You are on the hard start of things gz. It's not easy paring down from 2 is it? And it's not always that advisors are on your side.
We lost most of the accumulated junk of years when the bank asked for the house back. 2 moves on after he died, at least I'm only sorting my accumulated junk where I've adjusted to just me being the householder.
Found that the hard part.
Not as bad as the youngest daughter and husband who moved "over the border" into Scotland 16 months ago. Admittedly they were moving into a 4 bedroom house from 3 but 5 boats at the local sailing club, 1 garage (one for the classic car which ain't no Rolls Royce) and two for the bloke's stuff for working from home, plus the cellar of the house which was a story in itself. Now that was downsizing with a vengence at speed as they didn't wish to afford to move all the 30 years of accumulated junk. And they had a date as both house sales were progressing. White transit van man had to make a trip down south with books, lego and toys which their son refused to downsize. Well till they landed on his floor and wife asked what all this was.
NorthernMonkeyGirl
Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 4656 Location: Peeping over your shoulder
Posted: Wed Apr 02, 25 8:33 am Post subject:
I've moved house regularly so have a bit of a cycle of ditching things, but plan to stay here for a long time. Which means I need a different solution!
I'm definitely trying to be very conscious about not bringing things home "just in case" - I have the luxury of being able to afford a tool or a piece of furniture if and when it's needed, and not before. I also find clutter annoying so need to minimise "stuff" so that I have less to tidy.
My parents have started gently downsizing certain things, like books, I think they saw how hard it was for the house next door to be cleared after the gent passed away. Not that they are close to that point! But better done now so they can choose what to keep as they go along.
all the useless stuff gone, plenty of space for useful things
house tools need racking rather than culling, although i do give "spare" (how many claw hammers?) and redundant ones (no more chainsaws for me) to folk who will use them
the last time i had a full tool cull i kept a hammer, a 1" chisel and a tape measure
the rest was about 2 transit van loads(hand tools, 6 shovels, 110V tools and trannies, ladders, scaff tower etc etc) to a pal who was still wanted to trade in london and had space for them
Unfortunately my husband is a hoarder, and I still haven't got rid of all the stuff from my parents house. Our house is overrun with books and our son still infests his old bedroom. I am trying to have a bit of a cull of books, and have gone through my wardrobe a bit, but still have the airing cupboard to sort out. I don't think we could move as it would be too much work. Will try to do a bit better, but run out of energy after a short time and have too much else to do.
May none of you have to down size the contents of a small double wardrobe full of neatly folded tissue paper. Apparently there were some other interesting cupboards full of similar in that house to be cleared after husband's mother died. And it was a four bedroomed large Welsh vicarage so lots of space as there was only one person left there.
My MIL had a cupboard full of plastic carrier bags, and the pharmacist had quite a lot to take back too. Mum always got new carrier bags, but didn't throw them away, although she forgot to take them with her when shopping. When asked what she needed on her prescription, which was by the time she died in her 90s, rather varied, she always said 'all of it'. Glad to say my SIL dealt with most of it, although we were given some to sort out.
I am trying to go through things and get rid of stuff, but rather slowly I am afraid.
Dunno about treasure in the Welsh Vicarage. Mother-in-law had played crown bowls competitively at National level and had at least 24 trophies in the cabinet. Her club didn't want them back and the family didn't want them. Don't know what happened there. Best not to ask sometimes.
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 9077 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 25 11:48 am Post subject:
That is sad...you'd have thought the family might have wanted one..and the club should have
The sun is out this week and the garden is under sorting orders. Over the years cuttings came down from the allotment and were tucked in tubs, corners, borders.
So at the moment I'm culling those which have come to the end of their useful life or are only fit for cuttings for the future. Good thing there's space on the newly opened up patio as wot was the greenhouse base.
The garden waste bin went out for emptying yesterday morning. For a change it was full of all my own stuff (I take stuff from neighbouring gardens but one lady is in Australia on holiday and the other is unwell, in the care of relatives and the garden is untended). I may add it was full.
I'm still mumbling along down sizing some of the junk. Trouble is that I stopped to read a series of 11 books. Admittedly not big ones but it did hold things up by ten days.
Facebook has another post of stuff that might or might not go but it's only a little pile.
Meanwhile I've taken advantage of all the Easter reductions of dry stores at the Supermarket so that's sort of taken up cleared space. Ho hum. But if they must make reductions on things I use regularly I'm not going to miss out if there's cash in the bank. At least food is edible.
Mind the general waste bin is looking a bit more full than normal.
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 9077 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 25 6:17 pm Post subject:
The greenhouse had a bit of a sort out today, some useful things reduced to one tray of boxes of sorted things ( glass clips, greenhouse bolts etc, ground cover pegs....) and a fair amount of odds and sods went in the landfill bin as they weren't recyclable.
Daughter is interested in some of my map collection...older editions being useful with family history research. I'll list them this evening and she can say which ones she needs. They can be delivered to #3 son as she is only 100 miles northwest of him....and I'll see him next month all being well.
Dead underwear has been binned Cycling kit is next for review
as i have replaced my big pan(last one fed to a wedding extraction, and the one before a 50 lt monster better suited to watering young fruit trees from a pond) i have a task of clearance
some of my mummified pig is more than a decade mature
on the over door shelf it has been mostly "resting" apart from a few earlyish vinegar washes and a bit more salt
clearing some old stuff might be very pleasant
decadal matured, oak smoked mangalitza x
(miss bacon was "difficult" and sort of tameable) but her parts looked and smelt and tasted ace the last time i got close to her
the first shoulder was delicious several years ago
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 9077 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 25 8:31 pm Post subject:
Started sorting bikes and kit to sell.
I want my sewing/turbo/ spare bedroom back
White transit van man had to make a trip down south with books, lego and toys which their son refused to downsize. Well till they landed on his floor and wife asked what all this was. 
Cycling kit is next for review 
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