I need to clean my garage....I am overwhelmed.
I have so much stuff and junk and useful junk... that I must take the purge to a level I have never been to. It is scary.....
Like many 'project people', I collect 'good' or useful junk & projects & material and stuff & it never goes away, it just GROWS.
After many years, and as I change and age; it no longer makes sense anymore. .....But most of my stuff isn't 'trash', it's too good to throw away; but 'too much is too much'.
Any ideas or encouraging words how to do the "purge"? (A fire would be nice relief, but maybe 'over the top')

__________________

"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration...
don't Fail Us Now"

Buy a farm with lots of big barns.

.

Someone else will buy it. Someone else needs an extra project or two or three or four.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

I know the feeling and don't even have a garage! Group them by specific project - the ones that you simply do not have time for or will "get to someday" you're probably better off selling.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

I started my purge with e-bay mode. Kept me busy for about a year selling stuff.
Then I went into the recycle mode. Just finished that. Only made $132, but got rid of a lot of junk.
I'm going to go into yard sale mode soon and hopefully my wife will let me get rid of a lot of children's items. She is so sentimental, it's hard for her to let something go.
After that there will be purple heart/salvation army mode.
After that all that's left is burn barrel mode

So after 3 years I'll be finished. Hopefully.

I know what you mean. I'm sort of in the same boat, but with much less stuff because I've only had a few years in a house to accumulate stuff. I'd suggest a donatoin of all the "valuable" or useful stuf to your favourite charity - namely me
But my wife would flip out

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

The Freecycle Network is a good resource as well. Then the stuff won't end up in a landfill.

But be careful, you may acquire another project if you poke around there!

Hi, Ken.

Ever watch that hoarder's show on TV?

My first suggestion is that you need to clear out all at once. None of this "little by little" or a box/crate at a time. The visual and viceral reward of regaining space, clearing and cleaning, is a positive reaction that takes the psychological sting out of the separartion anxiety.

Second, ask yourself, how much has any of the stuff actually benefitted you or your family? When you start looking at "worth" instead of merely possessing something, it's easier to pull the trigger on getting rid of it.

The stuff rarely has any benefit anymore; except when I am doing a repair around the house or car and I have "just the thing" in my collection of stuff. So i spend a bunch of time looking for "just the right thing" only because I know I have it. So it really has a negative effect on me and my family. .... Honestly, Now it is all like an Albatross around the neck.
Thinking of "selling off stuff" is just another "project" to add to the list of "cleaning the garage" so I need to "keep the stuff that has value".... so I get into a roundabout sense of logic, chasing my own butt.
I have to break out of the trap and get into a Zen like state of cleansing. Ommm...Ommm...Ommm

__________________

"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration...
don't Fail Us Now"

Two warnings. Cleaning out stuff may just free up space to insert new junk. So a mindset change is also required. Also deals you cannot seem to pass by are another liability as you now have the space again.

Also what really is the sense of owning unusable on non navigatable garage space because of the amount of stuff it contains?

I too have to get at this as well. Selling on ebay etc might be the best methology at least in the usa of getting at least some return from the stuff. Once paid for you are pretty well forced to ship or deliver it.

I have stopped buying up real deals on building supplies in the last few years as well. Offer me 100+ sheets of 3/4 inch plywood for say three dollars a sheet and I am still doomed it seems though. I will find temporary space for it somewhere.

We became far too materialistic as a society is another factor. Last week my wife wanted a replacement fridge for example. We got one but my primary concern was to get the old one sold and gone before it started to just sit around. A neighbour purchased it as there was nothing really wrong with it. Far too good to junk was the issue.

My observation, clearing out your garage by selling on eBay or Craigslist . . . is a lot like trying to loose weight by only ordering a diet soda at Cheesecake Factory.

Dang man, you're singing my song. I have got to get a handle on this issue. I've decided that a large part of the success and happiness of what remains of my life depends on getting on top of this. I'm trying to choose the most important project(s) and move forward.

Maybe we could have a quasi support group on this right here.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Hope ya got a pickup. I had to break down and get one to take care of this problem too, and am actually considering putting the pretty little benz up for sale too-getting serious about cars I dont need, still--when I drive it--I think, what the hell-so ill keep it and one of the early XXXXX XXx XX. Im still getting rid of two other cds sitting around--one im hauling to the scales with my new to me pickup--instead of just calling someone and getting nothing--I can get $at least 150 for the shell.

Oh and if you decide to try freecycle--set up a disposable email box just for it--or else you will be flooded all the time.

I can relate. In 2002 I moved from a house I had been in for 11 years onto a boat with no storage. I offered items I perceived as valuable to friends and family and donated everything that did not get taken. Getting rid of all of my stuff was very liberating. I never realized how much time and money I spent organizing, cleaning and repairing my stuff. I no longer live on the boat, but have been somewhat successful in not collecting things. Now I buy what I need for a project and recycle or donate extra items when I finish. In an effort to keep my collection of crap small I tend to rent tools or toys rather than buy them. If I have not used something in 6 months I seriously consider donating or selling it. This is easier said than done and not always practical. I certainly have acquired a lot of crap over the last ten years. Still, there is a lot to be said for travelling light.

Hopefully this thread will motivate me to clean out my garage and finish the half a dozen projects I have going.

Never heard of freecycle, I will have to check that out.

I was granted the double edged gift of fire.... Wild fire took most all of my stuff (at least all the stuff at my house...) Kinda sucked losing all those 'resources' (I found it easier to be 'resourceful' when I had a ton of 'resources' ) but excepting the master tapes from my old band and some pictures, I haven't really missed it...

Ever since, I have been very careful about what I save/salvage/adopt... Makes life much less tiresome.

Sure am glad you live too far away for me to help you out though....

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

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