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Steps to Get rid of all the junk in the basement

H/T @DaveThinks

I've got a basement full of stuff. It is a daunting task but one that must be tackled sooner or later. So what are the steps necessary to accomplishing this?

    1. Create a hard deadline.

    For example, if we are closing on the sale of the house August 1st, then obviously this would have to be done prior.

    2. Spend some money.

    Rent a dumpster, a truck, a clean out crew, etc. Once money is spent, it somehow makes the project more urgent. At least in my brain.

    3. Hire out the entire project.

    If anyone wanted to tackle such an assignment. I've been very tempted by JA's story of his embracing minimalism and discarding his belongings while out of town. Not sure I have the fortitude to follow through.

    4. Make it a daily habit.

    The first day will be hard. The second day a little bit harder. After that, it should get easier.

    5. Decide on how much to keep.

    When trying to decide what to keep and what to discard, I work on the volume method. Keep whatever you want as long as it fits in ____________. Decide the number of boxes, etc. and then start sorting. Most of us will find that things come out of the save pile as we go along and re-discover even more treasures that need to fit in.

    6. Which discard method to use?

    Sell, gift, donate, discard. Most of us end up using a combination of all of these.

    7. How to organize what is left?

    Disorganization was part of the problem to begin with.

    8. How to prevent it from happening again?

    There is an old concept from the hiking / backpacking community. No matter what size backpack you have, you will fill it. I think it works the same way with houses.

    9. Can I parlay clearing the basement into getting a boat?

    We have a walk out basement with barn style doors. If I emptied the basement, there would be room for a small boat. Maybe this is the leverage I need to win the argument.

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