Sunday 29 May 2011

Who Would Live In A House Like This.......?

I read an interesting article in today's Sunday magazine. It was called 'Who'd Want To Inherit This?' and it was all about a guy in the US whose mother died, leaving her house and six storage units full to the brim with items she'd hoarded throughout her long life.


The gist of the article is not only the amount of 'stuff' that 'Mrs M had left behind but also the way in which this mammoth task is driving the son and his partner apart. He, Greg, wants to clear the property himself in order to understand why his mother turned out the way she did and to see if he can halt his own hoarding tendencies. He doesn't want to pay a contractor to do it and has so far filled four industrial skips, five smaller skips for recycling and donated four tons of clothes to charity. He also found 20lbs of costume jewellery in the shed.


All I can say ladies is, I doubt there is a vintage-lover amongst us here who WOULDN'T want to inherit 30+ years-worth of clothes, costume jewellery, books, accessories, toys, homewares etc! I personally would snap old Greg's hand off for just half an hour in his late mom's home! I often dream of finding out some distant relative has left me their old stuff...not too bothered about money (actually that's a lie, I am also bothered about money) but to inherit a house full of old stuff...cool old stuff as opposed to tacky modern crap - wouldn't that be something? Sadly even the very remotest relatives in my family, like me, don't have two pennies to scratch their arse with (another Northern saying...funny how they're nearly always to do with bums and bodily functions) so the chances of that happening are non-existent.

Greg's significant other, Sidney has written a blog about his mammoth challenge - she is very unhappy that her partner is spending all this time away from their home, tidying up and finding himself. I can understand that, I guess - I would probably be the same once I'd picked any treasures out and although I'm laughing about it, it must be very hard when one person in a relationship sets off on a 'quest', whatever it might be, that affects the other person's life as totally as Greg's quest is affecting Sidney. There is a video, made by Greg, that shows his mom's house as it is now. As he explains, it's a lot better than it was at first.


I wonder how much longer he'll carry on and whether he might, one day, just snap and sling the remainder in a skip? If only I could be there with my Marigolds when he did!

6 comments:

  1. I used to love the TV programme the Life Laundry when they got people to sort through their stuff. I would love a job doing that!
    Definitely Allington Lane for us. We aren't going today though.
    Perhaps we should have a bloggy meet up there one Sunday and compare buys!
    Lisa x

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  2. Seeing this video I couldn't help wondering whether he'd offered much support to his mother before she died. Clearing stuff out of the house is harder in so many ways as well as physically as people get older.

    Mind, I'd be in there to snatch away that china cabinet :O)

    Jane (Rattlebox)

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  3. I don't know why blogger insists on saying I'm anonymous on this comment, even though I'm signed in. Anyway yes, that sounds like absolute bliss. Imagine the joy of finding lots of original vintage goodies... Ok, I'm drooling lol.

    Louise (www.princessprudencediaries.blogspot.com)

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  4. Great post. Ive just had to clear my nans house, although she wasnt a hoarder I think my grandad was as there are 4 big sheds in the garden full to the brim of all sorts of blokey rubbish! Scarlett x

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  5. I think it would be amazing to sort through that lot. Mind you, I'm the sort of oddbod who finds great satisfaction in sorting through boxes of crap. I don't see how anyone could just advocate lashing it all in the bin though - you have no idea what might be in there!

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  6. Great story. My second cousins, in their 70s, have inherited a bungalow full of 'stuff'. They too are hoarders and after 6 months have barely got rid of anything, apart from a few items family have taken. They go to the house most weekends, move things about and get nowhere. It's now becoming stressful for them, they should get me in, I'd have it sorted in days.

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