Moving to The Villages - Downsizing Question and Comments
 

I’m moving to TV in December from Colorado. I am in the process of down-sizing now in preparation of my move. Though hard (I’m getting rid of lots of expensive sweaters and jackets, and lots of items I’ve collected over the years), it’s also kind of cathartic. I need some feedback from you folks of what you wish you would have discarded prior to bringing with you to TV, but also, what did you get rid of in your haste to downsize, that you wish you now had. Here is my thinking, and let me know if I’m on track:
Getting rid of:
- Most of my winter jackets, sweaters, hats, gloves - only keeping two mid-weight jackets and a few light weight sweaters.
- Any clothing item that I have not worn in the past year.
- Most all of books, cookbooks.
- Most of my collectibles, and curio items - don’t want stuff that collects dust - looking for a minimalist and stream-lined look in my new Florida home.
- Bookcases, Curio Cabinets and China buffet/hutch.
- Not bringing a single furniture item - buying all new in Florida - want neutral and light colors - not my current Oak, Rocky-Mt style lodge furniture.
- All paintings, framed art, etc - want all new, something that is more Florida-like.
- Most tableware - getting rid of most china patterns - only bringing two styles- one formal and one casual.
- Ditching my car in Colorado- will buy something new in Florida.

I’m just bringing some clothing items, some kitchen stuff, family photos, a few personal items of sentimental value and that’s it - I’d say 90% of what is currently in my home is heading to Goodwill. Please let me know if this is a reasonable plan and strategy.

Sounds like a plan, but.....
 

I'd look into a reputable company in your home town that handles Estate Sales. Use the money you make from the sale toward the purchase of new items. Win-Win situation.

Keep one winter-weight coat, or a ski vest. Also - consider out of all your bureaus and dressers and closets that you'll have here in Florida, you should dedicate at least one dresser drawer to sweatpants/sweatshirts and long-sleeve knits/thermals.

It can get cold in the Villages. And by cold I mean in the 40's, usually at night in the winter. You'll want to be able to layer if you're going out early evening and planning on enjoying the Squares at night then.

I would type up a list of items you're donating and have Goodwill sign and date it. I think the market value may be a tax deduction..

We just moved here from Virginia. I certainly agree to have some sweatshirts, fleece vest, puffy vest and coat. January is our coldest month and the weather is lovely and you'll want to dress for it. You're doing a fabulous job of decreasing possessions. We've been alternating between thrift shops giving away what we shouldn't have brought. One point about closets; they aren't big enough or numerous enough here. There's no coat closet in our courtyard villa and I wish we had a large linen closet. Good luck with the move and welcome!

I recommend keeping one pair of those gloves, they come in handy if you’re out in the golf cart on a cold evening.

Do you walk in the morning? In January and February, for my walk I wear jeans, turtleneck, sweater, winter coat, hat, gloves, and scarf. The older I get the colder I get. I kept a lot of my winter clothes when we moved down from Michigan. It seems to me the winters have gotten colder since we moved here in 2012. Also winter pajamas and warm socks and slippers for indoors.
The HVAC system that we have doesn't heat the house all that evenly. The warm air blows out from the ceiling, and it can be chilly in some spots of the house.

Id keep the car until you have another in the driveway.
You wont need a formal china. Not a lot of dinner parties here and its pretty casual
It keep the artwork myself - live in the new house and then decide. You might want to at least bring a couple of chairs lol - you never know when your furnishings will be in stock at the stores. It may take weeks.

No regrets here. Got rid of a lot of things like you. I have nothing in the attic. Be aware that ordering new furniture sometimes takes months. Polar fleece is necessary here in the winter-winters are lovely and dry but cool in the evenings. I wear fleece after getting out of the pool for the golf cart ride home. Enjoy the process and keep your sense of humor. And welcome!

Yeah. This.

Unless the car is a 90s era Honda Accord with 163,000 miles and a fading paint job, just ship the thing or road trip it. The car market is currently in the process of imploding, so in about 6-8 months prices are going to be in a much better place than they are right now.

Colorado Move to Florida
 

We moved from Colorado March, 2020. We did not bring any furniture - same theory as yours. Brought a blue blazer, slacks, 5 dress shirts and two dress shoes - I've not worn them in almost 3 years. Last year it got down into the mid-20's so a heavy coat will come in handy a couple of times. Plan on living in shorts and "Hawaiian" shirts for most all activities and dining locations. With current car prices, I would bring a car down to FL, sell it later, when you're settled. We drove down in a Frontier (19 mpg), packed with our stuff, and traded it a year later for a Honda Clarity (110 mpg effective). Bring everything sports related, except for skis, as there is a place, club, and/or group for most all sports.

Welcome to paradise - or, as my wife says, adult Disneyland!

Just be aware that many of the items you intend on replacing my not be readily available. I know lots of people that had to wait months to get bedroom or living room sets. If you are OK with that then come as you planned. We moved down last year and just needed a dining room set, we were lucky to find what we wanted and even luckier that it would be in stock for our move in. Lots of other people weren't so lucky. I know some that waited as much as 6 months. And that was something that kept getting rescheduled. Good luck with the move and welcome!

What I learned after moving to TV... can be applied with any move. It was kind of a quick spontaneous process buying the home and moving and I had to get it done in only a couple of months. Highest stress of my life was what to do with all the accumulated memorabilia items that still had value in time for the move. The easy way was to just chuck 'em, but I really wanted them to be in a good home with someone who appreciated them after all my time spent acquiring them. Us memorabilia collectors have some tough decisions but at the end it all worked out. I found out they were of value to others but it took some looking and calling around and I don't do ebay. Got rid of a lot of old clothes and items to Goodwill. Target accepts all old used computer and electronic equipment for environmental purposes for free.

The basic plan was keep the irreplaceable stuff, get rid of the stuff that I can buy once moved. Except for my large SmartTV since I just bought it and could just stick it in my car. So I moved the car with an auto transport company from Vegas to the Brownwood hotel. We called around and found the one with the best reviews, and they let me stuff it with my items a little over the minimum poundage by at least 100. (they had a minimum 100lbs)

I didn't bring a single furniture item either and later bought some nice used furniture from facebook marketplace and new furniture and other stuff from Amazon and Sam's when I arrived. Goodwill was great in finding little gems of decor, and some nice new large floor rugs for $40. My sister was a great help with decorating my home.

What I regret not packing was the simple (or so I thought) replaceable stuff like my handheld shower head (had to figure out a different style), a simple scissors (the one I got from the $ store couldn't cut jack), and my original silverware (had to settle for Walmart basic look), and some other stuff that I wish I would've packed. So I'll say instead of trying to cheapen your shipping, bring the stuff you like even if it can be replaced. Will save you time looking for their replacement.

Lastly, cancel what you need to cancel and set up what you need to set up. I had a hassle trying to get plates because of registration issues and a couple other companies that I had to cancel and get back credit for or fees would accumulate. I also somehow lost my car title so that was another hassle. Go to the DMV here with all the required paperwork to keep it a single successful trip.

Emptying out our up north home, for 3 years. Whatever I needed or replace at lake house went there. Grandkids came emptied out most of kitchen, baths, 1/2 of furniture. Ordered 8’ pod, whatever I had to have packed first. Then filled the rest of pod so nothing shifted, with what I wanted but could have lived without.

Brought down one bedroom set, select comfort mattress, and my custom buffet. Moving from 5 bed to 4 bed so easy to bring small amount of furniture. It’s the 2000sf basement we miss. Good thing I have been looking at furniture and none looks worth buying for us, Personal choice, all of art work came with us

First year I left all my winter coats and sweaters, last trip I brought two winter coats, and pair of my Ugg boots. I have used them twice working Run Disney and still was cold. Kids live in cold climates so coats were a must. We have huge coat closet, and linen, so storage is not a problem.

Up north We left one couch, chair, small table, and bed up north, so during summers we have furniture.
Rest we donated to local church resale. So far there isn’t anything I packed I haven’t used.

Please bring your cookbooks. I use mine, I'd be lost without my favorites

All the recipes are online. I never use a cookbook anymore.

You seem to have given a lot of thought to this. Why would you seek advise from others who do not know you or what you have. I had and have a lot of STUFF. I held 6-7 garage sales, reminder I had a lot of stuff. My typical garage sale I made 2-4,000 a day. I sold several hundred items on ebay. Some sold for shocking amounts of money, far more than what people will pay at a garage sale. It is far more difficult to do now as you must collect and pay TAX. Metals I took to a recycling place. I had many spools of wire, if, I recall scrap o copper was around 2.00 a pound.

Assuming you have STUFF with value that you don't want you can hire a prof? to price it and sell it for you. They will take roughly 1/3 but you will get 2/3rd more than the nothing that goodwill will give you. Tax deductions? Today under the new tax code fewer people itemize so tax deductions are worthless.

We bought new furniture when we bought our house. We brought somethings from home but we still have our northern home. If we ever get to a point where we can sell it we are bringing our new bedroom set, our select number mattress, a few wall hangings and photos/paperwork etc. everything else will be fair game for the kids and anyone else that wants anything. A couple items might go up to our camp. We will keep the car and drive down. We will need need to decide about my truck and second camper. One of the things my wife loves about our Florida home is there is no clutter and we need to keep it that way. Good luck and enjoy.

This is key, i love our FLA house does not have clutter

Can’t imagine getting rid of books, of any kind. I still have all my books, including my college text books as well as all my notebooks. Got rid of all the old furniture.

Sounds about right to me.

Sounds like a good plan. I brought wayyyy too much cold weather clothes but had a hard time getting rid of some. After this first winter I will see what I wear and what I don’t.

We brought only our bed and a high top table, just beware that furniture still has a long lead time to get in some instances so be prepared to be sitting on the floor.

Welcome and good luck!

Just curious, why do you keep old books? Do you plan on reading them again? Great if you want to keep them for decorative purposes but otherwise I think they feel like clutter. I have been using the library a lot since moving here.

Definitely agree that an estate sale prior to Goodwill a good idea.

Agree. Books require place to store which requires space that could be better used. My wife has a very extensive library on her iPad.

Just a thought…..there are several consignment and thrift stores that have furniture. We bought a few pieces to use while waiting for newly ordered furniture to arrive. Once the new furniture was delivered, the other furniture was either consigned or donated back.

Good planning. I live alone. When I moved here, I brought CDs, DVDs, books, about 50 paintings, one chair, two 4x8’ bookcases, musical instruments, some tools and kitchen things. I bought a 1600 sq ft house, furnished, with dining for six and a pool. I thought I’d be throwing dinner parties. That didn’t happen. I thought family would visit. That didn’t happen, either. So, I’m downsizing to a 1200 sq ft courtyard villa. No room for the very nice furniture that came with this house, so I’m leaving it behind and cutting down to a new Queen-size bed, a day bed, a couple arm chairs, a dining table for two. Cutting and cutting. There still isn’t enough room.

Bear in mind that if you are buying a 1200 sq ft courtyard villa, it’s not much bigger than an apartment in a retirement center. You can’t take much there. You’d might as well get into the habit now. If you aren’t outgoing and a great entertainer, you’ll be lucky to have one person come over at a time. I’m involved with various musical activities and have some acquaintances, but we meet at the activities. Many thousands of people here live pretty solitary lives, especially if they are single, divorced, or widowed. I still love it here, though.

However hard your downsizing effort seems to you… YOU’RE STILL BRINGING TOO MUCH STUFF!

Even a relatively small storage unit here will cost you $100 a month.

On a related note: I urge you to consider another organization for donating. Please read below about the alternatives, which do much, much more good than Goodwill. The very best organizations are at the end.

THINK BEFORE YOU DONATE!

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE YOU MAKE
CONTRIBUTIONS: As you open your pockets to do a good thing and make yourself feel good, please keep the following facts in mind:

The American Red Cross
President and CEO Marsha J. Evans' salary for the year was $651,957
plus expenses

MARCH OF DIMES
It is called the March of Dimes because only a dime for every 1 dollar is given to the
needy.

The United Way
President Brian Gallagher receives a $375,000 base salary along with numerous expense benefits.

UNICEF
CEO Caryl M. Stern receives $1,200,000 per year (100k per month) plus all expenses including a ROLLS ROYCE. Less than 5 cents of your donated dollar goes to the cause.

GOODWILL
CEO and owner Mark Curran profits $2.3 million a year. Goodwill is a very catchy name for his business. You donate to his business and then he sells the items for PROFIT. He pays nothing for his products and pays his workers minimum wage! Nice Guy. $0.00 goes to help anyone!
Stop giving to this man.

Instead, give it to ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

GO "GREEN" AND
PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE IT WILL DO SOME GOOD:

The Salvation Army Commissioner,Todd Bassett receives a small salary of only $13,000 per year(plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar organization. 96 percent of donated dollars go to the cause.

The American Legion National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

The Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

The Disabled American Veterans National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

The Military Order of PurpleHearts National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

The Vietnam Veterans Association National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.
Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

Make a Wish: For children's last wishes. 100% goes to funding trips or special wishes for a dying child.

St. Jude Research Hospital. 100% goes towards funding and helping Children with Cancer who have no insurance and cannot afford to pay.

Ronald McDonald Houses. All monies go to running the houses for parents who have critically ill Children in the hospital. 100% goes to housing and feeding the families.

Lions Club International. 100% OF DONATIONS GO TO HELP THE BLIND, BUY HEARING AIDES, SUPPORT MEDICAL MISSIONS AROUND THE WORLD.THEIR LATEST UNDERTAKING

We enjoy 25 to 30 people at our courtyard villa ,large parties on the birdcage and patio ,sometimes 10 to 15 inside in bad weather. 4 to 6 for dinners .we built our home to entertain as a vacation home, works perfectly.

Sounds like you've got it all covered. Smart idea to start fresh. Don't forget your toothbrush 😁

Funny, almost every day I wish I had bought in Colorado, not Florida. You are smart to not pay to bring furniture, the consignment shops are full of 'up north" heavy pieces. As others have said, bring a few warm things. I kept a down vest and have to wear it a few times every winter, the music goes til 9pm in the squares..... it gets chilly.

I’d recommend keeping one heavy jacket and gloves. We had 20 degree weather here last winter and also in 2017-18 winter. As for anything that holds a special place in your heart, take a photo. Sounds like you have a good plan.

That is a fantastic plan. Most furniture may not fit the home anyway. Congratulations have fun decorating.

It is a great strategy...wish I had done the same.

Don’t call it an estate sale, we just did that in CO when we recently moved. Handfuls of people asked who died? Estate sales conjures up a very different process. Call it a moving sale.

We just did what you did, downsize from Colorado to TV. We had buyers that wanted “stuff” from our home as we had an outdoor kitchen/entertaining area. Sold all that to them. Then sold all the big stuff from Facebook market place. I had a large workshop with big woodworking tools and we had some friends that wanted a few of out items as well. Then we did a 2 day moving sale. Had some friends help us as we were cleaning out 40 years of accumulated stuff. We made about $4k doing that. Then the rest either went to goodwill as they take most stuff, friends of the local library for our book collections. Also donated items to local churches that support women’s shelters and lastly, the tons of blankets went to the dog shelters as they are always in need of things for dogs to sleep on and then send them home with the pet.

Lastly, we drove both cars we had to FL.The SUV was filled with the last remaining items we were keeping as used car prices are very high these days and well, we just like both cars.

HTH

Doing much of what you are doing.

Strongly second taking your car to Florida and then replacing if/when you want to. We find we use the golf cart so much that the car isn’t that important (although I really dislike the black interior in FL!).
.

As do winter clothes - I have really good coats (commuting via train and walking in Chicago for years) and in exchange for giving the kids family furniture they really wanted (two in MI and one in VA), I told them they had to keep a few winter clothes for my visits. So I sent my serious winter coat and tall uggs and some heavier sweaters and warm pjs and heavy slacks to my daughter in NW MI. And my VA daughter gets a lighter weight coat and short Uggs and mid weight pjs and sweaters. That way, I can travel to visit work just a small bag and know I will be warm during my stay. Oh and hats and gloves went both places.

Also - we enjoy our nice warm fleeces here on many cooler evenings. And I would definitely bring gloves. I also have a couple is hats/headbands for early/late as I hate having my ears cold!

Good luck. You will be happy you cleaned our before moving. Definitely nice to have it done!

Coming from Colorado to live in the Villages full time your plan and strategy is good. However, if you plan to return to visit, I recommend keep a few items, i.e, winter clothing; coat, sweater, hat, gloves, pants snow shoes for travel. I travel often to the high country and in the winter when it's cold you'll need them.

One thing to keep in mind is that the houses in TV, depending on model, just don’t have a lot of storage space. No basements, pretty small garages Insofar as space for storage goes. Most have attics but that space is somewhat limited, as well as baking hot in the summer.

I mention this because we KNEW all of that, sold most of our stuff and STILL arrived here with way too much stuff. Walk-in closet in the master bedroom looked really big when empty, but after getting stuffed with my wife’s wardrobe and extra bedding (still don’t know why we brought so many blankets; this is FLORIDA after all), it was barely large enough to hold it all.

My advice is to turn whatever you can into money and then purchase stuff you need when here. Things are pretty casual anywhere in TV, and there are numerous estate sales as well as (if you’re into that kind of stuff—my wife is) secondhand shops that often have great deals. One in particular, “Bargains and Blessings” in Wildwood has nearly everything imaginable when it comes to housewares, at some really good prices.