Is your loft like mine?

[Frank Manning]

Following on from the thread about Christmas Lights, I was tasked with getting our tree, lights and decorations ready, and this entailed getting up into the loft. I have never seen so much junk. There are at least 8 suitcases, a suiter, and 4 holdalls. A plant stand circa 1900. Miscellaneous boxes of Lego, and other loose long forgotten toys. A large box of unused 2012 Christmas Cards. Several boxes of carrier bags paper and poly, kept just in case. An ornate brass curtain rail. Lots of old papers.

Luckily we have a loft ladder and a flourescent light up there. I can see a big clear out coming.

[david63]

In answer to your question Frank I would have to answer no - our loft has absolutely nothing up there apart from several feet of insulation.

[GillD46]

Frank, your loft sounds positively empty compared to ours, which has about a dozen pieces of luggage in various shapes and sizes, coffee tables, about a dozen boxes with various kitchen utensils, pans, china, a vacuum cleaner and LOADS and LOADS more. In fact, about half of the loft is covered in stuff!

Down sizing from a large 4 bed, 4 bath house to a medium 3 bed, 2 bath bungalow has been a challenge!

[david63]

I thought that the whole point of downsizing was to de-clutter - not try to squash all the clutter into a smaller space

[Jan Rosser]

My loft could be a lot emptier if my darling boys were to take away some of their possessions

I have a son who is into music and has two crates of LPs which he looks at every time he visits but rarely takes any of them with him. He also has a foreign coin collection, fishing tackle and trophies from football, rugby etc. and there is a lot of photographic equipment which is completely useless. There is a pushchair belonging to my other son which was slightly damaged on a plane journey and "might come in handy" - his sons are now 10 and 8 - I don't think so

I too have loads of suitcases and holdalls and different tog duvets but generally it's pretty good up there as I did have a clear out a few years ago when I had new insulation put in but one thing I do is keep the boxes that appliances came in just in case they have to be returned - does anyone else do this

[GillD46]

I thought that the whole point of downsizing was to de-clutter - not try to squash all the clutter into a smaller space

But we have! The things up there are things we use regularly, though not frequently, but are unable to keep in the house itself

[Onelife]

Hi Frank,

I would like to tell you about our loft but it sends me into spiralling depression every time I think about it...OK, I will, but only because you have some empathy for what my wife and daughter are putting me through.

Let’s start with...7 suite cases, 5 holdalls, 2 hiking back packs, sewing machine, (used once) 1 chest, full of old clothes , 4 sleeping bags, three blow up beds, 1 fold up bed, Christmas decorations, 30+ used wine bags, two violins, I guitar, and lots of miscellaneous items. And that’s just in one of the cupboards off our loft conversion.

If you’ve got some tissue’s ready I’ll tell you what’s in the other loft space tomorrow, I’m off to top up on my antidepressants.

Regards

Keith.

[Dancing Queen]

Our loft is totally empty, we used to put all sorts of things up there ( just in case we might need it ) I now work on the theory that once it goes up there it never sees the light of day again so we don't hoard now

[davecttr]

A few bats, i think i have seen some flying about. I have not been up there for at least 15 years so don't know for sure.

[Suekersh]

We have moved house 8 times in 32 years and de cluttered each time. Other than some family mementos from when we cleared my husbands parents house, which are in a suitcase, and our Xmas decs in another suitcase, the only other things up there are the empty suitcases for our holidays, except at present they are in the spare room being packed for our cruise next week. I am not a hoarder. Even our garage fits both cars in.

Sue

[Silver_Shiney]

We've got a load of suitcases and one or two boxes of stuff. However, No 1 daughter and SIL have a load of stuff up there pending that glorious day when they'll be able to get a place of their own, and Welshie has a load of stuff up there too 'cos she can't fit it into her flat. Most of it is on storage racks but the floor is still cluttered.

I really want to get it all cleared soon as the Lady C has decided that model railways would be good for me in my retirement (which is a way off yet) and, although the roof struts are not conducive to a layout, it's the only place in the house where I'd be able to build one.

The garage is just as bad....

[Dancing Queen]

Now the garage is another matter, what isn't in the loft ie: suitcases etc are in there along with loads of other 'junk' my husband accumulates

It is reasonably tidy at the moment but not a cat in hells chance of ever getting a car in there

[david63]

On a point of order DQ - it is NOT junk - it is valuable mending, fixing and "will come in useful one day" items

[Dancing Queen]

So I believe David

[Silver_Shiney]

These women just don't get it, do they, David?

[JenniC]

As we live in a courtyard setting with no garage and a smallish garden, the loft is the main storage area. last count was about 10 suitcases, suit carriers and hold alls. One plastic wardrobe full of my cruise clothes and a hanging rail for overflow of coats etc. One 6ft artificial Christmas tree used once. One set of golf clubs, hardly used. 2 x oil filled radiators, 2 cat baskets (we only have one cat ). Sewing machine, various extra pillows and duvets, christmas decorations, garden chairs and cushions stored for winter. Several empty boxes in case we need to send anything back and I am sure many other items buried under the rest. That said a new shed to be erected on Tuesday, bigger and better so I can feel a sort out coming on.

[david63]

These women just don't get it, do they, David?

Not until THEY need something and we can just produce it by magic

[Dancing Queen]

We have two sheds hidden away behind trees at the bottom of the garden, I never venture into them but am assumed they are neat and tidy several trips were made to the tip earlier in the year so I assume there was a 'blitz' and I'm being told the truth

[Dancing Queen]

These women just don't get it, do they, David?

Not until THEY need something and we can just produce it by magic

Or ....... you know you have one somewhere but just can't put your hands on it .. it's a man thing !!

[Boris+]

Our loft has one or two items in it - and that is stuff which we may need now and again. There is no 'junk' in our garage at home either.

We have some sheds, and so what we did was to grade stuff into 'may need now and again', 'even less likely to need' and so on. The less likely something is to be needed then the more likely it is to be downgraded to a shed.

We do like to leave loads of space in our loft, in case Santa needs to store some gifts there. Having said that, I don't like going up there, in fact I've never been there.

Em

[david63]

... in fact I've never been there.

So you don't really know what is up there

[Frank Manning]

Reading some of your replies, I am quite heartened. (OL and I might be kindred spirits).

Anyway the tree lights and decorations are now strategically placed next to the hatch ready for next weekend. Then when/if they go back up there I am definitely going to have a clear out.

I have two storage bins and a large and a small shed, specifically so that I can get the car into the garage. I could still have a reasonable garage sale though.

DQ; it is me who is the real culprit in this house, and the words "I know I've got one somewhere, I just cant lay my hands on it" struck a nerve.

[Kenmo1]

When we moved from our house which had 2 big 'glory holes' where we kept everything and then we moved to a bungalow with very few cupboards, we had to really think about what we could keep and what we would have to dispose of. We decided only to keep the suitcases in the loft and they are within easy reach on some boarding so that we don't have to clamber about up there - they can be reached by just standing on the loft ladder. However, the garage has now become the 'glory hole' much to my husband's disgust and annoyance. There isn't a hope in hell of ever getting a car in there. A problem we have realised this winter is that on frosty mornings a lot of condensation collects on the inside of the corrugated asbestos roof and drips continually over Ken plus our stored belongings - I'm more worried about the stored belongings than Ken getting wet The garage roof has now become a priority to be replaced in order to protect things which we 'might' need one day. It might be cheaper to just get rid of the 'junk' in there - and I don't mean Ken !!!

[Keechy]

HELP! I'm being haunted by the missing post spectre! Two attempts to post a reply and both have disappeared. This is my last attempt...

Suitcases and Christmas decorations seem to be the most common items. We also have the unused sewing machine - a hand cranked Singer - and hundreds of photos in more suitcases. Even the OH's wedding dress is up there just in case it ever needed again. Then there's the deceased parents' memorabilia which is hard to get rid of and the electrical good boxes for returning them if they go wrong. Plus spare kettles and irons.

Somewere under all the lot is some loft insulation that's compressed down to the height of the rafters so it's probably not very effective.

Just writing about it makes me want to get up there and start blitzing it

[Dancing Queen]

Reading some of your replies, I am quite heartened. (OL and I might be kindred spirits).

Anyway the tree lights and decorations are now strategically placed next to the hatch ready for next weekend. Then when/if they go back up there I am definitely going to have a clear out.

I have two storage bins and a large and a small shed, specifically so that I can get the car into the garage. I could still have a reasonable garage sale though.

DQ; it is me who is the real culprit in this house, and the words "I know I've got one somewhere, I just cant lay my hands on it" struck a nerve.

Ha Ha Frank, we know you men so well we wouldn't be without you though