The Next Chapter Decluttering

25/03/2026

Rest in Peace.

Today I learned that one of my clients passed away yesterday. Even in death I will not reveal any identifiable information, but I have been seeing this client every fortnight for about 5 years.

I met them through the hospital Social Worker, who had secured funding from the cancer Council for me to assist them in cleaning up their home. They were deeply ashamed of the state that their home had deteriorated into, and it had been a very long time since they had allowed anyone into their house. But they let me. I became the person that they could trust, the person that they felt comfortable being around, and the person they even asked at one stage if I would be their Power of Attorney. 

Over the duration of our time together, we had some great conversations, some great laughs. I introduced them to YouTube where they could watch Jeff Beck videos.

They were frail, and in ill health much of the time, but never cried the victim. They were acutely aware that decades of hard living in the 60s and 70s has caused all the problems that ailed them. Mobility became quite difficult, often struggling to breathe, and feeling overwhelmed, they had a few hospital visits. 

The last time the ambulance came, I received a phone call from the neighbour to advise what was going on. They had developed an infection in their foot, and had not been able to get out of bed to get to the bathroom for a few days. They didn’t want to call the ambulance, and be a bother, such was their nature to not want to be a problem to anyone. Suffice to say, the bedroom cleanup took awhile.

I would go into the hospital and visit them weekly, with the OT instructions being they have to get up and walk and show us that they can get to the bathroom on their own. But this didn’t happen. They had become tired.

Eating was no longer enjoyable. Getting out of bed just got harder and harder. In the back of my mind I always thought that they would either die here, or end up in a nursing home, something that they definitely did not want to do.

The last time I saw this beautiful soul was on Friday afternoon. I had called in, and paid the latest phone bill. I had gone to the unit, to make sure everything was okay, and update the neighbours. When I said goodbye, I told them that I would endeavour to come and visit weekly.

To receive the phone call today that they had passed away, has suddenly hit me. I will shed some tears, and say a few prayers. Rest easy lovely 😢💚🌸

13/03/2026

Kevin from KJ Metal Recovery, always ready to lend a hand, and help us clear out the scrap!!

12/03/2026

IMPORTANT: Apparently some unfavourable/explicit photos have been added to some of our past posts.
I can guarantee, this is not me!
My mum sent me some screenshots of what is coming up for her, so if anyone else has come across these, I wholeheartedly apologise for the gremlins in the internet that have sabotaged my page.

Send a message to learn more

12/03/2026

We've been busy over here...

Emptying 2 houses at the moment; one in Ballina, and one in Goonellabah.

I have been meeting prospective new clients, as well as working with my regulars.

Josie is lead in starting the clean out process of all the houses we have to empty.

Natalie has been busy helping a client pack up the entire home in preparation for moving.

Olivia is my right hand; seeing her regulars, and jumping on board whenever and wherever I need her.

The girls are doing a squalor clean on Monday, and I will be meeting yet another potential new client.

Garage Sales coming up....
- 14th March (this Saturday); another book sale extravaganza - 1/3 Westview Drive, Goonellabah
- 11th April; 1/1 Janice Court, Goonellabah
- 17th April; 10 Carramar Drive, Goonellabah
- 2nd May; 77 Temple Street, Ballina

Send a message to learn more

07/02/2026

YESTERDAY’S JOB: I headed down the highway yesterday morning, to conduct a declutter session with someone I had only spoken to over the phone. Sometimes these kinds of jobs have me a little nervous, as I’m not sure what I’m walking into. But as soon as I pulled up out the front of the house, I actually wondered why I was even going there. I was greeted by a very excited and friendly face, and automatically noted down the hallway, the absence of clutter. And even said to them “are you sure you need me?”

They replied with “most areas of the house are fine, but I do have some issues in certain places, starting with my wardrobe”.

We wandered into the main bedroom, and I was shown the way to the very lovely walk-in wardrobe, but also very full walk-in wardrobe. We discussed the current layout, and how clothes were sorted, and then noticed the piles of things that had just been shoved in to be put out of the way. And those are the areas we began with.

By simply pulling everything out, and laying it all out on the bed, we just began going through everything, and separating into similar categories, and throwing out the rubbish.

With the dump piles cleared and sorted, we tackled shoes. Then I set about emptying all of the drawers, one by one, and folding everything, questioning some items as to whether they could be thrown out, being due to being overstretched and worn out. 

If anyone knows me, you will know that the folded items were also put in colour order. Including the un**es! 

We even tackled all the boxes and tubs that had been shoved on the very top shelf, and put out of the way. This gave me the opportunity to give it a good clean, before we put sorted things back.

By the end of the day, everything, except for the dresses, were re-ordered in style and colour. Shirts have been ordered in sleeve length order, and then in colour order. Jackets are all together. Knits have been taken off coat hangers and folded (to protect the shoulders from stretching) and there is nothing on the ground, or shelf that doesn’t belong in a wardrobe. 

I had a great day. And I believe the client did too! 

05/02/2026

TODAY’S JOB: Natalie and I returned to a clients house today, Day 3/5, involving a massive clean out of a shipping container, and the garage.

Major upheavals in this person‘s life, have led to the need for a fresh start. So today we set about working our way through the stacks of stuff in the front end of the garage, filling the trailer (for the 3rd time), and setting aside a heap of stuff to try and sell. We almost got to the end of the garage, but ran out of time. So Natalie and Olivia will continue this journey next week. And then I will return again at the end of the week, with Natalie in tow, with the plan to start rearranging the inside of the house!

Fingers crossed we get it all done! 

16/01/2026

If you don't use it or adore it, let it go.

16/01/2026

11/01/2026

What you tolerate becomes your standard.

Not what you want. Not what you ask for. What you accept when it doesn't show up.

Let someone miss a deadline with no consequence and that's the new timeline. Let someone talk over you in meetings and that's the new dynamic. Let yourself skip the gym "just this once" and that's the new normal.

Standards aren't set by what you say. They're set by what you let slide.

And people are always watching for what you let slide.

This works in every direction. Relationships. Work. How you treat yourself. The bar is wherever you last accepted less than you wanted.

Most people think they have a standards problem. They don't. They have an enforcement problem.

Decide what you won't tolerate. Then actually don't tolerate it.

—

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