No move currently envisioned for us. But now that I’m retired, I’m trying hard to gather like items together and get rid of some stuff along the way.
@Lindagaf
We are also getting ready to move - big ol’ house on acreage with a barn and plenty of room to store stuff that I should have never kept in the first place. And we are just the DIY types. It can be done. Still have a lot of my kid’s stuff as they don’t have houses yet, ugh. As @thumper1 mentioned, the amount of trash in a house is amazing - the games and puzzles without all the pieces made me laugh, got that! omg the cookbooks - who uses those nowadays?! Probably had over 100 of which I use maybe 5. Those went quickly and easily into the recycle bins. I’m a bit of a hoarder of sentimental stuff/junk/crap from my kids but am learing to let go. But now that some are back home living with us cause of covid, all their furnishings came back to our garage - ahhhhhh!
But I have thinned down a lot and here are a couple things that helped. First, start in a single room with the goal of getting it to the easily packable stage. Meaning if you were moving, it would just take a couple or few boxes (depending on room) to finish off. Go through desk drawers in a study or cabinets in the kitchen. Go through bathroom vanity and rid yourself of ancient products you don’t use and all those extra hairbrushes! Get rid of anything unnecessary - either toss it, donate it or go ahead and pack it (why I need my garage space)! If you get one room this way, it will motivate you to start another. If you look at the whole house, it is too overwhelming. Start with one space, even if it’s just a bookcase overcrowded with clutter. It feels great!
The other thing is Nextdoor - if you have it. This can be the best place to sell or giveway. You can just post to your neighborhood or close surroundings, if you set it up that way, so no creepin’ from creepers. (Craig’s list kinda freaks me out.) We had foosball table that we put up with for years taking space and not using, and it was gone for a great price an hour after we posted it. We have a lot of Bob Timberlake furniture pieces that we are going to work with a consignment shop to handle (they will pick up). When a friend was moving, she put her furniture (couches, end tables, etc., at end of her driveway with free signs on it and got rid of it all in a day. (I don’t have that kind of driveway, but wish I did!)
For sentimental stuff, I probably shouldn’t keep but can’t let go of, or things I should keep that are more personal than dishes etc., I use plastic bins to pack it in. I do not like boxes that I can’t see into. Fine for some things, but I fear I will just stack boxes when we get to the next place. With bins, I will likely take action with them cause I can see what’s inside. Maybe I will decide I shouldn’t hang on to some things afterall…They are more expensive but worth it for some items. Amazon sometimes has specials on 6 packs of sterilites that can’t be beat.
We have a large trailer and have done at least 7-8 dump runs! During covid, I wasn’t going to queue in a line to donate something so we threw a lot out. I had extra Christmas dishes - a brand new service for 24 - and when I took them to donate in November they told me they were full for the week but please bring them back next week - and to get there at 10:30 for their 11am opening to donate. Ya, that wasn’t gonna happen. In the end, my son gave them to a friend. Choices have to be made! Seeing a full trailer or dumpster pull away can actually be very fulfilling!
Good luck!
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Thank you! This is exactly the kind of thing I need to hear. Start small. Btw, I also have a barn full of my husband’s leftover bits of wood that will never get used and ancient kiddie Halloween decorations, etc…
I really want to get cracking, but there is so much snow around at the moment that it’s hard to think of going to dumps and thrift stores, etc… I think I will start with the laundry room. Easy-ish and hopefully productive.
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@Tigerwife92 Where could one find such an organizer? What to Google? That sounds like an absolute incredible price!
Our relo company for that move offered a (donate or discard) benefit to relos. It looks like they specifically contract with relo companies, so I’m sure they get a volume discount. They specialized in downsizing, not staging. I’m currently looking for the same type of business for my parents in the NE, so I’m putting out feelers to my childhood friends who still live there.
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I can see why companies transferring employees would want declutter done prior (assuming they are paying for the move). Lighter load means less expensive moving bill.
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I was doing a bit of searching online and came across the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers (nasmm.org) They have a searchable directory for professionals who help with organization and downsizing. There may be some useful info there for those who are looking.
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My H’s wood collection isn’t a barn full, but it’s about 1/4 of a garage full. He gets upset/anxious every time I mention getting rid of it before we move. Then there are all the bits and pieces that he might need some day. Some day hasn’t come for over a decade in most cases, but you never know…
I ended up planning a detached garage/workshop for the rear of our lot. As long as he can fit his truck and his stuff inside, I won’t say another word. I know guys who spend more annually on golf than this will cost, and at least he’s become very handy around the house.
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