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Locally some thrift stores will send a truck if you have a lot of stuff. The Multiple Sclerosis Society is one. Many people are hoarders and many have a inflated view of the worth of their possessions. My last husband became a hoarder just like his mom. I confined his mess to the garage, giant shed, partial dirt basement and his office. It was horrible to not be able to find a tool you needed because of it. Now living alone I know where everything is and my condo could be emptied in a day. I love everyone neat and in it’s place. It’s very calming.
I have had luck with charities associated with veterans being willing to pick stuff up. You may have to move it out to the driveway, but at least they will haul it off.
I use to watch this clutter show and the host was great, she said you have to look at your stuff that is taking up valuable real estate in your home.
She said if there is a collection, for instance, that a person cannot part with think about keeping just a few pieces of the collection and donating the rest. She advised taking photos and making a small 3x5 photo album. Thought that was a good idea, it frees up so much room.
When we moved, I just went to each room and made a "keep", "donate" and "toss" pile. We were under time constraints for our move, otherwise I would have tried to sell more. As it was, we only sold pieces of furniture that we didn't need any more.
I tossed the "trash" piles and ran the "donate" piles to Goodwill which took multiple trips and trash days.
From the "keep" pile I separated and boxed up the items that would not be used in staging our house. I took the boxes to storage and then staged and deep cleaned the house. I put out brand new fluffy white towels in the bathroom along with fresh bath mats and brand new door mats - little touches that make the house feel fresh and clean. I purchased a couple of brand new throw pillows for the couch, too.
Our house went on the market and sold pretty quickly. Next thing we knew, it was moving day and the movers packed everything left in the house and made a second stop to the storage unit to pick up the boxes.
There's some expression that says you spend the first half of your life gathering/collecting things then second half getting rid of the stuff.
I think about the 70's time period, people lived very simply. I don't remember anyone having clutter, people weren't shopping all the time the way they are now. Even as teenagers we weren't always at the mall buying new clothes.
It seems we live in a time where there is much about always buying something. No wonder so many people have too much of everything.
Last edited by bellamax2; 10-05-2022 at 12:10 PM..
There's some expression that says you spend the first half of your life gathering/collecting things then second half getting rid of the stuff.
I think about the 70's time period, people lived very simply. I don't remember anyone having clutter, people weren't shopping all the time the way they are now. Even as teenagers we weren't always at the mall buying new clothes.
It seems we live in a time where there is much about always buying something. No wonder so many people have too much of everything.
Yeah, they may not have been shopping but they were inheriting all sorts of furniture and family heirlooms from their parents and grandparents.
Nowadays, the younger generations don't want a house full of old antiques and an attic filled with Grandma's cedar chest and quilting looms. They prefer brand new and would rather have a table from Target than a table that their great grandparents owned.
Stuff doesn't get held onto and handed down the way that it used to.
Yeah, they may not have been shopping but they were inheriting all sorts of furniture and family heirlooms from their parents and grandparents.
Nowadays, the younger generations don't want a house full of old antiques and an attic filled with Grandma's cedar chest and quilting looms. They prefer brand new and would rather have a table from Target than a table that their great grandparents owned.
Stuff doesn't get held onto and handed down the way that it used to.
A lot of the younger ones can't afford the big house to put all that heirloom stuff. Hopefully we'll get to a place where a lot more homes are bought/sold/rented fully furnished so we have less stuff to lug around.
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I cleaned out my garage and it seems so much bigger. It's so nice not to have to squeeze through it. I'm not even planning to move, it just felt like it was time for a cleanout.
A lot of the younger ones can't afford the big house to put all that heirloom stuff. Hopefully we'll get to a place where a lot more homes are bought/sold/rented fully furnished so we have less stuff to lug around.
I think that you might be onto something about houses being sold fully furnished.
As it is, I see that a lot of time when people move they post nearly brand new, gently used furniture on the neighborhood websites. They'd rather sell it than move it and, honestly, I can't blame them.
We got our dining room table with 8 chairs for way under retail price. It's a current style that the previous owners purchased brand new from a reputable furniture store. It looks brand new and we only use it on the holidays so pretty much no wear and tear.
When it comes time for us to downsize, I believe that we'll be able to sell it and get more than we paid for it.
I can definitely see someone buying or renting a nicely furnished house. It saves the seller the time and expense of either trying to sell the furniture or move it to a new location. And it allows the buyer to move right into a fully furnished, nicely decorated house without having to deal with furniture from a previous house that doesn't fit or look right in the new space.
I think that you might be onto something about houses being sold fully furnished.
As it is, I see that a lot of time when people move they post nearly brand new, gently used furniture on the neighborhood websites. They'd rather sell it than move it and, honestly, I can't blame them.
We got our dining room table with 8 chairs for way under retail price. It's a current style that the previous owners purchased brand new from a reputable furniture store. It looks brand new and we only use it on the holidays so pretty much no wear and tear.
When it comes time for us to downsize, I believe that we'll be able to sell it and get more than we paid for it.
I can definitely see someone buying or renting a nicely furnished house. It saves the seller the time and expense of either trying to sell the furniture or move it to a new location. And it allows the buyer to move right into a fully furnished, nicely decorated house without having to deal with furniture from a previous house that doesn't fit or look right in the new space.
In our 55+ retirement community we get a lot of people offering great furniture and household items at very low prices, sometimes for free. A patient person could outfit a home here just on the sales within the community, and we even had a retiree who'll haul it around for a few bucks.
FYI: Lived 31 years in Chantilly, Va and been to Springfield (and the mall) hundreds of times over the years.
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Quality and durability of manufactured products has been declining for decades. If an item is well made, I can put extra thought into the possibility I might need it later.
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