Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I scanned all my kid's school and medical records and put them on discs. I have a copy. They have a copy. I do this for just about any paper article that doesn't require an original hard copy (birth certificates, marriage, divorce, death, etc).
I love the renting a dumpster idea if you are really cleaning out a home.
I've noticed the smaller an item is, the harder to sort. Papers, knick knacks, etc, all takes so much time for the volume of space it frees up. The bigger items take less time, take a sofa here, move it there!
No one can sort your stuff for you, you must do it yourself. Papers, knick knacks, etc, is something only you can decide. But once done, the big stuff just about moves itself.
I figure I need about another month until I'm ready for the dumpster!
Moving right along, but still don't feel cleared out by a long shot. We need to intensify our efforts, a few bas here and there to Goodwill isn't going to cut it.
I know most people on this thread aren't fans of garage sales, neither am I, but I could give one a try, especially for odd-sized items, like furniture, etc. If you're looking to make a lot of money, a garage sale isn't the thing, but if you're looking to just get rid of stuff it might be the thing. Oftentimes garage sales will offer items for free if you haul away.
We plan to sell 4-6 items next week, just to see how it goes. An old chest of drawers, microwave, toaster over, coffee maker, 2 bicycles, some mismatched drawers, old filing cabinet....my goal is to get them out of here, I would sell them for $1 each, just so someone would haul them off!
If you're having a garage sale to make money, you go about it differently. I'm keeping my eye on the prize---we could sell this house for 60-80K profit, the sooner we get it on the market, the sooner we get our money, so we're not spending our time fooling around trying to sell 25 cent items! Time is money!
If you're not up for the garage sale route, but you need to get rid of large items, some charities will do pick-ups. In my area, ARC and the VA send around trucks about once a month. You just have to call and give them your address, and they'll put you on the schedule.
I've had garage sales where I sold stuff til 2 p.m. or so and then put up signs that everything left was free. People will take it ALL by the end of the day. If you're going to donate it to charity, anyway, might as well let other people haul it off for you.
Moving right along, but still don't feel cleared out by a long shot. We need to intensify our efforts, a few bas here and there to Goodwill isn't going to cut it.
I know most people on this thread aren't fans of garage sales, neither am I, but I could give one a try, especially for odd-sized items, like furniture, etc. If you're looking to make a lot of money, a garage sale isn't the thing, but if you're looking to just get rid of stuff it might be the thing. Oftentimes garage sales will offer items for free if you haul away.
We plan to sell 4-6 items next week, just to see how it goes. An old chest of drawers, microwave, toaster over, coffee maker, 2 bicycles, some mismatched drawers, old filing cabinet....my goal is to get them out of here, I would sell them for $1 each, just so someone would haul them off!
If you're having a garage sale to make money, you go about it differently. I'm keeping my eye on the prize---we could sell this house for 60-80K profit, the sooner we get it on the market, the sooner we get our money, so we're not spending our time fooling around trying to sell 25 cent items! Time is money!
Just sayin' ~ you possibly can get $10-$15 for the chest if it's in fairly good shape. So don't underprice that particular item! Doesn't hurt to start high then take a lower offer.
Whoa..just the topic I NEED. Starting to sort through boxes and unpacking. We have been married 32 years, over several moves have unloaded things, but not nearly enough. Now we moved into this home in June..we are in the desert southwest to really too hot to do much out in the garage with boxes until the last couple months, and the majority of it was still in storage out of state..So we downsized from 2600 square feet to almost 1400 square feet. Help. I am literally drowning it is so overwhelming and all. We have a lot of nice things over the years, lots of collections..every home we moved into was bigger..this is our first and only downsize..our sons are grown and out, one is married and my DIL style and taste is total opposite mine, so I am not even going to ask. I know the three boxes, keep, toss, donate. what do you do when you have sooo much. My 3rd bedroom is my office..another story altogether. Can't even walk in there...
On top of it all I have a chronic illness and disabled so I wear out so fast.
I am going to go back and read all the posts but wanted to jump in and say hi.
Give aways and garage sales can be very dependant on where you live.
I live in Oakland and had some things to give away... listed them on Craigslist... not one person interested came.
The next week, I put the exact Craigslist ad and when people called, I gave them my brother's address 10 minutes away... everything was gone in two hours...
I learned a long time ago selling a few cars... location is everything
I work with a Doctor that lives in a very upscale area... he has people coming from Oakland to buy his stuff... he asked some why they would come so far... and they said people with money have better stuff
Dogmom you noted that you have 3 bedrooms so I'm assuming 1 master, 1 office and 1 guest.
If so for a while use your guest room as staging area to sort. This way you are air conditioned and inside out of heat and dust. If you children are nearby have them come over and move several boxes into the staging room (guestroom) so you can work on them at your leisure.
Then you can go thru the boxes in comfort.
Now here is my creedo which I at times have a hard time following as I'm a bit of a packrat, I call it the fire rule. If god forbid my home burnt down and nothing was salvaged what would I replace and what would I miss. I find that I wouldn't replace many items I have (too much stuff). And as for missing things, there is so much I forgot I have that I know I would not miss it. I only notice alot of this when I clean or organize things.
From your collections and things see what you have and what you really want. Then the rest do with what you want, donate it, sell it or even trash it.
JerseyKat, what a sensible post. some great thoughts here, and I especially LOVE the fire rule..wow it makes so much sense and just thinking now on the 'things' we have, there isn't that much I would miss..hmmm...puts it into perspective, I love it. thank you so much for your post, I think you have given me the answers I need. will keep in touch and let you know how it goes.
PS one of our adult sons lives about an hour away, he can come over and haul in some of the boxes, and yes, we have a master, guest and office. Great idea to sort in the guest room, its comfortable, out of the elements and I can even listen to the radio or tv in there..You rock!
Barb
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
...puts it into perspective, I love it. thank you so much for your post, I think you have given me the answers I need. will keep in touch and let you know how it goes.
