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Everything shall have its place

Perhaps the biggest challenge I am facing with the prospect of a new house is avoiding clutter. For 2 years now I’ve got away with having packed boxes of junk lying chaotically around the house, thanks to the excuse that where I live now was just temporary until I bought somewhere. Come October, I’ll no longer have that excuse.

A big clearout, yeah the same one that’s been ongoing for quite some time now, is going to be ramped up. Stuff which hasn’t been used in years, and is not likely to be used, will be turfed. One pile will go on eBay, another in the charity bins, and whatever’s left will go into the recycle or garbage bin.

I’ve already gone through and found a bunch of books and CDs that can go on eBay. Other items due for savage culling will include:

  • Video tapes. I have hundreds of the bloody things, with lots of things taped when I was a TV junkie. I’m not a TV junkie anymore. I aim to get rid of about 90% of these.
  • Computer mags. Many undated and now useless. Maybe some nostalgia buff will enjoy them.
  • The kids’ toys and clothes. Some they still use. A lot more they’ve now grown out of, and they can be pointed in the direction of my young nephew and other more junior kids around the place.
  • Paperwork. I’ve got ludicrous numbers of papers in a filing cabinet, going back years. Most can be recycled, ensuring there’s enough room to properly file all the newer stuff I’ve got scattered around my desk.
  • Miscellaneous electronic junk: Old phones, computer mouses, many various cables, a sound mixer… all stuff that can be offloaded to whoever wants it, or binned.

I’ve also got hold of a catalogue from (of all places) Howard’s Storage World, a shop I’ve walked past and sniggered at in days gone by. Now I need their help. My aim for the new house is this:

Everything shall have its place.

Wish me luck.

By Daniel Bowen

Transport blogger / campaigner and spokesperson for the Public Transport Users Association / professional geek.
Bunurong land, Melbourne, Australia.
Opinions on this blog are all mine.

13 replies on “Everything shall have its place”

Good luck! It’s a bloody big job.
BTW if you want to get rid of things, without filling landfill, there is always that freecycle site. You offer stuff out online and people ask for it, then pick it up. Might be worth doing this with things like old phones etc that still work.

My wife LOVES Storage World!! She can’t get enough of their stuff… drives me insane because everything is now in its place… which wasnt the place where it used to be kept…

Now all I seem to do is call out through the house “Baby, where’s the ….???

I love Storage World, but I generally don’t buy there as they’re way too expensive. If you’re not watching your pennies then it’s fine.

Mmmm I have a huge pile of crap that I’d stored for ages while crashing at a relative’s place until I got my own home. Flash forward to moving into my own place and now I have a heap of miscellaneous junk that used to seem sooo important that I had to keep it for ages in boxes, and I’m wondering whether to throw it all out or sell some of it. I keep looking at the boxes and they’re looking back at me I swear.

Cull, cull, cull. Cleanse the soul. What you have not used or looked at in the last year, get rid of. There are new and exciting things to discover and keep. With perhaps the exception of books, photos and letters, nothing is as good the second time.

Andrew is right, cull, cull, cull. In no time you will notice that all of the junk you have “freed” will be replaced with new junk. Make ebay your friend. :)

Wishing you luck in clearing out the clutter. You and me with old videotapes of shows :( I have about 200 of the damn things in the basement. Old skis too, that will have to be disposed of, in time. We’re not moving any time soon but cleansing of the abode is good for the soul, they say. Here’s a hint from an disorganized person: If you’ve not used it in a year, out it goes.

Video tapes? NO~!

They have all ther old commercials, remember? I still have that old one of HUDSON HAWK taped of Channel 10, with the commercial break with the SHELL ad where they foolishly show the PRICES.

54c. Wow.

Just be wary of “recycling” paperwork if it has ANY confidential stuff on it. Take them to work and shred ’em!

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