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Old 06-16-2013, 07:00 AM   #61
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Wish I had the time to go through my stuff. The townhouse I am renting sold and I decided to retire. I get a rental truck the end of the month, pack up the truck and I'm on my way to Colorado. The stuff goes in a storage unit for a couple years while I build a cabin. Maybe by then I won' t be so attached to the stuff.
When we moved from up north to Florida everything came and all "non essentials" were in storage for 3 months. When I finally unpack I couldn't believe the utter cr*p I had.
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Old 06-16-2013, 07:57 AM   #62
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Next week we begin renovations on our existing > 4000 sq ft home that will include updating the master bath and the jack & jill bath, removing wallpaper and painting, replacing light fixtures and fans throughout, and new door levers throughout. Also, plan some curb appeal work in both front and backyards.

This will make our house market ready. Although we have found a new 55+ community in a neighboring town that we like, we would have to build from scratch in order to downsize to about 2100 sq ft, so it is likely we will not be able to pull this off in a single move if our house sells quickly. On the other hand, we may decide after the renovations that we love the old house too much to move, but I must say the economics of moving are very strong over the longer term, albeit with some pain and inconvenience in between and leaving a town we love.
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Old 06-16-2013, 11:44 AM   #63
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This will make our house market ready. Although we have found a new 55+ community in a neighboring town that we like, we would have to build from scratch in order to downsize to about 2100 sq ft, so it is likely we will not be able to pull this off in a single move if our house sells quickly.
I think I have finally given up on the idea of ever moving just once again.

I am really picky. So, the next time I move I will probably choose to rent after selling my home, until the right house appears on the market. The likelihood of finding the right house around the time my own house sells, or within a couple of years afterwards, is about 0%.

The actual moving part can be handled by a local moving company for a relatively modest amount, but just thinking of the other costs makes me shudder and appreciate the house I have even more.
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Old 06-16-2013, 01:28 PM   #64
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It is surprising how your attitude changes post downsizing.

We have purchased four of five hardcover books over the past three months. We donated each one to our local library after reading them. We just not in accumulation mode any more.

We have a big box of tax files through 2006 that are marked for shredding at the end of this year. Cannot wait to get rid of them at the auto club shredding event in January.
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Old 07-08-2013, 02:46 PM   #65
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Still haven't moved so the downsizing is going slowly. It feels weird to own two primary homes w/out a mortgage on either. I feel cash poor and its scary !

Still going through stuff and wondering where it all came from ! I'm also finding it easier and easier to eliminate items that I had previously kept for 'sentimental reasons'. Over the weekend I took a bunch of photos of such stuff; some of the iteams really belonged in the trash (where they are now), and the rest will go to Goodwill.

Given that I've decided to postpone my ER for another two or so years I've eased up on the budget a little and went about $2k over budget on the new flooring, but I think it will make me that much happier in the long run.

I need to find one of those "shredding events" ..... I have more paper than I care to admit to !
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Old 07-08-2013, 03:03 PM   #66
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Still haven't moved so the downsizing is going slowly. It feels weird to own two primary homes w/out a mortgage on either. I feel cash poor and its scary !

Still going through stuff and wondering where it all came from ! I'm also finding it easier and easier to eliminate items that I had previously kept for 'sentimental reasons'. Over the weekend I took a bunch of photos of such stuff; some of the iteams really belonged in the trash (where they are now), and the rest will go to Goodwill.

Given that I've decided to postpone my ER for another two or so years I've eased up on the budget a little and went about $2k over budget on the new flooring, but I think it will make me that much happier in the long run.

I need to find one of those "shredding events" ..... I have more paper than I care to admit to !

freecycle is also a place to get rid of stuff that maybe goodwill might not want www.freecycle.org
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Old 07-08-2013, 07:12 PM   #67
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I wonder if a down sizing assistance group could make a living off of helping people through the process?
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Old 07-08-2013, 07:37 PM   #68
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I wonder if a down sizing assistance group could make a living off of helping people through the process?
Heck with that! How about a reality series!!
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Old 07-09-2013, 06:28 AM   #69
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....I need to find one of those "shredding events" ..... I have more paper than I care to admit to !
I had the same thing and in our area the shredding events are only in the spring, so I had a good sized shred box that I had for a while until the next scheduled shred event.

I didn't want to wear out my personal shredder. I actually even considered paying for shredding for a while but my LBYM side prevailed and the shred box sat in a corner for a while.
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Old 07-09-2013, 06:47 AM   #70
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I wonder if a down sizing assistance group could make a living off of helping people through the process?
I used just such a firm when I downsized and moved long distance two years ago. They were invaluable. They organized systematic triaging, confidential shredding for 300 lbs of paper, book sales, charitable donations, furniture auctions, waste disposal, packing and house staging. Without them, it would have been overwhelming.
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Old 07-09-2013, 07:06 AM   #71
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I had the same thing and in our area the shredding events are only in the spring, so I had a good sized shred box that I had for a while until the next scheduled shred event.

I didn't want to wear out my personal shredder. I actually even considered paying for shredding for a while but my LBYM side prevailed and the shred box sat in a corner for a while.
Where I live, it's still rural enough that we can burn things. So sometimes, on a nice evening, if we've accumulated too much paper, we just get light up the fire pit, throw it on there, and burn it up with some wood, cardboard, etc.

I've lost track of how many shredders we've gone through.

One problem with burning paper though, is that you do have to make sure the fire burns good and long, and stir the embers even. If you just have a quick fire, you'll end up with some unburned paper.
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Old 07-09-2013, 08:25 AM   #72
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After 10 months we finally unloaded our POD container and moved into smaller accommodation (1350 sq. feet vs 3500 plus sq feet).

As an aside, we were very happy that we chose the POD solution and our local franchisee provided excellent service. The POD was stored inside a clean, modern warehouse. We only had to pack and unload once instead of moving everything to a storage locker facility and then back again.

We thought that we did a good job of downsizing. Maybe we did. Still, as soon as we started unpacking the container we knew that we had kept 'too much stuff'. So we are on round 4 of the downsizing. The storage areas are full. The biggest issue is wall space and shelf space. We kept too many pictures, pieces of art, and things like ornaments and dishes-plated, cups, saucers, etc. Some are now going to Goodwill, others will remain in storage (we no longer need place settings for 16 but are reluctant to discard).

It actually feels good not to own, and be responsible for, a house for the first time in 35 years. We have two trips in the planning stage. It will be lock and go for us. So far we do not miss the space. I think that the seven months of travel and three months in a smaller, furnished apt. served to change our collective attitudes about how much space we need and about accumulation.
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Old 07-09-2013, 08:40 AM   #73
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Heck with that! How about a reality series!!
They do already it's called "Hoarders". A most disgusting show if I must say so. If you ever get discouraged about all the clutter you have in your house, watch this show. It will make you feel better about yourself immediately.
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Old 07-09-2013, 09:55 AM   #74
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They do already it's called "Hoarders". A most disgusting show if I must say so. If you ever get discouraged about all the clutter you have in your house, watch this show. It will make you feel better about yourself immediately.
Lol. When we were downsizing (15 years in a 3,500 s.f. House down to a 1,400 sf house), whenever we got stuck and didn't think we could purge anymore, we'd watch about 3-4 episodes of Hoarders, and it was a breeze to get rid of stuff after that.

At first, getting rid of kids stuff was hard - what do you do with 18 years of trophies and ribbons?!? We put them all out, took a series of pictures with the kiddos, let them keep whatever they wanted, and donated the rest.
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Old 07-09-2013, 10:56 AM   #75
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Lol. When we were downsizing (15 years in a 3,500 s.f. House down to a 1,400 sf house), whenever we got stuck and didn't think we could purge anymore, we'd watch about 3-4 episodes of Hoarders, and it was a breeze to get rid of stuff after that.

At first, getting rid of kids stuff was hard - what do you do with 18 years of trophies and ribbons?!? We put them all out, took a series of pictures with the kiddos, let them keep whatever they wanted, and donated the rest.
That was a good strategy. The cockroaches on display occasionally in that show would make it more motivating. The hardest part I thought personally, was the first part....making yourself start pitching. I spent many years debating/stalling with myself on things to pitch. Never have regretted any thing tossed away. I have around a 1400 sq. footer myself. I look monthly for things to throw away. I have become a minimalist now. My idea of house decorations is fresh clean white painted walls with nothing hanging on them. Drives my GF crazy.
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Old 07-09-2013, 11:03 AM   #76
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I wonder if a down sizing assistance group could make a living off of helping people through the process?
I know woman who does this, plus a few other "help you accomplish things that are hard to do" services. She doesn't have a pension or SS, and she lives alright, so I guess she makes a living at it.

Ha
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Old 07-09-2013, 02:00 PM   #77
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My LBYM's self could never pay someone to help me downsize. I know I'll probably keep too much also so I'm sure I'll be going through everything once more with feeling after the move.

Hoarders is definitely a motivator ! Its actually helped me figure out how to tackle the process. I liked the method of using three boxes as I went through rooms / closets: keep, donate, discard.

The paper is a definite issue. I know I'm going to have to pay a professional shredder.
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Old 07-09-2013, 02:17 PM   #78
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The auto club and our local police department team up to offer free shredding several times a year. You just put the boxes in your trunk, drive up through the line, pop the trunk, and they even take it out of the trunk and chuck it in the professional mobile shredding unit.

It is an excellent service-you do not have to be an auto club member. You may want to check to see if a similar service is available where you live. It is a great deterrent to identity fraud. We used to shred everything at home but now we just put it in a box and wait for the next 'shredding' day. All paperwork with any account data on it, or any personal info automatically goes in the box.
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Old 07-09-2013, 02:25 PM   #79
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We thought that we did a good job of downsizing. Maybe we did. Still, as soon as we started unpacking the container we knew that we had kept 'too much stuff'. So we are on round 4 of the downsizing. The storage areas are full. The biggest issue is wall space and shelf space. We kept too many pictures, pieces of art, and things like ornaments and dishes-plated, cups, saucers, etc. Some are now going to Goodwill, others will remain in storage (we no longer need place settings for 16 but are reluctant to discard).
I have found that we needed more than one round as well. When we got ready to list our house for sale 3 years ago we did a lot of downsizing including going through boxes that had been in our storage garage (we had two garages at that house) since we moved into that house. We did get rid of a lot of stuff. Then when we sold the house and moved into a rental until we decided on our downsize house, we found still more while packing. Then when we packed up from the rental house to move into where we are now - this house is much smaller than the house we sold - we got rid of more stuff including furniture that wouldn't fit here and lots of other things.

That said - a year later - I am once again going through things. Some thing we had kept because I either wasn't sure if I would need them here (mostly we don't) or it was a group of stuff that it was going to be time consuming to go through and I didn't want to do it while packing so now I have time to go through it.

I do seem to have a mental block on throwing away old paper photographs. These are photos that I had professionally scanned so I have them in digital format with multiple back ups. I did this, in part, so I didn't have to keep all the paper photos which I never look at. Yet, I somehow can't bring myself to throw them away...
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Old 07-09-2013, 03:17 PM   #80
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I do seem to have a mental block on throwing away old paper photographs. These are photos that I had professionally scanned so I have them in digital format with multiple back ups. I did this, in part, so I didn't have to keep all the paper photos which I never look at. Yet, I somehow can't bring myself to throw them away...
I don't plan to throw my old paper photographs away either, but I also do not plan to lug them along with me on hurricane evacuation trips any more! They will be fine, tucked away on the top shelf of a closet. I can't really use that shelf for anything anyway because it is too high.
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