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MY GOD, those card catalogs in the photo......do they know how much people spend to buy that kind of furniture?
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Originally Posted by WellShoneMoon
If you have to pay money to store your stuff, you have too much stuff.
Reminds me of the 90s when I was in one bedroom apartment. A lot of people were telling me to put the lesser used stuff in a storage unit and I rather resisted to for two main reasons. First, I have a use to be able to access my "book library" quickly. Secondly, stuff stored off site soon gets forgotten about entirely. Add to that the third reason of paying money to put things that will fall into total disuse.
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Originally Posted by jaminhealth
Americans and their stuff and more and more bigger. I started getting rid of 40 yrs of accumulations from working and buying all those years a few years ago. And still a lot of stuff in this 700 sq ft apt that I sometimes swim around in. One person doesn't need too much space. I've read how the Japanese live so small and simply. Not americans.
I have a thread on this Stuff and George Carlin's take on it all.
In all fairness, it does depend on the kind of American, such as, say, if that house was a bug out (hurricane, wild fire, take your choice) location for other members of the family. Ie, one might never need the puppet collection to entertain displaced nieces and nephews, but still, they can be nice to have in case.
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Originally Posted by BeaverIslandRetired
I do sympathize and suggest that it really has nothing to do with the size of your new or old place, it has everything to do with how many decisions you can make in a short time. When I moved six years ago, it was from a 1000 sq ft condo where I had lived for 27 years. I was actually moving into a larger retirement home, but still had to make a decision for every single object in my home whether to take it along for the ride, or dispose of it. I had three months to pack. The first month I moved quickly, took seconds to make snap decisions of pack, throw out, give to someone, or donate. After several weeks of this, my decision making powers started to short circuit, and I got less and less decisive. After two months, my executive function felt disabled. There can be such a thing as decision overload. I ended up packing too much, all of the excess in those last few weeks.
So yeah, if you need to buy yourself a year or so before going through the last of your stuff, do what you need to do. Remember, all these things we are inelegantly calling stuff, once were important enough to you to make the conscious choice to purchase/accept as a gift/make. Adjusting for your new space and priorities might require a little more time and thought than the process of moving afforded you.
OOOOHHHHH, that sounds like Operation: JETTISON which is what I would have faced in one day had those wonderful movers I had in Operation: WHIRLWIND had not been there. Going through my apartments and taking only what was critical.
As it was, there was still a lot left behind including small things that I look back on and wonder why couldn't I have taken that such as the aluminum camp griddle and the 286 computer (with the Borland assembly software on it). The answer is that there just wasn't any room in the last moments.
So, two suggestions. First, start very very early to give yourself time to make those decisions. Secondly and this the tough one, the things that you think you might want but are unsure about it, give them their own special "crate" for emergency, last minute deployment. The problem with this approach, though, is that "crate" can become huge if one isn't careful about indecision.
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Originally Posted by JONOV
.......3)That's a really valuable piece/that cost $1,000 when it was new/that's an XYZ name brand
A)Maybe it was but its now a 24 year old couch that you relegated to the basement at the old place. It's worth $50 now. You will never need to replace it and if you replace the one you're currently using you and I both know that you'll buy brand new.
.......
HA! That sounds like my first bought leather chair at $400. By the time my first cat was done with it, it was a $400 kitten toy, a $4 leather chair.
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Originally Posted by Peester
My neighbor has a brand new Lexus that he keeps in the driveway all the time. It’s a $75,000.00 car that he can’t fit into his two car garage because he has the entire garage filled floor to ceiling with junk. Boxes and boxes of junk that has been there for years. It never moves. The new car sits outside rain or shine.
Well, two things. First of all, when I moved into the ranch house, the garage got filled up with boxes. What motivated me to get a bay clear were the hail storms. Now, all the boxes that were there haven't been emptied, they are filling up the living and dining room to be slowly, over the months, unpacked.....but that's progress, right?
Secondly, it reminds me of the story I pictured of how I could get a 2009 F-250 in 2012 used with under 10K miles on it. Little old man bought the pickup truck, put it in his garage, but got sick. When he passed on, his family took the pickup truck out of the garage and sold it.
Which is sort of the story of my Mom's car in that when she passed on, we gave it to one of her caretakers as a gift. A 20 year old diesel station wagon with only 20K miles on it that spent most of its latter years in the garage. The thing was, Mom's house had two attics and there was a LOT of stuff up there.
The point? Appearances can be deceptive.
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Originally Posted by jaminhealth
Good grief, what we Americans do to ourselves. I was kinda there on a smaller scale as I didn't own a house in the last 50 some yrs...a condo for a few yrs but it was small and I sold it.... My sister and I had lots of work to clean out our parents' house...I won't do that to my daughter.
Well, that can be one of those very difficult points for someone to decide on.
There is probably not much use for others about my personal diaries (unless someone needs to do forensics on me). They are, however, what keeps me sane and are vital to me to my dying breath.
So, is what we discard of benefit to us?
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Originally Posted by elnrgby
True, I don't read all of my books at once, but I go back and re-read some of them, and some I just want to have even if I won't read them ever again from cover to cover. They do feel valuable to me. I write down what I read at what time, and mark the passage of time by the stuff I have read. No, I can't think of any better use for those $25k over 10 years (I have other $ for other uses). After I die, public library people will just come with a truck, and take the books, some to keep, some to sell at $1 per book library sale - not complicated at all.
I think Giles said it best:
Jenny Calendar: Honestly, what is it about them that bothers you so much? Giles: The smell. Jenny Calendar: Computers don't smell, Rupert. Giles: I know. Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower, or a-a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell musty and-and-and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is a... it, uh, it has no-no texture, no-no context. It's-it's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then-then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible. It should be, um, smelly. (from imdb: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: I, Robot....You, Jane)
Last edited by TamaraSavannah; 12-06-2017 at 02:21 AM..
We "got rid" or almost everything and bought new things. The old furniture was too big and not what we wanted anymore anyway. I needed much fewer and smaller cooking utensils for only 2 people now. Didn't need all the yard and garden stuff either. What's funny though, is that 5 years later now, the grand babies have begun to arrive, so we now have some of that again!
We finished clearing our NY house out yesterday. We were driving home from Home Depot and saw a large truck with 1-800-Got-Junk on the side and called them several days ago, Two young guys came and the four of us worked through the day going from attic to basement to the garage. The upstairs and downstairs living areas were boxed up with only our bed that needed to go. We've been working on those areas over last five years as we snowbirded. We thought we were good.
We were quite smug and then the basement, attic and garage humbled us. I grew up in a ranch hose built on a slab. I rarely went to the attic or basement, so DH had full reign there. OMG. I've always said if something was going to the basement or attic we would never see it again and that was pretty much true. What amazed me was the wood. Wood in the rafters of the basement and garage, stuck in corners and anyplace I looked. DH kept every scrap "just in case because I might need it later." That and scraps of rope. He said "do you realize all the tings you can do with wood and rope?" I did. Scaffolding and a noose came to mind first after cleaning it all out.
I had put an ad in Craigslist in the free section. Two men came and were delightful and then the rest came who were not. One woman came to get the sofa and two chairs. She brought a truck and her 89 year old father. You can guess what happened there.
Paints, varnish, wax or any garden chemicals are not taken by junk haulers. We need to take them to the county hazardous materials area today. The Salvation Army got five carloads of donations from us. On our last trip the lady said they don't take tennis rackets. We didn't even ask why and dropped them into a dumpster on the way home. If I wasn't so tired, I might have felt bad about that.
We pack up our rental truck with a trailer for our 76 Mini today and will drive hone to FL tomorrow. We don't have much to put in the truck, mainly tools and garden implements/large pots and some Teak outside furniture. Some odds and ends are to be given to our son and his in-laws that they can use. And definitely NO wood,
The weather throughout has been great, with decent temps for this time of year and no rain until after the junk guys left. This was a good time to leave, NY isn't very appealing at this time of year: gray and colorless with no leaves on the trees. It looks tired and worn out.
We thought we had already downsized a lot and we had. We just didn't fully realize the extent of 34 yerars of accumulating odds and ends that we don't think of because they weren't front and center in our minds. We aren't beating ourselves up over it and while I may have had a few dark thoughts about DH and his wood, we haven't argued. It's just another adventure in our long history with some good material for stories later on.
........We were quite smug and then the basement, attic and garage humbled us. I grew up in a ranch hose built on a slab. I rarely went to the attic or basement, so DH had full reign there. OMG. I've always said if something was going to the basement or attic we would never see it again and that was pretty much true. What amazed me was the wood. Wood in the rafters of the basement and garage, stuck in corners and anyplace I looked. DH kept every scrap "just in case because I might need it later." That and scraps of rope. He said "do you realize all the tings you can do with wood and rope?" I did. Scaffolding and a noose came to mind first after cleaning it all out.....
He isn't ex-Navy, is he? It sounds like a warship outfitted with shoring damage control materials.
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.......We thought we had already downsized a lot and we had. We just didn't fully realize the extent of 34 yerars of accumulating odds and ends that we don't think of because they weren't front and center in our minds. We aren't beating ourselves up over it and while I may have had a few dark thoughts about DH and his wood, we haven't argued. It's just another adventure in our long history with some good material for stories later on.
I think this is a side effect of not moving every so often. For me, it was 25 years of living in the same apartment complex that contributed to my massive accumulation of things. It wasn't entirely that, mind you, but I have ranted about the other aspect before and really don't want to now.
One thing I might add about potentials for downsizing is to keep in mind those things that are technology dependent and then, might not be accessible as the technology changes. I mean, are you holding on to those VHS tapes, for instance?
Unfortunately, my husband is the hoarder of the family. He has an entire bedroom, dubbed "the man cave" stuffed full of his junk.
He also has the garage. We are renovating and I understand the need for four different types of saws, routers, finishers, etc. But he also hoards large pieces of cardboard that "he might need".
When we moved back home to Texas two years ago, we had a 26 foot Uhaul stuffed full of our furnishings and belongings, his truck with camper on a trailer. I drove the car. What did he put in the camper. Wood. Full to the brim. He "might need it". We moved into a 800 sq foot apartment. I put my foot down and gave the wood away on Craigslist the week after we got there. I told him he could buy new wood. Oh my lawdy. The guy who snagged it was clearly poor and who knows he was probably going to sell it, fine with me. I don't think husband has ever forgiven me for that.
Should I outlive my husband, the first thing I'll do after seeing him buried properly is have a massive estate sale. Just about everything will go. I'll buy a couple nice leather recliners, new rugs, smaller bed (we have king size). Getting rid of all the doo-dads he loved. Just cannot see keeping all the junk.
Unless you are storing something of a very defined utility that can't be stored at home (like a Boat, or PP&E or inventory for a business,) then you probably don't need to be storing it in the first place.
I've done it three or four times now for elderly relatives downsizing.
The conversations are extremely predictable.
1)I'm just going to go through the stuff at my old house at my own convenience.
A) this doesn't happen and it gets put into storage, as they need to put the old house on the market.
2)I'll go through it, there's good stuff in there.
A)No you won't. You'll forget about it. I've never seen an aging person schlep to a storage unit in the heat or cold, sun or rain, and actually go through the unit. They say they will. Sometimes they might even go to the unit. But I've not once seen them accomplish anything meaningful.
B)No, there really isn't good stuff in there. There is serviceable, useful stuff, that is wearing out and aging in storage. The best stuff you took with you to your new home.
3)That's a really valuable piece/that cost $1,000 when it was new/that's an XYZ name brand
A)Maybe it was but its now a 24 year old couch that you relegated to the basement at the old place. It's worth $50 now. You will never need to replace it and if you replace the one you're currently using you and I both know that you'll buy brand new.
/End Rant
The very reasons that many are downsizing in the first place (declining mobility, health, want or will to clean it all) is the reason that you won't go through it. Your reluctance to move quickly indicates that you really don't want to part with your stuff, even though you probably haven't given it a thought in years.
Sell it if you can, but be very cognizant of the fact that its not nearly as valuable as you might think. Its used goods. Donate it, itemize it on your tax returns, and move forward enjoying your new home.
You chose to own your things, or let them own you. And, if you're paying just to house them, they own you. And, if you tallied up what it would all sell for I highly doubt it would pay the storage bill for more than a few months.
My brother owns a storage unit company in a small town in Illinois. It has been added income since he retired..... Rent the units. Get paid monthly. People move away. Forget they owe or just quit paying because of financial troubles etc. After a couple months they receive letter from my Bro....pay up or we empty your unit to rent it to someone else. A lock is put on unit till they pay what they owe. After following the law on wait period. The unit is emptied. Junk goes into the dumpster. Good things get moved into his storage unit till they can clean it up or straight into his store on the property where he sells your stuff. I love going to their house. They furnished the sun room totally with items from the storage units. Prices are really low in the store so people starting out can have descent furniture at a price they can afford and sometimes even for free.. They know they also have dumpster divers and most of the stuff they dumped are gone before the garbage truck gets there so helping out even more people. My theory...unless it is a 1 month thing to sell your house and then get it into the new place storing in a unit is already throwing away what you don't need or want and just paying someone else to do your downsizing. They have even had to dispose of autos, boats, and motorcycles left in units-even when they work with the people to have them catch up on back months.
He isn't ex-Navy, is he? It sounds like a warship outfitted with shoring damage control materials.
I think this is a side effect of not moving every so often. For me, it was 25 years of living in the same apartment complex that contributed to my massive accumulation of things. It wasn't entirely that, mind you, but I have ranted about the other aspect before and really don't want to now.
One thing I might add about potentials for downsizing is to keep in mind those things that are technology dependent and then, might not be accessible as the technology changes. I mean, are you holding on to those VHS tapes, for instance?
No, he's a sailor and a DIY guy. He's great to have around. When Hurricane Irma went by, he had our double door handles tied with rope. He also had a rigging knife in his pocket just in case. I am going to get so much mileage out of the wood and rope.
I haven't had VHS tapes in years and we jettisoned all our CD and DVDs last year. We've moved onto streaming. I have boxes of pictures in FL I brought back last trip and I can suspose of most if those, I just need time to go through them. I like my memories better than pictures.
Unfortunately, my husband is the hoarder of the family. He has an entire bedroom, dubbed "the man cave" stuffed full of his junk.
He also has the garage. We are renovating and I understand the need for four different types of saws, routers, finishers, etc. But he also hoards large pieces of cardboard that "he might need".
When we moved back home to Texas two years ago, we had a 26 foot Uhaul stuffed full of our furnishings and belongings, his truck with camper on a trailer. I drove the car. What did he put in the camper. Wood. Full to the brim. He "might need it". We moved into a 800 sq foot apartment. I put my foot down and gave the wood away on Craigslist the week after we got there. I told him he could buy new wood. Oh my lawdy. The guy who snagged it was clearly poor and who knows he was probably going to sell it, fine with me. I don't think husband has ever forgiven me for that.
Should I outlive my husband, the first thing I'll do after seeing him buried properly is have a massive estate sale. Just about everything will go. I'll buy a couple nice leather recliners, new rugs, smaller bed (we have king size). Getting rid of all the doo-dads he loved. Just cannot see keeping all the junk.
He sounds like my DH. Be careful though when you sell his stuff, the guys coming to get it will be just like him. Don't get involved.
Is anyone saying that the OP's actions for her own life were unacceptable given her personal circumstances?
I'm just seeing people disagreeing with the underlying premise of the claim that using storage units is the "secret to downsizing" when it's of course quite the opposite.
OP gets a pass...for awhile. But these passes must be looked at with a jaundiced eye, as many people downsize as their health or mobility declines. Everyone at her neighborhood party doesn't.
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Originally Posted by TheShadow
The problem with paying for a storage unit is that over time the rent you have paid exceeds the monetary value of the items stored. Have you ever watched the show Storage Wars? The stuff these people find in foreclosed storage units is mostly worthless, or they sell it at a thrift store for pennies on the dollar. If the stuff is nice, sell it now before you waste money paying to store it. Or give it to family members who need to furnish or upgrade their place. Or donate it.
Think about it...if you bought a living room set for $3000, after using it 5 years it's probably worth MAYBE $1000. Now store it for 6 months at $200 per month, now it's worth negative $200! ($1000 minus, 6 times $200). You've paid more to store it than it was worth. Except now it smells moldy and musty, and has months of dust on it, possibly mouse pee/poo and, if you are in a humid area, white fungus is growing on the wood pieces. You won't even get that $1000. You'll be lucky to get a couple hundred. Unless you pay extra for the climate controlled unit, forget storing good quality furniture and being able to use it again. Anything other than very short term storage is a losing proposition.
I do get a good laugh at the things they find on that show Storage Wars. People paying to store Betamax VCR's, big wheel toys, filthy mattresses, etc. By the time they retrieve their stuff (or it gets sold for a few hundred bucks at auction after they default) the stuff is obsolete, the kids are grown, they've already bought a new mattress to replace the piece of crap they're paying to store. It should be viewed as a cautionary tale.
^^BINGO^^
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Originally Posted by elnrgby
Didn't read this entire thread, but if one lives in an expensive area (say, San Francisco), it is incomparably cheaper to have a small condo + "stuff" in storage, than a large place that can accommodate all the "stuff". Even if things are worthless in terms of market value, they still tend to mean something to the owner, so I don't see why one would have to get rid of their meaningful worthless things while one is still alive. I have tons of books, and do not intend to get rid of them at all (the overflow will go into storage when I downsize) - that would be like putting down a pet. Storage is relatively inexpensive (about $200 per month for a 5×5×8 ft storage unit that can house about 3,000 books), so why get rid of something I love just because it has no resale value?
That's fine and dandy if you have intentions of recycling the books through your condo, and actually do so.
But if you rent a storage unit, and books go in never to come out, that's like locking your pet in the shed and letting it die a slow death.
In most of the new construction HOAs in my FL county, you see the driveways completely filled with vehicles and not parking in the garages.
Where permitted in the bylaws.
Why? Because the people pack their garages with junk they brought with them.
I have one client in a $400,000 home who will never be using half his garage, apparently, after living here 4 years because it's filled with his hobby overflow storage. He also had to build storage shelves suspended from the ceiling for boxes and totes.
People love their stuff.
I'm the opposite. I like my place to be like a hotel room. And closets/cabinets that are totally filled give me agita LOL.
I could move out with only 48 hours notice!
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