Please let me hold your hand...roll on 2018!

dreaming · 15 September 2017 at 6:50PM

One tip I found invaluable was that when you label boxes, label them on the side. If you only label the top then you have to "un-stack" them to find what you want. Labelled on the side means you can see the one you want instantly.

Sassia · 15 September 2017 at 6:53PM

We moved about 18 months ago after living in a big (for us) house for 7 years and hoarding stuff 'because it might come in handy'..... 2 x4 yard skips later we'd not made a dent. How can one family of 3 have 5 sofas?!

I feel your pain! But on a lighter note I live in Essex, so welcome!

monnagran · 15 September 2017 at 7:04PM

When you have done the tax return, this is is the way to go. Working a bit on the MarieKondo method.

Evening 1. select your category - say toiletries - and collect them all up in one place.
Evening2. sort out all the ones you will definitely need in the next 13 weeks and put them in one place.
Evening 3. Sort out the ones you want to pack for future use, pack them into whatever box you are going to use and write TOILETRIES on the label on the box and the room the box is to be put in. If you want some in the bedroom and some in the bathroom then you will need both boxes. Chuck the rest, either in the "give away" bag or in the "throw away bag."

Repeat this for every category, Kitchen gadgets, china, books, clothes, paperwork, tools, bedlinen and towels, pictures etc. etc.

Some will take you longer, books and clothes will certainly take take about a week of evenings, but you only need to do about an hour at a time and you will soon find that the packed boxes and bags are stacking up and you are living with just the things you really need.

Now have a stiff drink and get going on the tax return.

x

Tiddlywinks · 15 September 2017 at 8:01PM

kboss2010 wrote: »

Local Facebook selling groups are great for shifting stuff & getting reasonable offers for items.

I've had good and bad on FB selling groups... I've had a LOT of no-shows even after people send several messages about times and then saying they are on their way :mad:. But, the plus side is that there are no fees.

You could open a FaceBook account and lock down all of the privacy settings - don't use a photo and use a £10 PAYG for calls etc. You can then arrange a meeting point in a supermarket carpark or other public place to make the sale.

Ebay - Make sure you know the fees and the postage before listing the items. I've just had a 'life-laundry' clear out and have stuck loads of stuff on there but I listed during a promo offer where the selling fees were capped.

I did make a mistake of assuming some items were 'large letters' but when wrapped for posting were too big so then fell into the 'small parcel' category which added another £1 to the item.... which was a bit of a blow.

So, look at the Post Office sizings before you list.

I have a couple of Really Useful boxes that I keep all the listed stuff in. If things look similar then take the photo of the item next to a number or sticker or something and then store that item in an envelope or carrier bag marked with that number so it's easy to locate when sold.

I have kept all of the money from the sales in my PayPal account and any cash on collection money has been kept in a separate pot so that I can see the money building up.... that is keeping me motivated to carry on listing.

For me, using a Buy It Now price with a 'Best Offer' option has been the most successful as a lot of people seem to like the fact that they don't have to wait for an auction to finish.

Eh... that's it for now.... god luck.

Floss · 15 September 2017 at 8:20PM

Also, set your Ebay account to take your fees from your PayPal account

short_bird · 15 September 2017 at 8:54PM

I agree with everyone else on the tax return.

Are there dress agencies where you are now or where you're moving to? That might be a way of clearing stuff quickly. Also, depending on the age of items in your attic, vintage and retro shops may be interested in your stuff, and there's a market for old toys.

It feels to me that the whole learning curve of selling each item individually and fitting that into a routine might be a bit much in 13 weeks. And, whatever you decide, you might also need to dissociate yourself from what you paid for something (sunk costs); the money's spent, what you might get back is pennies on the £

With the toiletries, check how long they've been open for as it might be time to ditch them, perfumes may have gone off etc.

Good luck, I'll be back :rotfl:

lessonlearned · 15 September 2017 at 9:43PM

How exciting for you. You sound thrilled.

Some excellent advice already. I would just say, don't panic. Just take it one step at a time but don't procrastinate, especially don't waste your time reading library books. You just don't have that kind of time at the moment. I take it they still have libraries in Essex:rotfl:

So deep breath, jump in and get cracking, the sooner the better.

Good luck.........

And no more chazza shop bargains for now. :rotfl:

Lynplatinum · 15 September 2017 at 11:41PM

Hiya VfM4meplse

Brilliant news - well done! My list would go:

1) DO that flippin tax return - I hate them too! gotta do mine ASAP - feel free to PM me and scream if you need to!:D

2) Buy a thick, permanent pen, note book thats a bright colour and a pen of a bright colour that will clip in to it!!!! Make notes - phone numbers - dates you called folks etc - where you stashed stuff all in one place!

3) Ask friends if you can stash the stuff you dont have time to sort in their garage etc etc - write whose got what and for how long in your note book! (they will want it gone at some point. This way you can do a car load at a time most evenings!

4)Second the use of old veg boxes for books and cds. But LABEL LABEL LABEL!!

5) Do a bit each day - even 10 mins will make you feel better!
6) have a bag by the front door for chazzer stuff so that on a Saturday you can just grab it and take it there - you will find stuff you cant ebay and dont want!

Start with clothes - books and cds are easier to store. Follow with kitchen cupboards (you ll find stuff you never knew you had in there! and gadgets you think - why on earth?????)

Best of luck!! Ill pop by this thread and see how you get on.

PS there is a list somewhere on MSE about whom you need to contact when you move - when I remember where Ill let you know! it was invaluable for me last year! :rotfl:
nite all

PollyWollyDoodle · 16 September 2017 at 12:45AM

Good luck, and welcome to Essex!

VfM4meplse · 16 September 2017 at 5:11AM

Thanks for all your messages of support. There are some truly amazing posters on this thread, I've been through 2 full house moves in the space of 3 months before and was highly traumatised by the circumstances, hence felt very apprehensive about the logistics of this move. But that was many years ago, and it's time to move on... it's good to have a team of experienced angels to motivate me :A

Today it feels quite normal that I am going, my brain obviously adjusted itself after a good rest! I decided to do a bit every day, starting with getting rid of stuff and sorting out my tax return. As long as I keep moving in the right direction it will be far less stressful towards the finishing point. Human inertia, bodies in motion and all that....

newtons-3-laws-of-motion-4-728.jpg?cb=1348639360

newtons-3-laws-of-motion-4-728.jpg?cb=1348639360

Today was the start: I made inroads into some paperwork, did some chasing related to the sale and then I returned something that had been hanging around for ages, which was followed by a frenzy of activity: I decided the lawn needed mowing and felt instantly better. Marie Kondo was right: having an environment that looks cluttered does increase my stress levels, and strangely enough, looking out in perfectly manicured grass helped

The earlier comment about finishing library books was also spot on. It too is one of the brain's divergence strategies.

Let's see what today brings

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Please let me hold your hand...roll on 2018!

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