I'm spending the weekend tackling the basement of a low level hoarder. I really need to get everything out and it looking like a real place by Sunday evening. I'm partial to large bins to sort things and store them (if I have to), but there has to be other practical (and slightly appealing) ways. Ideas? Help? Please?
The basement consists of half broken electronics that ‘might' be usable in the future for spare parts, way too many holiday decorations, and lots and lots of random tools. Thus far I've managed to convince the hoarder to part with a majority of the non-electronic type trash which has made a huge impact, but not enough.
By Jane
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A good start is to sift through the items you really want to keep and donate the rest to the Salvation Army. They will pick it all up for you as long as you have most of it boxed or bagged up for them.
With hoarders one doesn't want to add more shelving, boxes, containers, etc. as they will quickly fill them as well. One needs to cut back or there will more stuff of little or no value.
Give away the Christmas decorations if they aren't being used. OR, sell it on Craigslist, ebay or put an ad in the paper. You could get one of those metal utility shelves you assemble and can adjust shelving where you want it is really nice for storing a lot of things in labeled containers/boxes and it's up off the floor and uses no drill holes in wall to support it.
Although if won't help you now it will help in the future. I would take a cardboard box and place it in an inconspicuous place in the basement (under the stairs where it was dark even with a few lights on. I'd periodically toss hubby's broken but "useful" stuff in the box. I'd leave it there a few months and when it was full it went in the garbage which I always took out. I found he never missed a thing and it kept some control on his hoarding.
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