Empty Nesters Purging Homes Experience
- Thread starter DustyMom
- Start date
Sunset
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
My first step has been to STOP buying stuff.
I used to stop at garage sales and pick up tons of wonderful stuff people were selling, I didn't realize they were purging. I'd buy things in case I needed it, so for example I have 6 led headlamps, but still only 1 head
Sometimes I have to fight the urge to buy, but it's been working for about a year now.
Next step is to throw out the broken things, the left over parts from repairing things.
I used to stop at garage sales and pick up tons of wonderful stuff people were selling, I didn't realize they were purging. I'd buy things in case I needed it, so for example I have 6 led headlamps, but still only 1 head
Sometimes I have to fight the urge to buy, but it's been working for about a year now.
Next step is to throw out the broken things, the left over parts from repairing things.
skipro33
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I've always been one to keep the clutter down. I hate to go look for stuff and can't find it. Worse is to look, can't find it, buy another, then find the original and now have TWO!! Ha!
So, my process is this;
Once a year a go through a room or garage. Not all the rooms at once, spread out over the year. Anything in that room I haven't used for 2 years gets a sticky dot put on it. The type of decal dot you find on prices marked on items at garage sales. Anything in the room that already has a dot on it from last year gets a price marked on the dot and moved to the attic. When moving the stuff to the attic, anything already in the attic gets brought down and either listed on craigslist, neighborhood garage sale, donated to a thrift store, at the curb with a free sign and finally the garbage can.
Sure, sometimes I get rid of stuff I had a use for later down the road, but the probability that I either wouldn't remember I had it, or wouldn't be able to find it anyways and just frustrate myself. The way it is now, I know what I have because I do this sort of inventory every year and nothing is more than 4 years old and not needed.
I don't keep track of the dollars, but I would bet that what I make off the reselling goes a good ways toward getting what I really need. I also have lots of storage space that now stays well organized and stuff is easy to find. When I do downsize, the process will be easier as there won't be too much of the stuff that's been kept well past it's useful age.
So, my process is this;
Once a year a go through a room or garage. Not all the rooms at once, spread out over the year. Anything in that room I haven't used for 2 years gets a sticky dot put on it. The type of decal dot you find on prices marked on items at garage sales. Anything in the room that already has a dot on it from last year gets a price marked on the dot and moved to the attic. When moving the stuff to the attic, anything already in the attic gets brought down and either listed on craigslist, neighborhood garage sale, donated to a thrift store, at the curb with a free sign and finally the garbage can.
Sure, sometimes I get rid of stuff I had a use for later down the road, but the probability that I either wouldn't remember I had it, or wouldn't be able to find it anyways and just frustrate myself. The way it is now, I know what I have because I do this sort of inventory every year and nothing is more than 4 years old and not needed.
I don't keep track of the dollars, but I would bet that what I make off the reselling goes a good ways toward getting what I really need. I also have lots of storage space that now stays well organized and stuff is easy to find. When I do downsize, the process will be easier as there won't be too much of the stuff that's been kept well past it's useful age.
ducky911
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- May 18, 2010
- Messages
- 497
My rule of thumb when cleaning out a closet.
50% trash
25% donate
25% useful stuff that you bought replacements for because you couldn't find them.
I been able to sell stuff through craigslist. If something is in mint condition I look for 50% of new and lower the price every few days until I hit the right price. Stuff that is a little warn but still useful you may be lucky to get 10% of new price. I am usually just happy as pie to see it go.
50% trash
25% donate
25% useful stuff that you bought replacements for because you couldn't find them.
I been able to sell stuff through craigslist. If something is in mint condition I look for 50% of new and lower the price every few days until I hit the right price. Stuff that is a little warn but still useful you may be lucky to get 10% of new price. I am usually just happy as pie to see it go.
Edgewater Tom
Confused about dryer sheets
I'm a little surprised at some of the responses here; being that most ERE folks are frugal and "value" seekers. By the time I'm done with something, it's usually used-up, broken, or thread-bare. No criticism...
Souschef
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
When my MIL died, we checked the price of her good china. Found it it would cost more to ship it than it was worth.
My dad was a real pack rat. When he died, my sis and BIL cleaned out the "walk-in" closet. They claim they took out about 100 trash bags of stuff!
My dad was a real pack rat. When he died, my sis and BIL cleaned out the "walk-in" closet. They claim they took out about 100 trash bags of stuff!
youbet
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Mom and Dad were mild-grade hoarders. Lotsa stuff, but stored in a tidy manner so it wasn't obvious to the casual observer or house guest.
When Mom died, Dad stayed in the house until he passed a decade later, and never got rid of anything. It made him happy. When I'd visit 2 - 3 times a year (distant location), he'd usually have something he'd taken out and played with recently and would proudly show me. Sports trophies from my youth, guns and fishing equipment we used together decades ago, lotsa tools long untouched and, of course, junque.
When Dad passed, I dreaded cleaning the house out. I was working at the time and took one week's vacation to get it all done. Turned out to be a piece of cake. The realtor who was selling the house for me connected me to a service that would clean out a house and haul it all away for just the value of the "stuff." I spent a half day going through things and grabbed all the guns, a few of the tools, family pictures, purged confidential paperwork, etc. The next day the junque hauling guys came and cleaned the place to 100% empty in just a few hours.
Yeah, if I'd had time, I could have probably sold the stuff I didn't keep, but who cares? We're talking maybe $1k - $2k - $3k, who knows for sure? But not life changing amounts. And it was all quickly and easily gone.
The only problem is that most of the few boxes I hauled home are still sitting as I packed them, in my basement, waiting for me to die I guess! Oh well......... My son can call the junque guys!
When Mom died, Dad stayed in the house until he passed a decade later, and never got rid of anything. It made him happy. When I'd visit 2 - 3 times a year (distant location), he'd usually have something he'd taken out and played with recently and would proudly show me. Sports trophies from my youth, guns and fishing equipment we used together decades ago, lotsa tools long untouched and, of course, junque.
When Dad passed, I dreaded cleaning the house out. I was working at the time and took one week's vacation to get it all done. Turned out to be a piece of cake. The realtor who was selling the house for me connected me to a service that would clean out a house and haul it all away for just the value of the "stuff." I spent a half day going through things and grabbed all the guns, a few of the tools, family pictures, purged confidential paperwork, etc. The next day the junque hauling guys came and cleaned the place to 100% empty in just a few hours.
Yeah, if I'd had time, I could have probably sold the stuff I didn't keep, but who cares? We're talking maybe $1k - $2k - $3k, who knows for sure? But not life changing amounts. And it was all quickly and easily gone.
The only problem is that most of the few boxes I hauled home are still sitting as I packed them, in my basement, waiting for me to die I guess! Oh well......... My son can call the junque guys!
Last edited:
1. Ask my friends if they wanted anything, if it was of any real value they offered a little something, like a new snow blower I wouldn't need when I moved south. I took pictures, created a pinterest page, and shared on facebook...had more than i thought contact me... especially the big stuff. I put it all in the garage so as neighbors and friends stopped by to say goodbye, they would walk through and usually find something they could use or always liked of yours.
2. luckily the neighborhood had a rummage sale organized already, so I only had to manage to open the garage, tagged expensive items, the rest I had a $1 table and free table.
3. items that were deemed collectibles I sold on Craigslist and got contacted by people in other states, added shipping, and sold about 1/2, then the rest I found someone doing an auction for a charity so gifted the rest that way.
4. Lastly a charity came and took everything else.
The only issue I had in the end was chemicals..bags of fertilizer, grub stuff, old varnish, it was mid winter when we moved and they didn't have any drop off locations open.. yeh should have planned that much earlier.
2. luckily the neighborhood had a rummage sale organized already, so I only had to manage to open the garage, tagged expensive items, the rest I had a $1 table and free table.
3. items that were deemed collectibles I sold on Craigslist and got contacted by people in other states, added shipping, and sold about 1/2, then the rest I found someone doing an auction for a charity so gifted the rest that way.
4. Lastly a charity came and took everything else.
The only issue I had in the end was chemicals..bags of fertilizer, grub stuff, old varnish, it was mid winter when we moved and they didn't have any drop off locations open.. yeh should have planned that much earlier.
Dog
Full time employment: Posting here.
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2006
- Messages
- 880
COCheesehead and TexasProud,
The stuff we took to the dump were things we could not donate or give away. 30 year mattress & box spring, rusted out lawnmower that had just died, ripped up tarps, broken yard tools, old hoses that we're starting to crack, cheap old paneling that had been stored in the attic, old cans of used paint. It was amazing what had accumulated in the attic, she'd and garage over the past 30 years.
DH and I use things until they die. No one wants that kind of stuff.
Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
The stuff we took to the dump were things we could not donate or give away. 30 year mattress & box spring, rusted out lawnmower that had just died, ripped up tarps, broken yard tools, old hoses that we're starting to crack, cheap old paneling that had been stored in the attic, old cans of used paint. It was amazing what had accumulated in the attic, she'd and garage over the past 30 years.
DH and I use things until they die. No one wants that kind of stuff.
Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
Texas Proud
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- May 16, 2005
- Messages
- 17,299
Don't get me wrong.... I agree that most of this stuff should go to the dump... I just did not want to take the time to do it... so I left it when I sold the house...
I did forget to add that my current house has junk in the garage that the last owner left for ME... now 7 years in and I have not touched anything
.... DW is starting to get on me to get rid of it.... I really should... but some is old paint and stuff that you have to take to a special dump site...aggie76
Recycles dryer sheets
It has been an experience for us. Still have some very nice high end furniture ( grandmother) that we will probably just store hoping that a nephew or somebody marries a girl that actually likes that stuff...... probably end up giving to Goodwill in the end.
What was REALLY hard for me was my dads stuff. Boxes and boxes of awards, plaques pictures, vacation " trophies"...... Big ole giant formal wedding portraits...all the stuff that NO ONE except direct family would ever want. Well I am at the direct family and have been assured that none of the next generation wants any of it. They barely knew him. I just did not have the heart to throw all of this into th trash along with last nites fish and the used cat litter so.....
I made an evening of turing it into a nice BONFIRE along with a fine bottle of whiskey and memories.
It worked. I had a great evening , cherished the memories and got rid of a LOT of old stuff.
Dad would have approved since I was reminded that he had not had any of that stuff on any wall for decades before he died. My wife asked me if gave a )(&&* about all of my " cherished" crap....well come to think of it...I have all of my stuff in boxes also so......
I had a second bonfire and , poof, all my so called cherished momentos are GONE.....
What was REALLY hard for me was my dads stuff. Boxes and boxes of awards, plaques pictures, vacation " trophies"...... Big ole giant formal wedding portraits...all the stuff that NO ONE except direct family would ever want. Well I am at the direct family and have been assured that none of the next generation wants any of it. They barely knew him. I just did not have the heart to throw all of this into th trash along with last nites fish and the used cat litter so.....
I made an evening of turing it into a nice BONFIRE along with a fine bottle of whiskey and memories.
It worked. I had a great evening , cherished the memories and got rid of a LOT of old stuff.
Dad would have approved since I was reminded that he had not had any of that stuff on any wall for decades before he died. My wife asked me if gave a )(&&* about all of my " cherished" crap....well come to think of it...I have all of my stuff in boxes also so......
I had a second bonfire and , poof, all my so called cherished momentos are GONE.....
gauss
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2011
- Messages
- 3,615
Inspiring!
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
aggie76, wow! What more can I say. That was tough but I would imagine it was SO worth doing.
Hopefully with another fine bottle of whiskey! Nice way to handle it. Something for us to keep in mind...
aggie76
Recycles dryer sheets
Naaaah.... I burned my crap along with a bunch of dead tree stuff and plain ole cheap beer......... I was really amazed at what junk I kept !!!! Its not like I won the VC or the MoH or was on the cover of TIME...mostly silly little " Man of the Afternoon" type stuff from folks/groups I don't even remember....
Only kept my and my dads Texas A&M degrees and our old slide rules ( makes a nice wall display the 2 engineering degrees and crossed slide rules both 30 years apart) along with some of his military stuff. That will be on my wall until I'm in a box !!
It is a pretty cool way to both celebrate and dispose of inherited stuff that was meaningful to the owner and no one else. We live in a densely populated urban area, though, and I'm quite sure the authorities and neighbors would not view this as a good idea. We'll have to look for a good urban alternative to this.
Blue Skies
Dryer sheet wannabe
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2007
- Messages
- 18
I purged in 2008, and am amazed at how much I have acquired since then.
I recently made the decision to get rid of things both grandparents left me. For 20 years I have carted around Lladro figurines, Hummel figurines, 8 different sets of china, hundreds of pieces of Waterford crystal, silver, serving pieces, vases, etc. Told all of my siblings they could have anything they wanted. They took very few items. We are all in our 50's and 60's and all received lots of stuff when grandparents and aunts died. None of the nieces and nephews wanted anything.
I realize I have not attended a wedding years where the bride and groom registered fro china, silver or crystal, which was the norm when I was growing up. I think the kids today want gift cards to Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware.
I recently made the decision to get rid of things both grandparents left me. For 20 years I have carted around Lladro figurines, Hummel figurines, 8 different sets of china, hundreds of pieces of Waterford crystal, silver, serving pieces, vases, etc. Told all of my siblings they could have anything they wanted. They took very few items. We are all in our 50's and 60's and all received lots of stuff when grandparents and aunts died. None of the nieces and nephews wanted anything.
I realize I have not attended a wedding years where the bride and groom registered fro china, silver or crystal, which was the norm when I was growing up. I think the kids today want gift cards to Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware.
aggie76
Recycles dryer sheets
We have a friend that owns a large resale/antique store on one of those small town near a BIG city Main Streets that are so popular. We talked to her , a few months ago, about all of the VERY nice VERY expensive ( new) China sets that we have. She told us that , rather suddenly, fine china sets have become darn near worthless. Boomers all over the country are looking at getting rid of their 2 mothers + 4 grandmothers etc high end china sets. Most boomers remember using the good stuff whenever we went to a grandparents on Sunday..then by our WW2 era parents on holidays and then ..........maybe once or twice a year at our homes. Our kids and their kids have NO USE nor real memory of dining on that china nor see the need to take up space in their homes for this huge boxes of china and all of the 87 sets of fine silverware ( which at least can be sold for scrap).
Bottom line.... She wont even take china in her shop. Hasn't sold a SINGLE piece in over a year. She knows of no one who wants the stuff. She is probably going to close up shop in a few years as she has noticed that it is largely the boomers and a very very few boomer kids that have ANY desire to have the type of stuff that are in these shops. Very very very few 35 year olds who want knick naks like Hummel or collectibles of any kind.
I'm thinking that I'm going to be using a lot of formerly expensive collectables and a couple of sets of china for targets. Got a LOT of ammunition to blow thru over the next 10-15 years !!!!!
MRG
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2013
- Messages
- 11,078
My DF threw mom's china in the trunk of his car with a collection of tools he'd bought pre-WWII. The tools handled the trip much better than the china.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Early Retirement Forum mobile app
We downsized in 2012. I decided to donate pretty much everything because selling it on Ebay was not worth my time or aggravation (flaky buyers, huge fees, frequent trips to the post office, etc...). I had found a company that could sell items on Ebay for me but their commission was extortionate (donating the item and taking the tax deduction was better for us at the time). The few items that were worth selling, I did sell on hobbyist forums hence bypassing Ebay entirely.
But even donating items was not so easy. Nobody wanted our old printer and CRT TV (the needy had apparently higher standards than we did). And it was tough to find someone willing to come pick up our old but serviceable furniture. The experience served as a lesson. It makes me think twice before bringing anything into my home.
ETA: we actually decided to keep Grandma's china, silver and table linens, which we use regularly. Except for everyday china/silverware, we got rid of everything else, including the formal service we received as wedding present. Grandma's stuff was of much nicer quality.
But even donating items was not so easy. Nobody wanted our old printer and CRT TV (the needy had apparently higher standards than we did). And it was tough to find someone willing to come pick up our old but serviceable furniture. The experience served as a lesson. It makes me think twice before bringing anything into my home.
ETA: we actually decided to keep Grandma's china, silver and table linens, which we use regularly. Except for everyday china/silverware, we got rid of everything else, including the formal service we received as wedding present. Grandma's stuff was of much nicer quality.
Last edited:
EastWest Gal
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Old gold chains and rings and stuff can fetch money for their melt value. Be sure to go to the "we buy gold" place when the price of gold is up. I made a few hundred on some tint bracelets and broken necklaces. I learned how to tell the 14K and 10K from the gold plated stuff. I also had a couple of diamond rings, one of them broken. They're probably worth quite a bit and DS asked to save them as remounted the stones might make an amazing engagement/wedding set.
I use the china twice a year. The silver--never. Our stainless is nicer.
I'll probably sell the silver for melt value this year.
Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
I use the china twice a year. The silver--never. Our stainless is nicer.
I'll probably sell the silver for melt value this year.
Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
If I were in your shoes, I would seriously consider something like Junk Removal & Dumpster Rental Alternative | 1-800-GOT-JUNK? USA
They set up a dumpster for you, you fill it up, they haul it away.
Hire a neighborhood young person to fill it up, and tell them they can have anything they think they can sell (but they have to take it away that day).
This is certainly true, but you can still get a little money for it. I've used this outfit a couple of times to get rid of old china and thought it was worthwhile.
Replacement China Patterns, Flatware, and Crystal | Replacements, Ltd.
Now if only I could find some place that would buy my mom's Hummel collection or my DW's David Winter Cottage collection, I'd be all set. But those things have become essentially worthless as well.
The absolute best prices on old gold jewelry will be from US Gold Buyers | New York, NY
If you research them, you'll agree. The WSJ called them the top place to deal with. I've sold to them several times over the years, and always got closer to spot price than any of the local stores.
Amethyst
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2008
- Messages
- 12,683
My understanding is that The Needy don't get your stuff. They get whatever's left over after the charitable organization auctions your stuff.
(OTOH, I'm not sure who makes the decisions on what's good enough to put into thrift stores, where needy people actually shop ((as do some of the more fortunate)). Although the clothing in those stores is typically in good shape, household goods are usually deplorable - anything you have is almost certainly better than that trash).
(OTOH, I'm not sure who makes the decisions on what's good enough to put into thrift stores, where needy people actually shop ((as do some of the more fortunate)). Although the clothing in those stores is typically in good shape, household goods are usually deplorable - anything you have is almost certainly better than that trash).
Similar threads
