# Are you a hoarder?



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

If you are I would advise you to start having a clean up. 
I have so much stuff to sift through its a nightmare. 
Things Hans thought may come in useful _some day_ tools that have been doubled and trembled like socket sets, drill sets etc.
Then there are rolls of electrical wire, all different sorts of cable, screws and nails by the million, every size you would think possible, but when he was making or fixing something he often didn't have the correct size screw and bought more.
Mains and battery Drills, woodwork tools it goes on and on. I am reluctant to just get someone to clear it all, so much stuff I can see him working with and its as if I am throwing part of him away and its heart breaking, but everything must be cleared before I can think of my next move.
Blu has been absolutely great, I dread to think what I would have done without him, who else would have cleared the loft of all the things up there, not light stuff I could have managed, things like 2 baby belling electric cookers, a gas cooker from an old caravan, all the stuff Hans took out of the Navajo, I could never have done it. Plus the simple fact he was here with me to hold me up.
On top of all that I still haven´t done things like removing his name from our bank accounts and the house ownership, I have told the pension people, now I have to learn to live on just my pension, because I live abroad I don´t get any extras and we don´t have private pensions which was a mistake I suppose.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Yes, Jan, I am naturally a hoarder. I have learned, however, that it is not good. We had the house on the market a couple of times and that concentrated our minds on what is necessary to keep and what is not. Chris is not a hoarder but he is extremely untidy. His workshop is a mess. If I want something I can never find it because its "place" is not the same every time. Drives me nuts. We also lived in the motorhome for a few years and found out how little you actually need in life.

When Chris was very poorly I used to wonder what I would do if he did not make it or was left too poorly to do anything. I came to the conclusion that I would pack up all that I wanted and move out as soon as I could, to temporary accommodation or the motorhome, and either let someone else clear the house or make visits to the house to do it. I thought that living through the nightmare that you are going through would be too awful to contemplate.

So glad you have help. Wish I could do more.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yes is the simple answer Jan. We are both magpies and can't bear to discard anything that still have some use or life left in it.
I am always suggesting my wife discards some pointless (to me) item and she always suggests I dump all the wires and chargers.

So we go on with our prised possessions clogging up the sheds and cupboards with just in case and come in handy stuff. It will happen to us eventually as we are so often told by my minimalistic widowed sis in law. It was only weeks after Bros in law died she had cleared all trace of him from the house and shed. Just the odd photo remains. 

I am guilty of keeping things for others as we are often asked if we have a spare this or that. 
One point as I have kept my old printer now for probably four years just in case the 'new' one decides not to work and I can fall back on. But I am sure the old one will have inks that are now so solid as to render it useless. 

Ray.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Yes, tho I have got better.

When hubby and I were going travelling for a couple of years we got the house ready for letting. 

We'd had numerous house moves in our married life so I should've stripped back at each but I didn't. It was an incredibly difficult task, especially with stuff that had a sentimental attachment.

I got rid of a lot of stuff - the local charity shop asked "What kind of house do you live in - a castle?"!

But then I went through it again - and a lot more stuff went. And later, a 3rd pass, and more stuff. 

The rest of the smaller stuff went into my son's attic. Over the last few months I've got rid of even more, wondering "What in earth did I keep that for?" And it helps if I say 'Someone else could be making use of that right now'. 

I'm trying to be better in my small apartment, but it is difficult - it's not in my nature to be minimalist. Tho I believe in it in theory, I'm not so good at the practice!


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## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

No Jan, army life teaches 'travel light' so we learnt over many years!
After my brother in law died, they also had a male lodger of a similar age, and they were both tool and appliance hoarders with 2 large sheds full.
Luckily I have a large car sized trailer which was just big enough to move it all.
I visited the biggest car boot sale in East Anglia and raised a few hundred pounds for charity.
Many items had never been used and some still boxed....a very similar list to yours but without the direct personal attachment that you have:smile2:


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Nope, not me. I have a room 101 which is my garage which is full of junk like old windsurfers (That I think one day I might get back on if I get new knees), old motorhome bits (there is even an old Dome in there) but apart from that I bin stuff once its of no use.

I took great pleasure a while back helping a pal round the corner move house and get shot of all his old IT stuff. He had a lovely big house by the river Tees and it was full of all sorts of stuff going back to the 80s!! massive old printers and computers that cost thousands when new he just couldnt part with. Even huge collections of floppy disks! I skipped the entire lot. He was heart broken. :lol:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Yes, he who dies with the most stuff wins, Liz will just get a clearance firm in if/when I pop off first, all her junk is in kitchen cupboards and the wardrobes.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Thats the big problem Barry, a lot of things I pick up to chuck I can hear him say, "but I might be able to use that one day" if it wasn't for blu reminding me, "but he won't will he" I´d be keeping a lot of, useless to me, stuff.


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

I do hoard bits and bobs, and probably like Hans there’s a quiet glow of satisfaction when something you’ve kept gets utilised.

Although your situation has me thinking when I’m back home I’ll do my best to have a bit of a clear out.................. maybe ?

Terry


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

This thread has just reminded me to chuck out some old toilet systern and floats I kept when I renewed them just in case??

Ray.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

You'll kick yourself if you need it in 10yrs tho Ray.... (smilie!)


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I have a loft full of stuff

I am allowed to post on this thread aren’t I?

I get a bit nervous these days 

Kitchen drawers full of large electrical stuff

Lg slow cookers, lg electric frying pans, electric woks, etc 

A throw back to the days of Friday family meals

The loft, rugs and more rugs, even an original cindy dolls house 

Sets of old pottery which I wouldn’t use for fear of breaking them 

Some I’m sure are collectibles but I’m not a seller 

So should I leave them for the kids to sort and sell?

Or will I need to move house before I die 

I’ve sent loads of things to the charity shops

But it’s just the tip of the iceberg 

Sandra


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

I think that Jean has a good point about someone else making good use of something. A close friend of mine is a hoarder. She had four children and still had all their baby gear until they were all well into their teens! I am not talking the odd fluffy toy I am talking cots and high chairs. She often gives me stuff, like her third cat basket as she only has two cats, but makes me promise not to get rid of it! I asked her, once, why. She says she likes to think that whatever it was has gone to a "good" home (whatever that is?).


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I think many of us have this 'homing' instinct Pat.:grin2:

Ray.


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## rogerblack (May 1, 2005)

Yes, I am also guilty of not being able to throw things away 'just in case it might be needed sometime in the future'. However the likelihood of us downsizing in the foreseeable future has prompted a massive clear out. Hundreds of books have gone, since I can now read ebook versions on my Kindle/Fire or Google for reference materials. Despite numerous trips to charity shops and the dump (sorry, recycling centre) the stuff stored in our double garage still seems to expand to fill the available space.

My biggest fear is that when I die, my wife will sell stuff for what I told her I'd paid for it . . .


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

rogerblack said:


> My biggest fear is that when I die, my wife will sell stuff for what I told her I'd paid for it . . .


Hi Roger, haven't seen you in a while. Just think of the lucky buyers!!


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

"My biggest fear is that when I die, my wife will sell stuff for what I told her I'd paid for it . . ."

Ha, ha! My dad was a terrible hoarder. My poor mum was never allowed to buy anything new as he was sure he would come across it in his shed or in a skip somewhere. She craved a new light fitting so we hatched a plan! We went out and bought one and took it to my house to unpack it. Then we took it to her house and told dad that we had driven past a garage sale and bought it for a couple of pounds! If only he knew! He died first and, after clearing mountains of "stuff" mum was able to, at last, buy herself some nice new things. Trouble is she was now indoctrinated by his scrooge qualities.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

My early and informative years were very frugal with no dad just after the war we scrimped and saved like everyone else.
Even later when we had plenty of money going off to our $220,000 RV in the states I always tried to find the cheapest flights. It seemed to give me satisfaction to know I hadn't wasted more cash. I guess I'm still like that.
But then losing everything and almost losing our home we were back to scrimping and scraping again as we were well used to. I still try and get the best value I can on everything and when I come across an absolute bargain I just can't refuse even if it's not needed but just the satisfaction.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

What I need is someone to come and catalogue 

Throw the worthless

Sell the the worth 

I have Albert, he would just throw everything worthless or not 

And if I’m honest I’m a bit suspicious 

He chucks many things that could be useful

And buys them again if he later needs them

Sandra


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