[SteveFromNY]

We are in the middle of doing exactly the same thing. I'm trying my best to abandon my pack-rat ways and be sensible about what I take. We are breaking apart the house and sending it to either a condo up here or our house in TV. I am using a few guidelines that are helping me.
1) Decide what you really (I mean really) need in the new place. We are taking very little furniture to either place. Other things like dishes (I can't believe how many we have) we are tossing. Sentimental items (pictures, old cub scout uniform, cards from the kids) we are keeping and putting them in the attic (perpetuating the pack-rat). Also, we are using a POD for the move or our stuff to TV. If it won't fit, it isn't going!
2) Ask the kids, relatives, neighbors, if they want any of the rest. Even giving something away makes me feel OK because it's still in use. Most of our stuff really doesn't interest anyone though, but it means so much to us.
3) Take a long look at what you are "stuck" with, and ask yourself this hard question: Once we are gone (and I don't mean to TV), what will our heirs do with this stuff? If the answer is toss it, bite the bullet and get rid of it now. Save yourself the trouble of moving it around, save them the trouble of going thru it.

Good luck to you....it is an unsettling, stressful situation and I know what you're going thru.