Downsizing is really emotional

GDB2222

When MIL died, my DW left me the job of clearing MIL's kitchen. I found two food processors without lids, so threw them out, as they don’t work without lids. Naturally, I then found the lids. 

liberty_lily

RM_2013 said:

My parents haven’t downsized as they still live in our family home but they had their loft completely boarded a few years back and took the opportunity to sort out mine and my brothers treasures (trash!!) there was so much there - my old wedding dress (1st wedding) - that went to the charity shop plus my old wedding photos which went in the bin!! 

Old school books and cuddly toys.  

This reminded me - when we cleared my parents' house in 2012 we found all kinds of treasures in their fully boarded loft that I'd used as a playroom as a child.....

Including several old 1970s Barbies, Sindys, Pippas and a Kenner Blythe doll dating from 1972 (iirc) when I'd have been five. We listed all these on ebay and sold some for £100+ whilst the Blythe (which went to a buyer in Japan) achieved a mahoosive £816 😁🤩😁

So always worth checking for collectable toys too!

YoungBlueEyes

I also meant to say - re your children's stuff.  Send a few photos of their fave bits with the caption "this is going on fleabay at the weekend, how would you like it described?/how much can I ask for it do you think?  

SecondStar

liberty_lily said:

RM_2013 said:

My parents haven’t downsized as they still live in our family home but they had their loft completely boarded a few years back and took the opportunity to sort out mine and my brothers treasures (trash!!) there was so much there - my old wedding dress (1st wedding) - that went to the charity shop plus my old wedding photos which went in the bin!! 

Old school books and cuddly toys.  

This reminded me - when we cleared my parents' house in 2012 we found all kinds of treasures in their fully boarded loft that I'd used as a playroom as a child.....

Including several old 1970s Barbies, Sindys, Pippas and a Kenner Blythe doll dating from 1972 (iirc) when I'd have been five. We listed all these on ebay and sold some for £100+ whilst the Blythe (which went to a buyer in Japan) achieved a mahoosive £816 😁🤩😁

So always worth checking for collectable toys too!

Blythe dolls are enormously collectible, you probably made a collectors whole life to find that!

Snow_Angel

I recommend Marie Kondo's book 'Spark Joy: an illustrated guide to the Japanese art of tidying'. It can be a bit 'out there' with some of the suggestions, but it definitely helped me focus and be brutal with the decluttering when I moved house. 

Also echo others with Marketplace, Freecycle, charity shops and BHF. There are a lot of people struggling financially at the moment and an increase in people needing cheap or free things. If you can afford to give things away, you'll be helping a lot of people out. x

Also consider auctions for any antiques or collectibles, records etc

Pensioner2023

I told my very old,diverse and dusty vinyl collection.. LP's and 45's to a vinyl shop and left with £500 in cash...gobsmacked.. the stuff he declined I put into the nearest charity shop.. and they were chuffed too!!

youth_leader

I put my late little dog's huge wicker Ikea 'barking' chair out on my drive tonight - very glad to report it's gone!  

GDB2222

youth_leader said:

I put my late little dog's huge wicker Ikea 'barking' chair out on my drive tonight - very glad to report it's gone!  

I dismantled an old metal computer desk. Do scrap metal dealers still come round and pick up stuff like that, if it’s left out? 

youth_leader

People here advertise unwanted metal on the Facebook community page, the scrap men normally do take it.  Unfortunately scrap men here also go uninvited into people's gardens and help themselves - the new 'ring' doorbells are proving their worth. 

ms_london

It must be extremely emotional for you but it’s also quite cathartic having a good clear out and the bonus of having less space and items is less time needed to clean and more time to do other things. 

For sentimental items that I can’t necessarily keep, I take a photo, that way I still have the memory when I look at it but without hanging on to it. 

Highly recommend looking up The Minimalists - you don’t have to be as extreme as they are but their ethos is great.