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We reduced the 'refrigerator drawings' down to one box. We had to bring 60 boxes of files because maintaining the files are mandated by law. And, yes, we considered electronic files until we lost a full year of electronic files.
Books, we sold or gave away a dozen boxes of books. If I really need a book, I can get it of Scribd or Amazon. Clothes, we really cut those down. Don't need two closets of coats down here, insulated coveralls, etc.
If we haven't used it in a few years, we didn't need it and away it went. But still took a 28 foot box trailer.
As appraisers, we have seen true hoarders. One 3 bedroom home of about 1800 SF, I opened the front door, could not go more than 3 feet into the living room. 5' of newspaper, magazines, boxes, etc wall to wall. Went around to the back. There was a narrow path from the back door, past the kitchen sink (don't ask about what was in the kitchen) past the bathroom door (sink and commode were acceptable -tub was full of stuff), and a narrow path to the bed, half covered with stuff.
If you can stand to throw stuff out, you areas sessile but not a hoarder. But I would still pare down the boxes if possible. Every box is weight and volume that costs you money to move.
36 years ago I moved from Wyoming to North Carolina. I had 8 boxes that over the course of the next 20 years everytime I moved they moved with me. After 20 years I ran across these 8 boxes in the basement and made the decision to throw them out. Never even looked in them because I figured if they had not been opened in 20 years I must not need them. That was 16 years ago. Wonder what was in them?
When I was moving all the time in college, my stuff fit into the back of a full-sized pick-up truck, but I still had a lot of boxes of books and papers.
When I did this last move, I cut down to two relocubes and what fit into my CR-V (That was from 17 years in the same house, and I filled up a dumpster and took several loads to charity).
Right now, I'm in the process of setting limits and scanning the remainder of the papers. I think there may still be one or two more moves in my future, and I'm determined not to acquire as much stuff. At the same time, I shop at sales and maintain a winter pantry, so I'm working on the concept of "reasonable numbers" for items. That is, although I have more storage, that doesn't give me a license to fill it! I don't have a full wall of laundry soap, for example ( a la that TLC show, "Extreme Couponing" that a friend taped for me). I do have four containers (1.5 years' worth) which is reasonable for me.
We moved 4 years ago, and downsized from a bigger house and also a 6000sq ft barn full of stuff from our former business.
The experience was so traumatic that now I can't bear to have anything that I am not actively using, for fear of being in the same situation again someday.
Simple truths are...
The kids do not want any of your stuff. If they do want something they should take it NOW.
You do not need to drag around a bunch of books. That's why there are libraries. I saved some reference books that are out of print, but otherwise, I donated them and wrote them off on my taxes. Unless you've touched a book in the past year, chuck it.
Your "antiques" are probably nearly worthless, so be thankful if you can get someone to pay you to haul them off.
Keep two sets of towels for each person per bathroom, and two sets of sheets for each bed. Get rid of the rest.
I cannot tell you "savers" how freeing it is to unburden yourself of excess stuff. It is like being unchained.
Today is my moving day, after 20 years in one place.
I have found boxes that have been sealed for probably 10 years. I don't even know what is in them. I am also moving from a large one-bedroom into a smaller one.
I am consumed with the thot that I will not have anyplace to put stuff and will live with boxes. No!
I refuse to.
I am trying to look at this as an opportunity to get rid of stuff I don't need.
I know it will be another two weeks until I have unpacked and unburdened myself.
There will be difficult decisions ahead.
But like gentlearts said: I do NOT want to ever be in this position again.
"Savers" is a good word too. I am not a hoarder but I am a saver. I save things for fear that if I toss them, someday I will want them. Well, that may happen, but that is preferable to being in this situation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gentlearts
We moved 4 years ago, and downsized from a bigger house and also a 6000sq ft barn full of stuff from our former business.
The experience was so traumatic that now I can't bear to have anything that I am not actively using, for fear of being in the same situation again someday.
Simple truths are...
The kids do not want any of your stuff. If they do want something they should take it NOW.
You do not need to drag around a bunch of books. That's why there are libraries. I saved some reference books that are out of print, but otherwise, I donated them and wrote them off on my taxes. Unless you've touched a book in the past year, chuck it.
Your "antiques" are probably nearly worthless, so be thankful if you can get someone to pay you to haul them off.
Keep two sets of towels for each person per bathroom, and two sets of sheets for each bed. Get rid of the rest.
I cannot tell you "savers" how freeing it is to unburden yourself of excess stuff. It is like being unchained.
I have packed almost everything after 20 years in one place.
Just one person.
I have about 100 boxes!
Clothes, dishes, etc ok.
but then there are the papers, books, tapes, notebooks, writings I've done, etc.
I keep wondering - is this excessive?
I know we're all different, I'm trying not to judge myself, but I feel depressed that I have so much "stuff".
Wondering how I compare to others.
You just packed it all and did not sort as you were packing?
Moving is the perfect time to make those hard decisions about the material possessions you have.
Are there things you haven't used in a year or more? Do you really need to keep those items?
How about the clothing that no longer fits, is a bit worn or you have 7 of the same style blouse just different colors? Do you really need all of those colors?
Can the papers be digitized? Sort through the books and see which ones you really do not want to keep or can replace on a kindle, nook or whatever electronic reader.
What are the tapes? Cassettes? Music? Video?
Maybe as you unpack you can sort. Then you put away only what you want to keep and use often.
The rest you put back in the box it came out of and sell, donate or toss.
Yes, I decided that this move is so emotionally trying, that I would not add to the emotional turmoil, that of deciding what to take and what not.
I am going to sort as I unpack.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CSD610
You just packed it all and did not sort as you were packing?
Moving is the perfect time to make those hard decisions about the material possessions you have.
Are there things you haven't used in a year or more? Do you really need to keep those items?
How about the clothing that no longer fits, is a bit worn or you have 7 of the same style blouse just different colors? Do you really need all of those colors?
Can the papers be digitized? Sort through the books and see which ones you really do not want to keep or can replace on a kindle, nook or whatever electronic reader.
What are the tapes? Cassettes? Music? Video?
Maybe as you unpack you can sort. Then you put away only what you want to keep and use often.
The rest you put back in the box it came out of and sell, donate or toss.
I inherited both figuratively and literally X2 from my dad the gene of accumulation.
As many times as I've had to move, and get rid of stuff, it all reaccumulates .
On top of that, when dad passed, I got all his stuff , and now that my brother quit his business and retired, I accumulated all his stuff from the business.
He is one that has the modern culture of, cast off what your not using after a year.
I also accumulate skills , which sounds fine and noble except that it gives one a greater appreciation for more stuff,(I actually use) .
I create and build things, both for my self and others, and enjoying engineering,it challenges the mind.
Right now my biggest challenge is sorting out all the stuff,and marketing it all.
That and organizing things in the area I have to work in.
One of the phenomenon I have witnessed is having a place for the stuff.
When we lived in a trailer park there simply was not the room to store things, so you had no choice but to remove the clutter.
The bigger the place, the it's easier it is to allow people to give you things they feel guilty in just throwing away.
And you feel guilty seeing things of value being just thrown away.
Dad added another problem to my challenge , he took things apart so people wouldn't steal his stuff. and of course doing that turns things to junk because no one knows where the rest of it is , if it is there at all.
I have given truck trailers full of stuff and sold cars for very cheap just to get the county off my case and yard sales constantly bushing the limits for what's allowed in order to redistribute the antiques and other valuables.
I have several piles going.
recyclables ,metals , trash, marketable antiques , tools for missionaries, good will, or salvation army, materials I have projects for , and so on.
My kids don't have the room for any thing, nor do I want to burden them with this accumulation. and they wouldn't know what most of the is stuff is nor care.
But I keep hammering away at it and it keeps me busy every day ,a demand on my time an interest and a challenge to my skills . And in that aspect I see my situation as a positive experience, when so many whom are retired have nothing to do no where to go and their mind has turned to mush.
Their whole life is a circle of going to the doctor and therapy and home.
Throw the stuff away, recycle what you can, and/or donate it too Goodwill. You are pretending to address your problem by rearranging the junk pile. The solution is in front of you and it is simple.
The solution to hoarding is NOT simple. It takes time, family support, and working through the root cause of the hoarder's behavior, which is often related to a loss in his/her life in the past. Without these, the hoarder usually keeps hoarding and the problem gets worse over time.
Hoarding is a mental illness, but many people are just pack rats, and that is different. "Someday" never comes, and if it does, you either won't be able to find the thing anyway, or you'll forget you have it and buy a second one.
The guideline I use is, everything has to have a place. If you have one linen closet, then you can only have so many linens. Garages are for cars, not junk. One file cabinet should hold every important paper a family has. Junk mail only needs to be touched once.
Do I have my little areas that need work? Sure, like the yarn I bought a few years ago and never used, and the cookbooks I never open, but we are all a work in progress.
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