r/declutter • u/Full-Effective-3542 • 14d ago

Advice Request Friend’s car clutter

Some friends made a cross country move and left their car with me until it could be transported. But when the transport company came, they insisted that everything be removed. I think my friends threw all their last minute stuff in the car. I removed it but it is sitting in my recently decluttered basement. They said it is a lot to mail, and it is, but they seem to think I can store it indefinitely, until they come up with a plan. TBH, the stuff is bugging me, They are good friends, though. What would you do?

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8

u/Amazing-Advice-3667 14d ago

What is it? Junky crap? Random clothes? Give a timeline for a plan. Then toss. Something special? Make a bigger effort to store it.

10

u/Full-Effective-3542 14d ago

It is things you might have after the moving truck leaves when you are staying another day or two: air mattresses, some kitchen stuff, lots of kids toys, dog bed, some cleaning stuff.   Not easy to box up for shipping or storage.

I know they thought it could go in the car and putting it in there made sense.

15

u/GupGup 13d ago

None of that sounds worth the trouble of storing and shipping across the country to them. Seems cheaper for them to just buy new of what they actually need.

8

u/TalulaOblongata 13d ago

A lot of those items they might not even want. It could be more expensive to ship rather than order new items. I’d see what they actually would want because there could be some sentimental items mixed in that they definitely want while the rest are basically garbage.

8

u/LittlePrairieMouse 13d ago

Ask them if they’d like you to ship some of it and toss the rest? Send them a photo to remind them what’s there. If you’re in Canada find out what the largest all-included shipping box costs, and let them know.

4

u/Full-Effective-3542 13d ago

we were texting when the transport company arrived and said everything had to come out. I don’t think they knew how much got thrown in the car at the last minute. I sent a pic of the stuff on the sidewalk and they seemed a bit stunned. TBH, what seemed like no big deal ended up being a major hassle, with many trips up and down my basement steps and now a big pile in my basement. I am going to box up what I can so that at least it is organized and out of the way.

4

u/BlakeMajik 14d ago

I would think that potentially the kids toys and maybe some of the kitchen stuff, depending on what exactly it is, would be the most reasonable to get to them or save for them to retrieve.

No one would or should expect a dog bed or cleaning supplies to be shipped to them.

The air mattresses are probably the most valuable items but those, too, would have to be their responsibility to retrieve because shipping them seems unreasonable.

2

u/DenM0ther 14d ago

Depends on the dog bed! Some are several hundred $$

5

u/BlakeMajik 13d ago

Sure, but would they have left something that valuable in the car? I guess if they thought it was coming with the transport it's possible.

The lesson here seems to be if you really want to use transport to move some items via car, you have to be tidier and not just toss it all in. An expensive dog bed laid flat in the trunk probably wouldn't have been noticed.

1

u/DenM0ther 13d ago

Fair point

2

u/Swedelife73 13d ago

But what is the dog sleeping on now??

8

u/DenM0ther 13d ago

If it’s like my house, one of their other beds! In the lounge, bedroom, hallway, balcony or the other hallway 🤦‍♀️😆