Nothing lights a fire under your arse like making a public proclamation that you’re going to get rid of 100 things. So even though we’re not moving until mid-December, we made our way from room to room paring down every single thing that we don’t love/need/use. The mantra as we went? No mercy. Because nothing is worse than packing, moving, and unpacking things that aren’t worth the time they took to transport or the space they’re eating up in the new place.
Here’s our getting-rid-of-it office pile:
Then we tackled the kitchen (Clara helped):
Here’s our outgoing kitchen pile (what you don’t see are a bunch of baskets and towels on the floor):
And here’s our den’s see-ya-later pile (cry not for the board games, they were doubles so we still have a copy of each one):
Our garage to-go pile:
Our basement done-zo pile:
And our big bedroom buh-bye pile (minus the baby and the dog of course- they stay):
And now for the full list of purged items:
- 11 pairs of shoes (10 of mine, one of John’s)
- 36 books (10 of which were cookbooks)
- 10 video tapes & DVDS
- 1 alarm clock
- 1 computer mouse
- countless padded envelopes & mailing tubes (from the days of our online print shop)
- 6 board games (some of which we had two identical versions, so we got rid of one)
- 2 yoga mats
- 1 radio
- 1 stocking
- 2 faux pumpkins
- 1 lamp
- 4 pillows
- 1 mirror
- 5 frames
- 54 items of clothing (including coats, hats, ties, tees, jeans, shirts, socks, etc)
- 4 plastic plates
- 6 ceramic plates
- 1 power screwdriver
- 4 outdoor chairs
- 2 welcome mats
- 1 rug
- 2 baskets of faux plants (they lived in the not-sunny-enough-for-real-plants basement)
- 1 floor lamp
- 4 plant pots
- 6 garden hooks
- 1 stencil
- 1 frisbee
- 4 old quarts of paint
- 2 buckets
- 2 metal tins (we came up with a new diaper & wipe disposal system- more details soon)
- 1 sprinkler
- 1 trash can
- 1 fabric basket
- 1 dark wicker basket
- 5 bath towels
- 1 nursing cover
- 8 baby toys & feeding supplies
- 4 glass cups
- 3 vases
- 4 pieces of faux fruit
- 8 wine glasses
- 8 mugs
- GRAND TOTAL: 222 items
Saweeeeeeeet. I mean on one hand it’s kind of embarrassing to admit that we were storing all that excess but boy does it feel good to get rid of it. Yup, that’s right. It’s all out of our house already – thanks to donating and selling every last item (we had an impromptu moving sale this weekend while we still had some steam and that no mercy attitude). We feared if things sat around for a while before we had a chance to donate or sell them we might have changed our minds and kept things that we didn’t need. And you know I have the patience of a 5 year old, right? More of those get-it-gone details coming soon.
What have you guys been purging? Have you identified any problem areas? We definitely held onto lots of books and clothes that we had no need for, but we were also surprised how many unnecessary kitchen items we were hoarding (many of which we had used exactly zero times).
Rachel says
Recently I went through ALL my clothes and ended up with bags and bags for donation. I also went through our kitchen utensl drawer. Who needs three sets of measuing cups?
I just read that sales as Goodwill are up a whopping 11% this year. I would imagine donations are up to, thanks in part to YHL readers!
Jill says
We must have bit been by the same bug; although I didn’t have the stamina to have a sale. In the past week I have purged a playroom closet, a master bedroom closet, 3 children’s closets and a kitchen. 1 bag & 1 box of trash and 8, count them 8, large bags to the Good Will. Feels soooooo good; now onto the art trunk before my daughter gets home and sees what I throw out!
Robin says
Impressive!! I could probably get rid of over a 1000 things myself. You might consider leaving the stencil for the new owners–they might need to touch something up or want to stencil something to match the floor? It doesn’t take up any space and if they don’t want it, no big deal in tossing it themselves. I know I appreciate the half-empty paint cans the former owners of our house left for us in the basement for touch-ups, too.
jane says
What a great idea! I am totally going to copy you!
amy says
Great job! Now I want to know how much you made selling the stuff you would have otherwise moved and donated!
barb says
hey guys,
after the move will your website still have the projects and remodeling info that you have on it now?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Barb,
Yup, everything will stay and we’ll just add the new house adventures to the site!
xo,
s
Chicago Cuisine Critique says
Awesome job you two!
Alyssa says
The fabric being discarded from the den-totally the same fabric as my curtains/pillows in the living room! Crazy. Great job cleaning. I enjoy the donating, but I also reminisce about EVERYTHING!
GreenInOC says
Wowza!
I think you should leave the stencil behind for the new owners. You never know, they may need it – for a touch up, to make more, etc…
Pretty inspiring. It’s going to feel great only packing what you truly want and not schlepping around stuff you no longer need.
Heidi H. says
Y’all are bad ass.
danielle says
i wish we did this before we moved, but with 2 kids and working full time i felt like i never had the time – but i’m kicking myself now b/c i’m trying to purge the new house of stuff we don’t need – which as you pointed out seems pointless to pack it all up and move it etc ..so i’m definitely jealous.
i sometimes get so confused reading the comments on here – like are people just not reading your post all the way or do you update it after some of the comments…like so many comments about how people want to buy the stuff when you said you already sold it, or why you got rid of board games when you said they were dupes. i just imagine it must get frustrating to read so many comments like that, although i’m sure you are grateful to your loyal readers and would never admit that :)
Christine B says
My hubby & I reorganized our Attic this weekend-yay us! It felt SO good to toss and donate the junk we were holding onto. I even posted pictures on my blog of the afters. form2form.wordpress.com. My hope is it stays this organized till we moved out 20 years from now.
Hilary says
Why did you get rid of the stencil? Are you not planning to do any more stenciling projects in your new place?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Hilary,
Upon close inspection of the stencil, it was a bit wavery and we didn’t trust that it would work well again (so we sold it for 25 cents at the garage sale- because maybe someone could flatten it or somehow make it useful again). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Suzanne says
As thrifty as y’all are I hope you’re having a garage/yard sale!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Suzanne,
Yup, as we mentioned at the end of the post, we held a moving sale and donated the rest so everything is gone and we made a few bucks while we were at it!
xo,
s
kathy says
Just curious, did you know when you said 100 that you could probably double it, or was it a surprise to you too?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kathy,
We had no idea! I honestly thought 100 might be hard, but once we got going it was addictive!
xo,
s
Jill S. says
After seeing photos of how immaculate your house always looks, I can’t believe you even had that much stuff to give away! You sure do stash things away well. I wanted to have a Fall yard sale because I thought it’d be different from the normal spring cleaning type of yard sale (and with much less competition) but never actually got around to going through our junk. I don’t think a winter yard sale will have much appeal but I’m now motivated to do it in the Spring!
Katie K says
Just yesterday I pulled two big black garbage bags of clothes out of my closet. I still had clothes that I wore when I was 80 pounds heavier in there. It feels good to say goodbye to those clothes that I will never be big enough to wear again.
Abby @ abby & her boys says
This is so inspiring. I feel like I’m always taking a car load to Goodwill, but yet we still have too much stuff.
We’re moving in march and I love the “100 things” approach! Thanks!
Charlotte says
Oh my, I’d soooooo love to have your Taboo game! I’m an English teacher and I’m dying for a taboo game I can use in my classroom… It is such a great game, students play and don’t even know they’re learning English. But I know shipping to Germany isn’t possible…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Charlotte,
So sorry! As we mentioned in the post, we already have sold or donated everything!
xo,
s
Sara says
So inspiring! I hope I can talk my husband into this for our house. But, honestly, since we merged both homes ( we were in our thirties when we got married) I find it’s easier to slowly take a car load to Ggoodwill every month. That doesn’t seem to shell shock him as much…
By the way, I could barely find Burger in the bedroom photo. LOL!
Emily Mullan says
Great post! My husband and I are currently cleaning out our basement. After moving to our house a little over a year ago, we had some major work done in the kitchen and then immediately (like, 2 days after the appliances finally went back in) we had our first baby. So, the basement and all sorts of unpacked boxes (or half-unpacked, as we pulled things out to look for something we needed) have been sitting down there…ugh. But although we are finally purging a lot of un-needed or unwanted stuff, I am finding that our parents keep sending us home from visits with boxes of our old stuff that they are cleaning out of their attics, closets, etc.!! It never ends!
Lindsay H says
Oh my gosh, nice work! Burger became Where’s Waldo for a second as I spotted Clara right away on the bed, but didn’t see Burger. Then it was like, “Yay! There he is!”
Jessica says
oh wow that was fast! I figured the 100 items wouldn’t be done until closer to moving. And over 200 already?! Go John and Sherry!!
My problem area would be our office. It is ok at first glance, but open the closet or desk drawers and its just chaos lol. That room just doesn’t get much attention sadly.
I purge my kids toys all the time! They accumulate so quickly! I like to donate all the toys that are no longer age appropriate or they just don’t play with anymore. I feel like they get way more use out of their toys when they are organized. I also keep toys or games that have little pieces (puzzles, legos, etc) in their closet so we can pull it out when they want to play and then return it when they are done so the pieces aren’t lost.
Carley says
Just yesterday, I went through bins of clothing I was storing at my parents, pre-baby, and pre-move from our teeny, tiny townhouse to our new home. I gathered 5 bags of clothing to donate. It was such a weight lifted to get rid of so much excess, plus it felt good to pass it on to others who can use it!
Good for you for purging that many items!
Rebecca B. says
How were you able to free yourselves of the “maybe I’ll use this in our new house” or “maybe I can repurpose this for some awesome future thing” guilt? My hubs and I are also trying to sell our house and cleaning stuff out, but I fear getting rid of stuff and having to re-buy it later. I’m looking at your list and thinking “Wow, I’d love to have 1/6 of what they are tossing!” Words of wisdom welcome!
YoungHouseLove says
We found so many things that we didn’t realize we even had- which meant that we didn’t need or use them! Out they went. We’re happy to say that everything will get a second life (thanks to our moving sale and our donation) but we’ve come to realize that just because something can be repurposed doesn’t mean we have to be the ones to do it. Sometimes another person will happily take it off your hands and you’ll have more space to breathe (and even some money in your pocket) in return. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sara says
I see a few things in there I could take off of your hands :)
Good for you guys!! This will make moving so much easier no doubt!
Nancy Thomas says
We are in the process of decluttering/purging as well. The basement and the attic were the black holes for junk and now they are both cleaned out. I have a pile for donatons, another for a garage sale and everything else went to the trash or recycle bin. It’s a wonderful feeling. I am now working on my craft room.
Bridgette says
You really are motivating. Speak it and then do it right away. That is a great. Isnt Last Word so much fun? Good job, I seriously think we might have to try a purge, after the hoildays is when I will try. I am such a hold onto the memory type gal I will need to be full of brand new memories from the season to help me I think.
bex says
You guys definitely inspired me to do a 100 Things list! I’ve gotten started on our entryway closet (just three things there) and bedroom closet (about a million there!). I’m so excited about it – I hope to end with a list that’s way bigger than just the 100 too. Hubby and I have taken our time (putting it mildly…) with figuring out our design style and what we want to see in our house, so it’s taken us some trial runs of STUFF before we’ve figured out what we like. Now that we’re in the throws of decorating, I hope to be able to toss out a ton of the things that are no longer to our taste or ever used. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Victoria says
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT LAMP?! The one from the kitchen pile? Can I have it? Buy it? Steal it? I LURVE!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Victoria,
Wow, so many people are loving that lamp! We sold it in our moving sale already- so sorry!
xo,
s
scook says
Doesn’t it feel good to get rid of clutter? You can’t organize it – it’s better to just get rid of it. We’re expecting out of town visitors for a couple of months over the holidays. (Have you ever slept in a guest room that feels like a storage bin?) I’ve donated so much stuff over the past month and could still probably furnish a couple of houses with excess lying around (we’ve lived in the same house for 20 years). I hope to get rid of a lot more before they arrive – every trip to Goodwill helps!
Jenny E: says
You inspire me… I wonder if I have 100 things that could go?
http://fashionista-to-garmento.blogspot.com/
Nik says
Did you notice how tiny Clara and Burger look in comparison to those shoes in the last picture? Not that I am calling anyone big-footed…just something with the angle of the picture makes the shoes look gianormous.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, John’s a tall glass of water.
xo,
s
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
We cleaned out our garage this weekend and now you have me thinking I could stand to get rid of some more things! Especially since I have no clue where to put half of the stuff I dug out of there!!
carolyn says
Great job, guys!
I see so many commenters longing for one or more of your discarded items… And I have to admit I saw one or two items in there that caught my eye, too. I have to constantly scrutinize my habit of picking things up from friends because they’re getting rid of it (Yay for FREE! or even if it’s a great deal at a store). That’s a big part of the reason I have an office/project room filled to capacity with stuff I plan to use someday.
We purged a bunch of stuff in a garage sale this fall and our mantra was: if it goes into the sale, it doesn’t come back into the house. And it felt so great to be liberated of the leftovers by dropping them off at a resale shop immediately after the sale!
Thanks for the 100 items idea.
Jasmine says
222! Way to go! I was a bit skeptical because it seems that you two live pretty simply as it is… I’ve got a basement room to tackle (I’m trying to make space for a Craft area). Thanks, you’ve inspired me to not only clean things up but to get rid of some things as well. My packrat nature makes me want to keep everything but I think I can do it. Maybe I’ll even set a number goal like you guys did to make it easier.
Thanks again! you guys always inspire me w/ your good ideas and tips.
~Jazz
Jess says
Job well done! My husband is in the military so moving became a part of life. During our first move, a friend told us that every move is like a small fire. You learn a.)that you really don’t need as much as you thought you did and b.) that you really don’t want to move all that stuff anyways..so away it goes. And boy, did it ever!!
Enjoy “the cleanse” and best of luck with your new adventure!
Carolyn says
Ok, so you guys have a small house and a couple of storage ottomans…where’d you keep all that stuff you sold/donated?! your house always looks so perfect and mess free! I want to know your secrets!
Also, you got rid of baby toys and feeding supplies?…but what about the future kids you semi regularly mention in your posts? Won’t you need that stuff for them (save buying it all over again when you already have it)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Carolyn,
Bedroom closets, in under bed storage, in the basement, in the garage, in the kitchen cabinets, etc. I guess it all adds up…
xo,
s
Emily says
Totally understand how addicting it can be to throw stuff away. I did a purge last summer and took two full station wagon loads to Goodwill. It was only then that our friends asked if we wanted to go in on a multi-family yardsale (rats!). Yesterday I was wishing I still had the pie birds I got rid of in that purge, but oh well. I just can’t believe how much you guys found! Not because it’s a lot of stuff, but where in the world was it?? The secret attic? Of course, it’s always nice when we realize you guy are human and end up with some extra stuff, too! Good luck on the move :)
Allison says
I’m so impressed with how patient you are as you repeat over and over what you already said in the post–you’ve already gotten rid of everything. Heck, it’s even in bold and people are still asking about the stuff. How do you guys keep it up?
Also, I’m craving a big house purge thanks to you! It sounds like so much fun! I only wish my husband would be on board, instead of someone I have to negotiate with. He’s a saver and I’m a purger…maybe someday we’ll learn to strike a balance?
Sally says
I appreciate your comment above about repurposing things doesn’t mean YOU have to do the repurposing. So, I’m curious – do you shop at thrift stores, yard sales, reuse centers?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sally,
Yes! We got a lot of our furniture from Craigslist, thrift stores, yard sales, etc. One man’s trash is definitely another man’s treasure…
xo,
s
Sally says
Thanks Kate for the link to paperbackswap.com! I’ve been wanting a “Netflix for books”!
Jenni says
Yikes! I noticed you said you would keep us posted on your moving day schedule. If anyone can move in one day, it’s definitely you two! I have complete faith in you! Luckily, you will be able to plan ahead, and you guys are super organized.
When we moved last year, the previous tenant for our new apartment said that it would be fine to start storing our stuff in the apt a few days early–so this is what we planned. However, he never told his girlfriend this information, and he actually moved out a week before his GF. We kept calling all week to find out when we could move some of our stuff in. Finally, his GF said that she was working half of the day (the same day we had to move out) and after that, she said she still needed time to “clean” (not sure what all she “cleaned”–we ended up having to deep-clean it ourselves!). We couldn’t start moving until about 5pm–we were definitely not prepared for that! We didn’t get done cleaning our old apt until 2am, and our downstairs neighbors were pretty pissed that we were making noise so late. Luckily our new apartment was just around the corner from our old one, I’m pretty sure we would have been in trouble had it been any farther! Now we are really happy with our apartment, but we know that next time we need to be prepared for everything!
Emily says
Also, how exactly do you do the write-off with donations? Sometimes I’ll take the receipt but then I don’t know what to do with it. Do you just estimate how much everything is worth? Mostly I just donate the stuff and don’t take the receipt because I don’t know what to do with it. Suze Orman would probably not like me for that.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Emily,
You just write down an approximate value of what you donated (don’t inflate things or The Man will get you- plus it’s bad karma). Then just keep that with you as “proof” in case of an audit or anything and write the approximate value in the donations section of your taxes since it’s a deductible. Maybe google around for more info if that’s not clear. Good luck!
xo,
s
Blair says
*just chiming in*
noooooooooooo!!! un-sell that lamp, get it back, and give it to ME!
Jen says
You’ve mentioned how you made the decision about what to keep, but did you guys end up with any “maybes”? Like things that you weren’t sure about and ended up keeping until next time, or was everything a clear-cut Yes or No? Just interested to see how the minds of anti-clutter people work :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jen,
We were trying to be ruthless, so “maybe” was usually overturned to “no” because we figure all this stuff was tucked away and unused (nearly all of it) so we figure if it wasn’t useful in this house why would it be useful in the next one). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Steph says
This couldn’t come at a better time. I’m redoing my bedroom and some how I don’t think cardboard boxes filled with complete junk is going to fit in with the rest of my decor. I haven’t touched those boxes in years so I could probably literally just throw them away without opening them and not even miss a single thing! I’m just going to keep thinking of all the stuff you guys managed to part with as motivation!
PS Happy Birthday John! I read that it was your birthday on the giveaway post but I figured it would get lost in there!
Amanda says
Where oh where did you get that dish towel on your oven? So colourful and pretty!
Where do you keep your board games? In the dresser in the den?
I also started a “vacation jar” of sorts, but mine are in cylinder vases that I thrift-ed, they’re pretty!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amanda,
The pretty dish towel is from todryfor.com. Love it! As for the board games, we keep them in the brown storage ottomans in the den. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kelly says
Hi there…just thought I’d follow up on the big moving sale we had last weekend. Nearly everything sold and it was craaazzzy. The estate/moving sale experts can really draw in a crowd. There were lines of people waiting to get into our house and cars lining the street! Anyhow, purging feels grand. 7 grand to be exact! The unsold items & furniture were donated to charity the morning. A win-win for sure.
Elizabeth Woolverton says
I’m a Target Lady. I found a great set of barstools at Target for a fraction of the cost for the same ones I found at Crate and Barrel.