Major downsizing...

[Printer Mike]

My wife's and my dream home(built in '93) has turned into something we just can no longer afford. The wolf's not banging on the door yet and I don't want to wait 'till it comes to that.

The 2700 sq ft garage door accessable basement is full of stuff that I have accumulated over the past 40 years. Nothing expensive, but things that will be hard to part with. I don't do any major vehicle work. I will be lucky to end up with a small(12x24) free-standing workshop built on a tiny lake lot. Most of my stuff is just going to have to go and I can't seem to get moving on it...

Anyone had to deal with this?

 

[pdham]

Dude, 2700 sq ft of good guy stuff!! Let me know where you live and I'll be over to help unburden you of your treasures.
All kidding aside, An auction may provide the best cash out of the stuff. In my area its amazing what people will pay for what you may have been thinking to haul to the dump.

 

[montecarlo31]

Why not buy a sea crate and keep it in there, cut in a hole for a/c for climate control and store the goods till things get better.

On a side note have you looked at cutting costs, IE refinance or ???

We cut out eating at outback 2 or 3 nights a week and are saving almost 300 a mo or more.

Just some food for thought.

 

[wfochris]

Sorry to hear that

The only thing I can suggest is to pick up "the book" from www.daveramsey.com

It will change your life.

 

[79firebird]

i feal for ya i had the same prob a fue years ago moved from a house with a 20x40 shop to a duplex and i built a 10x12 shead. Its now a 23x12 shead finished this week and im renting a 18x25 shop down the road as of 3 months ago. Took me 6 years to get a shop i could afford and a bigger shead but worth it.

 

[Printer Mike]

Thanks for the input! I appreciate that.

Not meaning to whine, but my wife broke her hip almost two years ago. Complications and 7 surguries since has put a strain on us. We have health insurance, but it's the kind that pays only part. I have had to let my small printing business that I started from scratch in 1978 be run by an employee. He's busted his ****, but with the economy, etc., business has really fallen off. I don't know if any of y'all can relate, but I'm 63 and just tired... Just don't want to spend what time I have left building that business again. I would prefer to live a very modest lifestyle, enjoy my grandkids and family, and maybe tinker around in a workshop.

 

[slip knot]

yep Mike, Some times less is more. My wife and I bought a small "starter home" 10 yrs ago. We both had good jobs and were only planning on staying a few years and then move on to something bigger and better. We wound up putting a 36X50 shop out back and can't see living anywhere else now.

 

[e-tek]

Thanks for the input! I appreciate that.

I would prefer to live a very modest lifestyle, enjoy my grandkids and family, and maybe tinker around in a workshop.

I'm looking FORWARD to retiring to that lifestyle you describe!! Good on you for getting it sorted out before it's too late. Seems to be most peoples biggest problem - not thinking far enough ahead....

 

[sdowney717]

The 2700 sq ft garage door accessible basement is full of stuff that I have accumulated over the past 40 years. Nothing expensive, but things that will be hard to part with.

Compulsive hoarding? Is this stuff really making your life happy or miserable.

 

[SiGmA_X]

Compulsive hoarding? Is this stuff really making your life happy or miserable.

+1, something to consider for sure.

Sorry to hear that

The only thing I can suggest is to pick up "the book" from www.daveramsey.com

It will change your life.

I haven't read Ramsey's books, but I went through his program and listen to him via Podcasts. Guy has solid advice.

 

[brownbagg]

I have a 1200sq ft house, I really like to go about 800 sq ft, just one bedroom kitchen and great room. with a one car garage.

 

[Aberdale]

Nothing really to add, other than I know I'll be there too, someday. As mentioned earlier, an auction will clear out your space in a day. If you would prefer to be more selective and take more time to think things through you could list several items on your local Craigslist or even Ebay.

I've found getting started is the hardest part. I owned over 50 antique tractors a few years back, and realized it was just too much to take care of. I started selling them, listing one at a time. I'm now down to 35, but would like to get down to 10 eventually. I kinda get attached to my stuff, so it was tough to get rid of things that I spent so much time finding and restoring. After I sold the first two or three, it became easier.

Just start.

 

[Old Patriot]

Printer Mike, your the same age as I am and I think I know where your coming from. As we get older we find that there is just too many things to watch after and take care of. I know my wife and I live on a 250 acre wooded farm with a big house and big out buildings and equipment, not to mention my toys. We have talked about down sizing and moving back to the city. Pray on it. And I'm sure everything you have, someone here would like to buy it. Peace!

 

[crewchief888]

about 10 years ago, a friend of mine was killed in a car wreck, he lived alone, on a farm, no wife, or even a gf. his elderly parents werent in good health, and a couple of us were asked to "take care" of the farm.

we knew he had a bunch of cars, and parts, but........
42 cars, large eq shed full of parts, 66 pass school bus pack top to bottom with parts.
only 1 car was in running condition, and most of the engines, tran's, were junk, broken mounts, cracked blocks ect.

the house was full of old tube radios, tv's and hi-fi's. the attic packed with tubes, tube testers and parts.
it took a couple months to finally get everything hauled off .

after that, i vowed to never let "stuff" accumulate, if it dont get used in a year, it gets tossed.

 

[billspit]

Printer Mike
I tip my hat to you sir for having the wherewithall to make the decision. I have been trying for years to get my wife to clear out a ton of stuff she has acquired over the years that we do not need. She simply won't part with it.

Is it possible to sell the print business to the employee? Is any of the basement accumulation print related stuff? I kind of figured the print busineess may have started or been run out of your house.

My daughter had a real good job in Richmond, VA working for a large print company and got laid off colder than the weather. Yup, print business is pretty off right now.

Good luck as you progress on.

 

[6768rogues]

I have so much stuff with 4 properties and about 12000 square feet of storage, can't even remember it all. Sometimes it is like a treasure hunt going through my own stuff. I hope I can hold onto it so my son can sort it out. Good luck to you.

 

[Fastback]

I have learned that what you own owns you. Last fall the wife and I created our wills and had a hard time deciding who gets what (we have no kids), its at that point we realized we have things we really dont need.

 

[Printer Mike]

Yes, some of my stuff consists of obsolete printing equipment. Equipment that helped start and make my business successful.

Someone mentioned hoarding. I never condsidered myself a hoarder, but after thinking it over I believe that is part of my problem. Over the years I have given a lot of stuff away to folks that needed it worse than me.

Some on this board make remarkable use of limited space... that is inspiring.

I have decided on a plan. I'm going to take a small area, move what I want to keep in that area, and try to work only in that space. Sort of a test.

Thanks again for all the replys and insight! Y'all are the greatest!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Downsize and enjoy life. You're at the age where you should be sitting back enjoying life not fretting about stuff.