How to clear out a spare room?

Question

My spare room is used as storage. It is literally floor to ceiling, front to back, with a small pathway leading to my computer. I try to clean it out, by pulling out a few boxes at a time, soting things and throwing away things, but it just gets too overwhelming and hard, and I hardly make a dent after working on it all afternoon. Can anyone give me any ideas on how to stay motivated and just keep working on it?

Answer 1

Get 3 boxes, label one "trash", another "donate or sell", and another "keep". As you're going through your stuff, sort it into the proper boxes. Don't be a packrat. If it's sentimental but large, consider taking a picture of it to keep and getting rid of the item. If it's something you "might need one day", ask when you last used it, how often you might need it, and how hard it would be to get another. Sometimes it's worth getting rid of 5 boxes of stuff you "might need some day" even if it means later buying 1 or 2 of the items again because you did indeed need them. You might spend a little extra money if you got rid of something and DID end up needing it one day (and had to buy another), but consider the cost of keeping all this stuff you probably won't need. It costs you in space, stress, clutter, needing to get a bigger place for all your stuff, etc.

Take baby steps. Try to unpack one box a day, or even a half a box if a whole box is too much. OR, just set a timer for 15 minutes or 30 minutes and stop when the timer goes off. OR stop when you find at least 5 things you're going to get rid of (that might help you if you're prone to keeping everything, because you'll have to find 5 things to get rid of if you want to stop unpacking for the day).

Good luck. Once it's under control, don't let it get so out of hand again. (Easier said than done, but you can do it).

Answer 2

Hire a professional organizer ... or if you can't afford that, then ask a good friend to come help you. Work on it for only two hours at any one time, and only do it one day a week, but NEVER add 'more boxes' when you've got the first ones 'cleaned out' ... and you'll have that 'room cleaned' in six months ... and you'll feel 'so much better' ...
Have the organizer or your friend 'remove the stuff you don't want to keep' and try to keep AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. Get some 'pretty baskets' or shelves or something to hold the stuff you do want to keep so you can 'start setting up the new organization' as soon as you 'begin' your project.

Answer 3

I had a boss who moved a lot and he said that if he had a box from a previous move that he did not open, when he was ready to move again, he just threw the box out without looking inside. He figured if he hadn't needed it in 2-3 years, he must not need it. I know that I could never do that but it worked for him.

Maybe get a few friends or some family together on a Saturday and get them to help you go through things. They will not be so sentimental (my problem) and will help you get rid of things that you don't really need.

Answer 4

I would not think about the whole room and just do a little bit
each day ( If time allows )

Put on music, use a timer and do go through one box at a time

Box/Tote for garage sale....price it as putting in
Box for give away
Bag for garbage.....toss it away same day

Need to select area to store garage sale items
Area to put larger items to one side for room to work

I had this problem and was over whelmed but got through it
and now have a nice clean spare guest room

Christmas items in marked totes
Winter items in totes/changed in summer
Special items re: cards/papers in clear totes
Found totes/ clear and coloured ones easy than boxes, they stack better and do not crush or break

Good Luck

Answer 5

The FlyLady's techniques might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sounds like they could be helpful in your situation.

One of her sayings is that "you can do anything for 15 minutes." Think about it - if you spent even just 15 minutes a day making legitimate progress in that room, eventually it would look good as new. (And you wouldn't get overwhelmed in the process.)

If you can't afford to hire a professional organizer like some of the other posters here have suggested, it would definitely be worth at least taking a look at the FlyLady website to see if you can make it work for you: http://www.flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_Decluttertips.asp

Answer 6

Ugh -- mine's the same! The only thing I know to do is a. throw out what you can, and b. have a proper storage place for whatever you must keep. I personally am drowning in paper.

Answer 7

Think of a way to reward yourself when you are through. Maybe buy a new bed and comforter set to redecorate. Crank the music, get everyone out and go to it. Make this your get away room.

Answer 8

Put up a photo of your dream room, painted walls, nice furniture
Pace yourself. When you get overwhelmed, take a break, do something else.

Then resume. Your new orderly life should keep you motivated.

Answer 9

Yes....Get every single thing out of the room, without a though, then sit down and sort out what you really need and don't need, you will figure it out yourself and the though of getting these back inside will boose you enought to sort out things right...