Experiences with firesales...or selling everything you move to relocate?? (Welcome: sales, to rent)

[maui-intoxicated]

I am interested in hearing folks experiences with selling all they own and moving.

To frame up my scenario, would like to move in 3months to Maui...I feel its possible...and yes not for everyone to live there but I want to give it a shot...

I have a house, 3vehicles (1 with a note) a boat and a motorcycle. Inside I have a lightly decorated 2200 sq ft 4br, 2ba space. Not a lot of "junk" at all.

My process I perceive is understand what items you can throw, donate, attempt to sell, relocate to Maui.

I would sell all vehicles, boat and motorcycle, all tv's, all couches and essentially bring a slimmed down wardrobe, a couple laptops, silverware and tools (only essentials), I may store some tools at my dads but perhaps just firesale the rest. We have 2couches, 2 loveseats, and some office furniture, and 2 beds and end tables to go with. We would potentially ship 1 small sentimental kitchen table and 2 chairs. Or perhaps keep with my folks if willing.

The house is the big thing and if that works out right with my realtor tomorrow it is 1 of 3 BIG deciding factors to move.

Goals are to do this within 3months, spend less than 10k relocating to Maui with 2 adults and a dog. I understand relocating dog is a separate topic and needs to be well planned.

So again we would be eliminating just basically storage containers with all non-essentials, and try to rent a furnished place to start in Maui.

Has anyone done something similar or more extravagant and what was your experience? Did you spend a fortune and did it take a long time or was it a hassle or is there an easier way?

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by maui-intoxicated

I am interested in hearing folks experiences with selling all they own and moving.

To frame up my scenario, would like to move in 3months to Maui...I feel its possible...and yes not for everyone to live there but I want to give it a shot...

I have a house, 3vehicles (1 with a note) a boat and a motorcycle. Inside I have a lightly decorated 2200 sq ft 4br, 2ba space. Not a lot of "junk" at all.

My process I perceive is understand what items you can throw, donate, attempt to sell, relocate to Maui.

I would sell all vehicles, boat and motorcycle, all tv's, all couches and essentially bring a slimmed down wardrobe, a couple laptops, silverware and tools (only essentials), I may store some tools at my dads but perhaps just firesale the rest. We have 2couches, 2 loveseats, and some office furniture, and 2 beds and end tables to go with. We would potentially ship 1 small sentimental kitchen table and 2 chairs. Or perhaps keep with my folks if willing.

The house is the big thing and if that works out right with my realtor tomorrow it is 1 of 3 BIG deciding factors to move.

Goals are to do this within 3months, spend less than 10k relocating to Maui with 2 adults and a dog. I understand relocating dog is a separate topic and needs to be well planned.

So again we would be eliminating just basically storage containers with all non-essentials, and try to rent a furnished place to start in Maui.

Has anyone done something similar or more extravagant and what was your experience? Did you spend a fortune and did it take a long time or was it a hassle or is there an easier way?

contact an auction company, we used and liked Van DeKamps

[wamer27]

Welcome to K-BID Online Auctions

[uptown_urbanist]

Probably easiest to do it with one of the companies suggested, but sure, you can do it. If you want to get a start on things now you can bring all your books and media to stores that will buy them (Magers and Quinn seems to give good book prices but is picky; Half Price Books doesn't pay well but will take everything), start listing things on Craigslist, etc. You could hold your own big garage sale if you were so inclined and didn't want to pay the cut to an outside company. If you get moving on it now you should be able to unload a LOT in a short time and make some money to offset your moving costs. We got rid of a lot of our stuff a few years ago and once you get motivated it can move very quickly. In hindsight I think I priced things too low -- at the time my goal was to just get rid of it and any money was icing on the cake -- but I wish I'd gone a little higher on the prices and risked it just taking a little longer. With three months to go, though, you still do have some time, as long as you move along at a steady pace.

If you go the sell it yourself route I'd try selling whatever you can first at the resale places (you also have time for consignment for the clothes) or on Craiglist for the furniture, but the garage sale people will be chomping at the bit by early May, so you could unload whatever you can NOW, and then in May when the weather is nicer (you can still do the sale itself inside) and you're almost ready to go (and can therefore get rid of almost everything) and garage sales are starting stick an ad on Craigslist (and if you put "moving to Hawaii -- all must go" you will get TONS of people), open for a Thursday through Saturday, and you should be able to sell most of what you have. If you don't have the time or energy or interest in doing it yourself just hire the pros to do the same thing.

[maui-intoxicated]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

Probably easiest to do it with one of the companies suggested, but sure, you can do it. If you want to get a start on things now you can bring all your books and media to stores that will buy them (Magers and Quinn seems to give good book prices but is picky; Half Price Books doesn't pay well but will take everything), start listing things on Craigslist, etc. You could hold your own big garage sale if you were so inclined and didn't want to pay the cut to an outside company. If you get moving on it now you should be able to unload a LOT in a short time and make some money to offset your moving costs. We got rid of a lot of our stuff a few years ago and once you get motivated it can move very quickly. In hindsight I think I priced things too low -- at the time my goal was to just get rid of it and any money was icing on the cake -- but I wish I'd gone a little higher on the prices and risked it just taking a little longer. With three months to go, though, you still do have some time, as long as you move along at a steady pace.

If you go the sell it yourself route I'd try selling whatever you can first at the resale places (you also have time for consignment for the clothes) or on Craiglist for the furniture, but the garage sale people will be chomping at the bit by early May, so you could unload whatever you can NOW, and then in May when the weather is nicer (you can still do the sale itself inside) and you're almost ready to go (and can therefore get rid of almost everything) and garage sales are starting stick an ad on Craigslist (and if you put "moving to Hawaii -- all must go" you will get TONS of people), open for a Thursday through Saturday, and you should be able to sell most of what you have. If you don't have the time or energy or interest in doing it yourself just hire the pros to do the same thing.

I like your suggestions...and thank you guys this gives me hope. Since I don't have a lot now and time seems to be on my side I will be fair with the prices and not cheapen my deals.

[back2M]

When I moved to the U.K. I made the mistake shipping everything a young person had and it costs $$$$ and in the end I didn't "need" half of the stuff.
When we moved from England to Australia we had a "moving overseas" garage sale and sold 2/3 of all our belongings and it cost alot of money at that time.
Now after 20+ years in Australia I am giving most of my stuff to my adult children, having a garage sale and then giving the rest away. I plan on shipping about 3 boxes 2'x2'x2' and taking the max number of suitcases on the plane.
Unless that "furniture" is very significant I would either store it or sell it. As I am moving from a hot climate to a cold climate I am reducing my wardrobe significantly, as I will need to buy over there for winter anyway. I am only taking the sentimental items, ie photos, paintings, special gifts.

Once you get over there you can buy furniture for your house again, wouldn't it be exciting to have new things for a new beginning?

[maui-intoxicated]

Originally Posted by back2M

When I moved to the U.K. I made the mistake shipping everything a young person had and it costs $$$$ and in the end I didn't "need" half of the stuff.
When we moved from England to Australia we had a "moving overseas" garage sale and sold 2/3 of all our belongings and it cost alot of money at that time.
Now after 20+ years in Australia I am giving most of my stuff to my adult children, having a garage sale and then giving the rest away. I plan on shipping about 3 boxes 2'x2'x2' and taking the max number of suitcases on the plane.
Unless that "furniture" is very significant I would either store it or sell it. As I am moving from a hot climate to a cold climate I am reducing my wardrobe significantly, as I will need to buy over there for winter anyway. I am only taking the sentimental items, ie photos, paintings, special gifts.

Once you get over there you can buy furniture for your house again, wouldn't it be exciting to have new things for a new beginning?

Yes buying all new will be exciting with the exciting new beginning, or as the wife and I are calling it new "Adventure". The plan would yes be to utilize the MAX shipping capacity of our airline...minimizing ALL shipping and storage costs.

There will be some family heirlooms we will give to our family here in MN and the rest will be firesaled in a garage sale...and a lot donated, books sold etc...

One thing the wife is having a little harder time with is her silverware and dishes...a lot was given to us as a gift from our parents to complete a nice kitchen dish/silverware/utensil set. Is it a matter of leaving all of our "tools" behind, I like to fix my own cars but again a lot of the bigger stuff I just wouldn't want to ship. I could even part with them all if I had to I guess. The wife likes cooking and its a lot funner and easier with the tools she is used to... any ideas, should we just firesale and take the cash as well... and try not to feel guilty we sold gifts?

[back2M]

I am keeping some of family heirlooms as from Mom, Dad and one sister who are gone now. There are just some special things that would be sad if you did get rid of them.

Kitchen stuff, well you do have to have some stuff right away and if it's light weight it shouldn't add to the costs too much.

Don't feel guilty about selling anything else, gifts or not. They were given as gifts and if you get some money for them it's a "new gift" to help you buy new stuff.

Car tools, heavier in weight..could always get a quote with and without and then decide cause tools costs can add up so maybe better off taking some of them too.

Good luck to you and your family and may peace follow in your footsteps...

[C-Chelle]

Starting over sucks, be sure the move is worth it. You stand to lose a lot as you will never come close to getting what you paid for your stuff.

Good luck with your move, I think I would consider selling everything off and starting over again in Hawaii.

[Ghengis]

Rest assured that your stuff isn't worth nearly as much as you think it is and if it can't be digitalized or placed in the back-seat it isn't worth moving.