Decluttering to downsize and move away

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Decluttering to downsize and move away

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Started 1 year ago by Kaz in Oz
Latest reply from needtocleanhouse
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Kaz in Oz
Member

We are in the process of selling our house (the one we thought would be our forever home until God had other ideas) to move 5 hours away to enable DH to study for fulltime ministry.
I did a great deal of decluttering last year (and am doing ATAD with gusto this year) but seem to be accumulating more stuff especially child/school related stuff, papers (have been shredding up a storm but I know there is alot more historical stuff to do - the stuff coming in now I can manage), and stuff that I have bought (I'm ashamed of the waste, but have been letting it go).
Unfortunately, I have to move to the new town in 3 or 4 weeks to start my new job (too good to pass up), so will be leaving DH here with the 2 boys 5 and 7 who are about to start the new school year, with a house on the market to keep presentable, working fulltime and juggling childcare after school (with help from lots of family, friends and neighbours).
As soon as we have exchanged on the house, DH will be giving up his fulltime job to get packing, but until them we have a mortgage to pay so we have to manage as best we can. I will be travelling home on weekends to try and get a bit done and see the kids (and him), but I really need some kind of plan that will get the place decluttered and packed while still being able to live in it and show it off to it's best.
I am using the garage as a staging area, have made lists of the stuff that is going to storage at my dad's work (hubby's tools, furniture for when my step sone moves out from his mum's place - the storage won't be costing anything and will only be there a short amount of time) the stuff we are taking and the stuff that is being tossed (a lounge that is usuable for us at the moment but couldn't ever donate, a dining table with a big bow in the top from having stuff stored on it by my sister), but I am struggling with timeframes.
A big problem is not knowing how long we will be living in this limbo, and how long it will take to really pack the place up. I should add that it is 3200 sq feet and we live in every bit of it!

help......

Posted 1 year ago #
remy
Member

Very different situation (I'm a single college student) but I'm doing a similar thing in order to move across the country in a year's time!

One thing I've found pretty helpful is to make a list of things as I use them, so every time I pick up a book, my toothbrush, etc. it makes the list. In a year's time I won't feel as bad throwing something out that isn't on the list, because I'll know I really don't get a lot of use from it.

Maybe for your oldest and your husband, they could make a box a week of things they don't mind getting rid of/donating, so they have a head start on decluttering during the week? If nothing else it could help everyone stay in the mindset of getting ready to move while you're preparing to sell the house.

Posted 1 year ago #
needtocleanhouse
Member

Can you get a professional organizer to help you, either on a volunteer basis, perhaps through church or the ministry or on a paid basis if you can afford it? Perhaps Erin would like to start a project to help you and in return you would allow the pictures etc of you and your family and home to be made public?

Can friends and family help you? Do you know anyone who has had to do what you are about to do that might be able to help you?

Can a professional moving company give you an estimate of what it would cost and the time needed to pack your place up and move it? Of course you will have to first decide what you want to keep and such.

Would it be a project for your congregation or other group? Perhaps the ministry or the school would have some suggestions and help?

God works in mysterious ways . . .

Good luck!

Posted 1 year ago #
susanintexas
Member

The first thing that struck me is the current school stuff -- you might want to devise some sort of storage system (A portable file box?) for the boys so that their current school work doesn't get trashed or packed for the eventual move, and so that it is concentrated in one place so that you can riffle through it on your trips home to cull out the stuff that doesn't need saving.

Sounds to me that some sort of color-coding system might help -- maybe colored tape or adhesive dots -- to indicate the ultimate fate of various items. That could be discreet enough so that it wouldn't look like a tag sale at showings.

Posted 1 year ago #
Alfa
Member

The title says you're downsizing, does that mean you need to get rid of a lot of stuff to fit in the new place? Since you may have a quite tight time frame I would perhaps try not to get too hung up on the uncluttering, get rid of the obvious stuff but if you can't decide on something right away just pack it and decide later.

Could a neighbor or a friend store some thing for a while as well?
Get some boxes and start with the things you most definitely won't be needing to get you started but also make sure you know what is in each box (maybe write the things on the side of the box? Or take a picture) that way it will be easier to unpack as well.

Posted 1 year ago #
MellieTX
Member

I saw the title of your post and said- that's my life! I'm the one home with the kids and the old job trying to sell the house. We're also using the garage as a staging area. I have found it helpful to keep a ratty box in the garage nearest the exit. Anytime I decide something goes, its immediately placed in the box. Family members have offered help, so I never have to take the box to charity myself. I have a super organized family member who visits regularly to help me out with the packing up of the garage items. If anyone offers help I try to find a job to match their strengths so they enjoy helping. We have a small fortress of boxes, but I am surprised at how many things I refuse to allow into those boxes. I ask myself if I will be happy to see it when I unpack and find a home for it in my new place.

As for the school papers I struggle with this too. I bought an IKEA paper box for each kid and their school work goes in until either the box gets full or I decide I'm ready to toss it. Its a pretty small box, so from there if its really sentimental it gets transferred to another small box in my closet, again one per child. (They're in preschool. I am a sucker for anything with their little handprints, but I digress)

Living in limbo is no fun and sometimes I lose my motivation. When that happens I picture how easy it will be to pack up for the final move out because I've already done most of the work. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

Best of luck in your new adventure!

Posted 1 year ago #
bandicoot
Member

my hat is off to you guys in your half-in-half-out situations.
it must feel all very unsettled and limbo-ish.
i guess the thing to focus on is that it is a process and that it will end eventually.
and you get to shape your new homes now, deciding what goes on and what goes OUT.

try not to think about the waste...we've all done that and we've all been there.
donate that stuff and vow to do better in the future.
it's a lesson we have to pay for!
and somebody will really appreciate that stuff, so let it go with a light and generous heart and you'll feel great about it.

so, am i right about this? you haven't got your new house yet? or access to it yet?
i think i'd do this:
1. have a good hard look at the stuff.
2. decide what is coming with you, and get rid of the rest right now.
3. start packing the coming-with-you stuff, and get it into short term storage of some sort.
4. the more stuff you can pack now, the easier things will be later. this is elephant-eating time.
5. you might find that living with just the basics is very enjoyable and easy and you might even start to reconsider some of that stored stuff! be prepared to revise as you go along.
6. as soon as you have your new house, you can start moving the stored stuff right away.
7. on the actual big moving day, you should be down to just the basics.

gee, i make it sound so simple, lol.

the last time i moved, this is what was happening.
1. it was nov/dec, the busiest time of the year for our company.
2. we were selling two apartments and buying one 5 acre property with a shed-house that needed so much work, it wasn't funny.
3. we were building another big shed on the property for a workshop.
4. our workshop wasn't ready for a whole month after we moved, so we commuted back and forth 75 mins each way to one of the apartments that we rented for a month off the new owner.
5. for three months, we juggled three mortgages.

the whole thing was enormously stressful and took some military-style planning and taught us new skills.
we used professional removalists for the house (one pantech truck and one trip) and we moved our workshop stuff ourselves in a rented pantech truck and made several trips in one day.
and i never want to move again!

Posted 1 year ago #
MellieTX
Member

Thanks bandicoot. Will read your post before I do more packing tonight. I don't have the new place yet, we're paying 1 rent and one mortgage. No idea if the new place will be larger or smaller.

Posted 1 year ago #
Claycat
Member

Kaz, I'm not much help. I'm in an awkward situation, too. All I can do is send prayers that it works out smoothly for you!

Posted 1 year ago #
MellieTX
Member

Yahoo- just pulled more items out of boxes and into the charity box instead!

Posted 1 year ago #
needtocleanhouse
Member

Kaz in Oz - just thinking about you - how are you doing? what have you decided? Everyone is different, but it sounded like it would be too much for me to do. I wouldn't know what to do or where to start - for myself.

Posted 1 year ago #
Kaz in Oz
Member

Thanks all for your input. We are feeling very in limbo at the moment as I am still waiting for my police clearance to come back so I can know my official start date! A mere formality but without it I can't start and it's slowed down because of the Christmas/Summer break.
MellieTX we are soulmates LOL! I have a very organised family member too in my sister, but she is currently occupied with our sister-in-law who is in a much needier state than me (new baby and a preschooler, renovations, internet shopping habit, 2 fulltime working parents and her dad undergoing chemo)! That and she lives half an hour away away with my SIL being around the corner from her. Hopefully we can keep each other going here! I am starting to feel a little guilty about leaving everyone behind for a while.
I'll be living in the Nurses Quarters at the hospital until we can be together so wont have too much space to take stuff with me. I do get to be the advance party and find the house we will eventually be living in (we are going to rent while he is studying).
Remy - DH is doing a great job of keeping the place clean and has already packed his tool and decluttered his study (that will only need to be packed when we are ready to move as uni starts again in Feb and he'll need his books). I don't to burden him with too much else as he will be doing the bulk of the work on the home front. The boys are doing a great job of tidying their rooms for the incentive of pocket money (got new DSis for Christmas and want a new game) just wish I had tried it earlier.
NTCH - Our church feel like we are abandoning them so I cant see much help coming from there. DH and I are heavily involved and a big hole will be created when we leave as we are the youngest and have 2 of the 4 kids that regularly go to Sunday School (sometime it's unkindly called "God's waiting room"). We are lucky to have a great group of neighbours who have offered to help out with afterschool care and the like. I like the idea of colour coding so everyone knows and i only have to do it once. I'm tackling the kitchen in my days off next week as we are off for a reconnaissance trip this weekend (just the 2 of us).
Bandicoot - Not enamored by the idea of paying rent while paying the mortgage especially when I can live in the quarters for free. We are getting a removalist to move us with one truck and we will have a trailer for bikes etc. We are going to pack uorselves as friends of ours hae just done a similar move and it cost the $7500 including the packing!!!! FYI we are moving from Newcastle to Orange (yes I know I will be cold, yes I know it snows there, but I prefer the cold to the heat of Townsville where i went to uni!).
And if anyone knows anyone who wants to buy a house near Newcastle NSW Australia, here's the link. For you Alfa as we will be going from this to a modest 3 bedroom place with 1 bathroom and hopefully a family room. :)
http://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/NSW/Thornton/?adid=2008717292

Posted 1 year ago #
bandicoot
Member

your thornton house looks wonderful and already decluttered!

o yes, definitely pack yourself....it is an expensive service otherwise.
i am all for removalists though...they have equipment, muscles and expertise in moving the big chunky heavy stuff.

i think orange is a very pretty town.
and townsville is kinda hellishly hot.

Posted 1 year ago #
Kaz in Oz
Member

Lucky they didn't photograph the inside of the cupboards! I'm not big on trinkets but the kids have lots of toys (guilt purchases from 2 working parents mostly - have got out of the habit now though).
The removalists we are using regularly do backloads through here (and stay with friends around the corner) so it wont be too bad. Haven't got the quote yet.
They don't call it Brownsville for nothing. Maggie was my favourite place though. I did make it to Cairns for a prac when I was at uni. Wasn't too fussed with the mudflat though.
I get to see Orange for the first time on Saturday (I had a phone interview for the job). All the pics I've seen of it look pretty, espeically the autum leaves. DH has been there a few times before (XILs family lived out there).

Posted 1 year ago #
lazycow
Member

As a fellow Aussie (Melbournite) I've been following your thread, and wishing you all the best on your new adventure. It seems like we go to very similar churches (though ours has a few young families, most people are over 70). Off to look at your house (love a good sticky-beak!)

Posted 1 year ago #
writing all the time
Member

Wow, what a wonderful bunch of very helpful posts! A couple things to add:
Kaz and Mellie both - have your lists all in one binder or notebook, and a loudly colored one at that. Easy to spot in the chaos of packing, and keeping all the packing/moving related paper work together makes it a bit easier.

From your BIG to do lists, make weekly/daily ones. When someone offers to help, you don't have to think of what needs to be done, you can look at the day's list.

Best of luck with the Great Adventure! I love helping people move themselves, I find it an astonishingly wonderful clearing out process.

Posted 1 year ago #
susanintexas
Member

Kaz -- your house is beautiful! Looks like a magazine spread.

Posted 1 year ago #
Sky
Member

Kaz....Your home is a minimalist dream! Absolutely beautiful.

Posted 1 year ago #
lottielot
Member

wow, Newcastle is cheap! Your house looks immaculate, and at least if dh and the kids are going to be out the whole time it won't get too messy! I went away for one week last year and I think my dh was never so glad as when I got home, it completely killed him having to look after the kids and work as well :) At least you have a garage where you can keep stuff. Be ruthless! Good luck.

Posted 1 year ago #
lucy1965
Member

Oh, Kaz, the house is lovely!

Posted 1 year ago #

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