Downsizing

[haha]

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

 

[Live And Learn]

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.

 

[brett]

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.

 

[Katsmeow]

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...

 

[W2R]

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.

 

[aja8888]

I gave all my old family paper photographs to my younger sister after I scanned the ones I added to the storage disk. Now she can give them out to grand-kids or whoever.

A few years ago, my wife made three family albums in hard copy of her family photos (we both are products of divorce/remarry) and gave them to her kids for Christmas. Actually, that's where family photos need to go eventually - with the children.

Of course, now that we are in the digital revolution, I suppose our children and their offspring will just hand down user names and passwords to their cloud storage sites.

 

[pb4uski]

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.

DW and DS gave me a redneck fire pit for Father's Day about 5 years ago (a recycled top load washer tub welded to a recycled steel wheel - the guy DW took it to for welding was so enthralled by the idea that he didn't charge her for the welding).

I have found that burning paper in large quantities in it is a bit of a pain, so I go to the shred event.

 

[HFWR]

DW and DS gave me a redneck fire pit for Father's Day about 5 years ago (a recycled top load washer tub welded to a recycled steel wheel - the guy DW took it to for welding was so enthralled by the idea that he didn't charge her for the welding).

I have found that burning paper in large quantities in it is a bit of a pain, so I go to the shred event.

"If you just went over to help your rich uncle takes the wheels off his new house, you might be a redneck..."

 

[In-control]

We are downsizing and sprucing up the house to enjoy it for 3 yrs before we sell it. I am listing the big nice stuff on Craiglist and it's moving. As stuff breaks we don't replace it. And if I do its with the mindset of a small moving trailer.

Our goal is to limit ourselves to a Small(rental) moving trailer, fits a bed and all the basics. If we move and stuff does not fit. Something as to go.

 

[Live And Learn]

Our goal is to limit ourselves to a Small(rental) moving trailer, fits a bed and all the basics. If we move and stuff does not fit. Something as to go.

That's impressive ! I have to admit, the more I eliminate the more I want to eliminate. Had insomnia last night and watched 4 episodes of "Hoarders". This morning I was a maniac and the car is full and ready for a large donation to Goodwill.

 

[gardenfun]

We are downsizing and sprucing up the house to enjoy it for 3 yrs before we sell it. I am listing the big nice stuff on Craiglist and it's moving. As stuff breaks we don't replace it. And if I do its with the mindset of a small moving trailer.

Our goal is to limit ourselves to a Small(rental) moving trailer, fits a bed and all the basics. If we move and stuff does not fit. Something as to go.

+1
"In control" says it all. When downsizing I like to focus on the positive: what do I really want in my new (smaller) space? Instead of asking "what do I have to get rid of?". It puts you in a mindset of moving forward with a new life, rather than feeling reluctant to get rid of the old life (with all that stuff you don't need/use!).
Keep only the things you really love (and that will fit in your new home). Choose the top X number of books, photos, knickknacks, sweaters, etc. that you really love and use.
My sister made an attempt to downsize for a cross-country move (which she paid for) and still kept 10 cutting boards. yikes.

 

[Live And Learn]

+1

Keep only the things you really love (and that will fit in your new home). Choose the top X number of books, photos, knickknacks, sweaters, etc. that you really love and use..

I use a "would I care of it broke" method. As I pick up each item I ask myself if I would be upset if it broke during the move. Of the answer isn't a resounding *yes* it gets donated or disgraced.

 

[powerplay]

That's impressive ! I have to admit, the more I eliminate the more I want to eliminate. Had insomnia last night and watched 4 episodes of "Hoarders". This morning I was a maniac and the car is full and ready for a large donation to Goodwill.

Good for you!

 

[Live And Learn]

Finally in the "right sized home" and it feels great.

Amazingly I have a couple of empty shelves in the kitchen cabinets. I did a great job of purging in that space. Bathroom - not so good. 4 bottles of peroxide ? crazy !

The closet, which is about 1/3rd the size of my old closet, is plenty big and as I hung all my clothes I realized that there too, I have more than I need. On the bright side, if I don't change size too dramatically I won't have to buy clothing for a few years ! LOL

I love the new neighborhood (55+ community). Everyone stops to chat and everyone says good morning. Right now its sweet, but sometimes I wonder if people are just "nosy" ("hey - who's the new lady ? which house did they buy ? what renovations are they doing ?" LOL)

OK, break time is over - back to the unpacking for me !

 

[Fishingmn]

I love the new neighborhood (55+ community). Everyone stops to chat and everyone says good morning. Right now its sweet, but sometimes I wonder if people are just "nosy" ("hey - who's the new lady ? which house did they buy ? what renovations are they doing ?" LOL)

They are probably wondering how the 50 year old got into the 55+ community

 

[W2R]

I love the new neighborhood (55+ community). Everyone stops to chat and everyone says good morning. Right now its sweet, but sometimes I wonder if people are just "nosy" ("hey - who's the new lady ? which house did they buy ? what renovations are they doing ?" LOL)

I am not in a 55+ community, but most of my neighbors are in that age category. When I first moved in, and while I was in the process of moving in, everyone wanted to chat and strike up conversations. They wanted to know how much I paid for the house. Also they wanted to talk about the prior resident in my house, and what she had done with the house and yard, and how they never liked her and thought she was flirting with all the neighbors' husbands. The latter seemed tasteless to me since she had died in a car accident - - what ever happened to the idea of not talking trash about the dead who can no longer defend themselves?

But anyway, they are basically good people so the prior owner of my house must have been quite something. Once they figured out the answers to the questions you suggested they might be thinking of, they stopped being so nosy. Now they just wave and smile, and that is exactly what I like since I don't really have the time for much more interaction with them. Once you are completely settled in, your neighbors may not be as nosy as they seem to you right now.

 

[Mulligan]

I am not in a 55+ community, but most of my neighbors are in that age category. When I first moved in, and while I was in the process of moving in, everyone wanted to chat and strike up conversations. They wanted to know how much I paid for the house. Also they wanted to talk about the prior resident in my house, and what she had done with the house and yard, and how they never liked her and thought she was flirting with all the neighbors' husbands. The latter seemed tasteless to me since she had died in a car accident - - what ever happened to the idea of not talking trash about the dead who can no longer defend themselves?

But anyway, they are basically good people so the prior owner of my house must have been quite something. Once they figured out the answers to the questions you suggested they might be thinking of, they stopped being so nosy. Now they just wave and smile, and that is exactly what I like since I don't really have the time for much more interaction with them. Once you are completely settled in, your neighbors may not be as nosy as they seem to you right now.

I have never had experience in a 55 and older community, but I enjoy reading peoples comments. And I swear if I have read a 100 of them 99 mention the "lady on the prowl trying to steal my husband". I love it! Maybe if I ever get married to my GF, and we turn 55, we will move to one of those places so I can help "keep her on her toes" in being a good wife as they are apparently many willing to take her place!

 

[Live And Learn]

Update. We're in the new 1500 sq ft home and went to closing on the old "too big" 3000 sq ft home last week. I am now officially totally debt free (I had a 2k balance on the old mortgage). This feels great. I love the new house and the neighbors are great ! Its a little depressing being surrounded by folks who have some pretty serious health issues, but everyone is sweet as can be.

Now I can redo my retirement plan without all the "what if's" surrounding the inability to sell the old house. Things are looking good.

 

[W2R]

Update. We're in the new 1500 sq ft home and went to closing on the old "too big" 3000 sq ft home last week. I am now officially totally debt free (I had a 2k balance on the old mortgage). This feels great. I love the new house and the neighbors are great ! Its a little depressing being surrounded by folks who have some pretty serious health issues, but everyone is sweet as can be.

Now I can redo my retirement plan without all the "what if's" surrounding the inability to sell the old house. Things are looking good.

Wonderful! Congratulations on seeing your plan through to completion, moving, and becoming debt free.

 

[Live And Learn]

W2R - you have the cutest Avatars !

 

[eytonxav]

Update on our downsizing: we listed our house for sale 8/1 and it sold at full asking price in two days, despite a pretty high asking price. DW and I were amazed as we thought we missed the spring/early summer market which was very strong in our area. Although we were contemplating moving to a 55+ community, it would have taken 5+ months to have a house built there, but fortunately we discovered a new development which is only 3 miles from the old house and although not 55+, it is gated, zero lot line, with yard maintenance included. The new house is 1700 sq ft smaller than the old one, and seems just perfect for us. As far as getting rid of 20+ years of accumulation, this wasn't easy and we are not done with it. While we gave a lot of furniture and other items away, I had to get a 10X10 storage locker to store some things that will take a bit longer to eliminate. Part of this has to do with building DW a library in the new house which is still to be completed. I am also going to have some storage racks installed in the garage this week for putting some things away that we do not want to part with at this time.

We were able to pocket some pretty good cash on this deal and it was great to see our homeowners policy reduce in cost by $1800. I am anticipating that operating costs overall and my own personal operating time will go way down

 

[F4mandolin]

Just slowly starting the downsizing. Likely to move back to the UK in a few years.....so my mindset is to NOT buy anything new. We really don't have all that much stuff, but I don't plan to take anything back but a couple boxes of clothes, computer and my mandolin. We are in a approx 1800sf home now...likely to end up in a sub 1000sf home......possibly sub 800sf.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Congrats LiveLearn and DFW on your sales and downsizing. Really great.

 

[Live And Learn]

Ciongrats DWF ! We "lost" 1400 sq ft in the move and I barely miss it. The old floorplan was very open and could accomodate 20 guests. New house only has one sofa in the living room and one sofa in the family room. I've contemplated a couple of side chairs several time but then I remember why we downsized - we wanted a house for US, not for everyone else. When we have company we'll figure it out. We can easily fit 10 people outside in the lanai and we have seating for 8 in the dining room.

So far nearly all the bills are cut in half - water, electric, house insurance, real estate taxes. This was the reduction in run rate that I needed to have before I could retire. The next few (up to 15) months will be banking all those savings to add additional cushion before I make the leap in March 2015. House / yard work is also way down. Sounds like you're enjoying the same "wins" that I have ! thats great.

 

[eytonxav]

Sounds like you're enjoying the same "wins" that I have ! thats great.

Yep, what a relief to make retirement easier and less costly. Congrats to you as well!