Re: How do you clean out a 37 year accumulation? HELP!
 

Can't figure out who wrote the original post about the 37 year accumulation. I sure do identify - we have lived in our home 37 years also. I have packed 89 boxes this week. Probably should heed the advice on this thread and pitch more. Will be in TV on July 21. The next phase will be shopping. One step at a time - Sell, buy, pack, move....

Re: How do you clean out a 37 year accumulation? HELP!
 

We had 32 years of accumulated "stuff" in a 4 bedroom, 2 storey house. I too spent the fist few weeks looking, brooding and putting stuff back in drawers to decide about later. Then I remembered that this is a new phase in our lives and we needed to move forward. We've owned our Camellia for 2 years now and have fully furnished it as we used it as a vacation house. Storage in any house in TV is at a premium. That's when I invented the "5 second rule" for us. Look at something and be able to say where it will go or be stored within the first 5 seconds or else it goes into the trash or donate pile. There are no other choices. It was hard at first, but we will be moving to TV 7/17 and will have only a few things in the trunk of our car! I actually feel liberated and am glad that we decided to do it this way.

Re: How do you clean out a 37 year accumulation? HELP!
 

Nonie
Had our major garage sale this morinng and despite the rain in N Va, we had a very successul sale (alot of Ducks came out)...and in the end, 99% of what was left went to the local thrift shop. That said we still have ALOT of stuff to get rid of and the movers come friday!

I think I need some help here lol
 

Yep...I have been doing exactly that for months Bare...."look at it, think about it, wonder if I will be sorry if I throw it out etc. etc.", do I have a garage sale, which I did once and swore I would never do it again lol, store it, throw it out etc.?!? :shrug:.
I get so overwhelmed looking at it all, and dont think I have the energy for the garage sale thing, but I guess if I find a home in TV and sell here soon...hopefully I will find energy I didnt know I had lol? :shrug:.
I know I should have a garage sale, but no one in this town rents tables...any ideas from my fellow TOTV'ers with all there clever ideas? :bowdown:. I could probably open up a Christmas Tree Shop in TV with all the Christmas things I have...everyone that comes here says it looks like the North Pole at Christmas. :1rotfl:
Help!!!! :faint:

If you have a ton of stuff, how about having an auctioneer come in, and have them sell everything there on the premises? The selling price only goes up, compared to a yard sale where the hagglers try to nickel and dime you. Granted, they will take a percentage of the proceeds, but your excess stuff will be gone in a few hours.

Organization is the key in this process - as is having the space to process things!

That said, first ask a few friends to help you lug and sort. Then sort all items according to KEEP, SELL, DONATE, TRASH. When one does not have the space to keep everything under one roof, consider renting a small storage space for one month [if you have one close by within an easy drive after a day of sorting]. Moving the sorted items out of sight and reach makes it easier to avoid the separation anxiety that this process raises.

Allow yourself to take a good amount of time to accomplish this sorting - it can become sort of a 'grieving process' over the loss of your 'stuff'; and it gives you a chance to have a change of mind.

Then 'hire' your friends to conduct your yard sale...the more you are removed from this part of the process the less likely items are to return to your KEEP category. Do make sure that you are available to answer questions and to circulate among the shoppers to make sure that items do not disappear. Have lots of cash on hand for making change - carpenter aprons work real well at yard sales. Have some shopping/grocery bags/small boxes available for your shoppers to take their treasures home in.

Anything left from the yard sale goes into the donate pile and you are done! Count your cash and break out a nice bottle of wine and some pizzas/sandwiches for your helpers.

If you choose to enlist the help of your friends in this process, [if not done in the initial sorting phase] you might consider offering them first chance to select something from your SELL items [before the start of the yard sale] as a memory of you and all you are sharing.

And once you get to TV and realize "I didn't really need this after all" - keep it in the garage or a spare room and save it for a yard sale there!!!!!

Feel your pain! 5 yrs ago we put a sign in the yard to sell up north thinking it would take time. Sold in 3 weeks...had to store stuff & rent till retirement 3 mo. later. Downsized in TV BIG time from 2 story house. Brought the whole mess here... still sorting. The bright side of this is that you can control weight gain by the sheer fact that if you get too wide, you can't get through the narrow path in the garage to the golf cart!!!! Hang in!

One year Later!
 

Its been over a year since I originally posted this thread and I want to Thank you all for the great advice. Im sure so many of you are going thru this right now. Its not an easy task especially when you are a saver and collector as I was but amazingly I discovered I dont need or miss any of the things I sold or gave away.

Looking so much forward to my journey to The Villages and Im not bringing much with me. It will be great fun to start over furnishing with new in TV.

I guess my best advice would be to go the auction route. They pick it up, sell it for you and send you a check. Easy peasy, if your not looking for high prices on things. It was a lifesaver for us.

One problem is guilt.
 

Some of the stuff I have was left by my mother (from her mother)
Totally not my style but I have carted it from piller to post through 5 moves.
Not to mention my husbands comic book collection. Someone here suggested auction houses and I have found a few online that specialize in hand painted dishes and others for comics. I think that is the way to go but I do feel guilty selling things that my mother thought where family heirlooms.

Trudy,

I can relate completely to the guilt problem. I still have many things of my mothers and grandmothers that I have to part with. But the one that weighs heaviest on my heart is her baby grand piano. I have kept it in my home since her passing. It is an tique and has a special history to it. It was special made for one of Al Capones brothels. It is hand painted and very unusual. I have had it on E-bay and Craigs list at a very low price and could not sell it on either. I have asked family members if they want it and noone seems to have room for it. Now I have to have our local auctioneer cart it away . It was very special to my mother and she played it daily for 50 yrs. or more, and I would love to sit and listen to her beautiful music.

Sorry to go on and on about it but it really hurts to have to part with it, wherever she is, I know shes going to be really upset with me, but what choice do I have????

getting rid of stuff
 

We are moving TV in a few years but I have already started. As far as emotional aspect of "things" I saw one of those organizer shows where the host said something along the lines of "That statue that Aunt Martha gave you does NOT represent Aunt Martha, she lives in your memory, not in the statue".....I try to remember that. Also, I tell myself that I want an easier life when I get to TV, that we will be on the go all the time and that too many things ties you down in many ways. My 2 cents.

family heirlooms
 

As the only daughter of the only daughter, I have lots of family treasures, not worth much in monetary value, just sentimental. I wrote a family history and included as much information about family tree that I had and where each piece came from and gave them away, piece by piece to younger family members, neices, nephews, cousins, etc. They were more thrilled about the piece because of the paper history that came with them and I now think they will stand a chance of being passed on again.

That is a very nice and wonderful idea! I am sure your family members appreciated the thoughtfulness and time you put into doing that. For me...I would rather receive a sentimental gift that has family history than anything else.
In fact you just helped me with a dilemma I have been having over all my Christmas things...thank you! I have been giving my son a special Christmas treasure every year for 31 years on Christmas Eve, i.e. villages, music boxes, glass old fashion ornaments, dishes etc. etc. and not knowing what on earth to do with it when I move. So...to hold onto it for him till he has his own place, I am not going to sell it, I am going to put it in storage till then. Thank you!

Here's the easy way: Do you want to spend $$$$ to move it? Yes, or No.

I have been downsizing slowly but successfully by using Craigslist especially for bigger items.. They have every category imaginable!!

If you are in a big enough town / city that has it's own site then list the item, make sure you put a photo and as much info as possible. I find it is better to not put your phone number especially if it is a popular item and contact them..

They come to your home..check it out, load it up and off it goes with $$ in your pocket and it doesn't cost a dime...just a little of your time!!

If it is furniture or something from inside i move it to my carport and take a photo , list it and then wait.. they don't even have to come in your home.. i have sold alot of things that way. If you list it a couple times and there are no replys, it is either too high or not of interest and off to Goodwill it goes!! I want to get rid of things so i price it to sell!!!:pepper2:

There is also a Free section.. list what it is and take a photo!! They will come and take it.. Perhaps they can use it or will have a sale of their own!! It is a huge way to recycle and i prefer this to a dumpster although if things are of no use, damaged or just plain junk then definately start filling up the dumpster..

Just a thought!! Photo's are a MUST though as i know for myself i don't look at ads without photos!! Good luck on your project!! :bowdown: