I am slowly but surely chipping away at the basement.
The area at the bottom of the stairs--like everywhere else in the basement--is a place that we walk down and drop stuff.
There were bins of swimsuits, bins of curtains, art, toys, more curtains that should have been in the bin of curtains, side tables, a box of expired medicines....all in a three foot space along the back wall.
I packed up all the curtains and put them back in their appropriate bins in the garage. The art also went back to the garage with the rest of the homeless art. The toys were also packed in a bin of extra toys in the garage that I keep for a rainy day. (Notice a shifting of mess from one area to another?) The medicines were disposed of.
I cleared out all the way to the workbench. The little wooden box on the bottom right is meant for donation, and the box above it is still full of medical apparatus like nebulizers and dispensers and thermometers that I can't find room for in the linen closet. That medical box is also stuffed with a bag full of food meant for donation to a food pantry. And on top of that bag is a pair of yellow lamps that I am waiting for warm weather to continue spraypainting.
On the left, we have a plastic bin full of last year's filing, and a diaper box full of this year's bills waiting to be filed in a new bin that I have not yet procured. I would like to get some filing cabinets for this spot. My filing system needs an overhaul, but since one two-drawer filing cabinet costs about $150, I am scouring craigslist to find some cheap ones. Until I find two cabinets, the bills will sit in that cardboard box.
You watch, slowly but surely everything in the basement will end up in the garage.
Next up is the workbench area. This is the area most in need of organizing--I know that we own at least five hammers, and a large selection of nails and screws, but who can find anything in that layer of chandeliers, furnace filters and windshield wiper fluid? I know that we are moving when our lease is up in June, and I am reluctant to invest any money in an organizing system that I cannot take with us, so this is the area that stumps me.
Edited to add: I'm linking up to Pancakes and French Fries William Morris Project.
The area at the bottom of the stairs--like everywhere else in the basement--is a place that we walk down and drop stuff.
There were bins of swimsuits, bins of curtains, art, toys, more curtains that should have been in the bin of curtains, side tables, a box of expired medicines....all in a three foot space along the back wall.
I packed up all the curtains and put them back in their appropriate bins in the garage. The art also went back to the garage with the rest of the homeless art. The toys were also packed in a bin of extra toys in the garage that I keep for a rainy day. (Notice a shifting of mess from one area to another?) The medicines were disposed of.
I cleared out all the way to the workbench. The little wooden box on the bottom right is meant for donation, and the box above it is still full of medical apparatus like nebulizers and dispensers and thermometers that I can't find room for in the linen closet. That medical box is also stuffed with a bag full of food meant for donation to a food pantry. And on top of that bag is a pair of yellow lamps that I am waiting for warm weather to continue spraypainting.
On the left, we have a plastic bin full of last year's filing, and a diaper box full of this year's bills waiting to be filed in a new bin that I have not yet procured. I would like to get some filing cabinets for this spot. My filing system needs an overhaul, but since one two-drawer filing cabinet costs about $150, I am scouring craigslist to find some cheap ones. Until I find two cabinets, the bills will sit in that cardboard box.
You watch, slowly but surely everything in the basement will end up in the garage.
Next up is the workbench area. This is the area most in need of organizing--I know that we own at least five hammers, and a large selection of nails and screws, but who can find anything in that layer of chandeliers, furnace filters and windshield wiper fluid? I know that we are moving when our lease is up in June, and I am reluctant to invest any money in an organizing system that I cannot take with us, so this is the area that stumps me.
Edited to add: I'm linking up to Pancakes and French Fries William Morris Project.
Looks like you're making progress. So do you plan to stay in north Jersey?
ReplyDeleteFor all that small stuff, wait until you can get those shoebox size plastic containers for $1, and get about 20 of them. Clear is important, so you can see what's actually in them. You can write on the outside what's in it with a Sharpie. I've got ones for picture hanging stuff, nails, paintbrushes, tape, caulk, etc. They stack up nicely, and I've finally got real places for everything so that I can actually find it when I need it. So I won't ever again have to have 6 frickin' tubes of caulk at once because I couldn't find it and went to buy more. :-)
ReplyDeleteUgh, we are terrible at basement cluttering! Just terrible. I hear ya.
ReplyDeleteI know it seems like you're just moving stuff from one place to another, that stuff is getting closer to being outside of your house! Sometimes I feel like my stuff needs to go through several levels before it actually makes it out the door. But by the time it does, I'm more than ready for it to go.
ReplyDeleteGreat progress!
This is the kind of job I dread the most! Way to go!
ReplyDeleteKeep going! Your progress is steady, and inspiring to anyone who has a basement. I do the same thing to our garage. I just stick stuff out there and forget about it. That will come back to bite me when I get to the garage part of my William Morris Project!
ReplyDeleteLooks like progress to me! (But I know what you mean about things moving the garage...) I love Rita's suggestion about the clear plastic boxes. I think I'm going to steal that idea, because keeping things in a toolbox doesn't seem to work for us. Grab-and-go containers is genius!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wish we didn't have a basement, but then I get over that. Our basement definitely needs a lot of WM help. Great job on starting yours!
ReplyDeleteCan only imagine what a mess we'd have if there was a basement in our home. But you're doing such a good job. Sometimes the act of going through it all and moving is all it takes to whittle down the clutter and to re-evaluate the 'stuff'. Good luck, and keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteMy basement is looking very similar...that is a spring project...Keep up the good work!!!
ReplyDeleteHow proud of yourself are you going to be when the basement is completely cleared out? AND you'll have the pictures to prove it. I'm already impressed just with what you have done already!!
ReplyDelete