Saved family arguments over 'who had what' as well, - her prized possessions had already been given who she had chosen.
Rest of the family are hoarders however.

 

[Steevo]

Lots of waste collectors around here .
Transit with mess side type vehicle and often cheaper than skips.
Most then sort and put best on fb and eb shops.
2nd bit of the cherry for them?

Gotta be careful that they are registered though - worst thing you can do is give/pay them to take waste and then end up with a fine from someone flytipping it in a gateway!

 

[Bald Rick]

Just cleared out my own wardrobe of cloths that either don't fit or I don't wear and managed to fill 3 bin bags - the large black ones.

Dang I feel better for it although I must have paid 100s if not thousands for all the clobber. Can't seem to be able to bin off books though

 

[Mur Huwcun]

It’s amazing how much stuff you can get rid of if you really go fir it in the weekly recycling and three weekly green bin collection, just pack them full everytime they go. Paper, card, cardboard, books etc go fir recycling with a lot of plastics and all glass bottles snd jars etc. Anything timber wise will go through the log burner with envelopes and paper used to light it. Metal will go to scrap and then just load the car boot with anything else, pop on a clean pair of jeans, t shirt and trainers and drop the whole lot off at the recycling centre on a Sunday morning!!

 

[Netherfield]

My grasping sister and her boys went through picking the choice stuff first though, although I have to admit she did get rid of almost all of his clothes, one of the nephews wanted his big leather settee but couldn't figure out how to get it out of the room, I let my Niece(wifes side) and Nephew have it, I figured out how to take it apart, because they have been helping is get the rubbish out of the cellar and greenhouse.

 

[Tim G]

Perhaps it's because they didn't have eBay to get rid of the tat that it accumulated.



Having said that, ebay could have led to them accumulating more.

 

[solo]

Easier and cheaper to load a trailer up and take it to the local waste disposal company. I did that recently paying £/t with a 14t trailer - so much cheaper than a skip! You need 2t in weight to cover the cost of an 8yd skip....not easy to do with junk.

That’s what I’d do but remember it’s not ag waste so could get hauled over the coals for using cherry fuel on non ag operation.