[Rose76]

I'm expecting to move within the next 6 months, or so, to an apartment where I can get federal housing assistance. To receive federal housing assistance toward my rent, I will be limited to apartments that are fairly smaller than the one I live in now. That means having to get rid of a lot of what I own. Any suggestions on how to do that would be appreciated.

People tell me to sell my excess stuff. I've never before tried to sell anything in my whole life. I have never organized a yard sale or anything like that. It scares me. I have some stereo equipment that requires more room than I will have in a new place, so it has to go. But the stuff is good quality . . . like I paid a lot just for the speakers. So I'm wondering how can I best advertise this stuff to potential buyers? (I know nothing about selling stuff on-line.)

One idea I had was to just donate all my excess stuff to the Salvation Army. They will pick up donated stuff in good condition. I have some very nice pieces of furniture that won't really fit where I am likely to move to.

So, if you've ever had to unload a serious amount of stuff, you'll know the stress I face. Any tips could help me.

Thanks.

[unaluna]

There are people that will help you, either employed by the city or that set up and run the yard sale for a percentage. I know some real estate people do it. Even tho you're not selling your place, maybe they know someone.

[hannabee]

Maybe you could post on Craigslist for help with a yard sale. Just be careful tho, about who you let come to your home. Maybe a friend could help you post your items yourself on craigslist?

You might find CL and/or a yard sale will add to your stress Rose. If there is a consignment shop in your area that would be much less stressful.
If there are things you think someone might want but aren't really valuable, CL has a free stuff section. You just put the stuff out by the street and make an ad giving info on the items and state that the items are just to be picked up and do not bother knocking on your door or emailing about the items.

[Perna]

I'd go visit a flea market in your area and make friends with someone who sells there regularly, see if they would sell some of your stuff at their booth for a commission.

[Nammu]

I was facing a similar situation. I had planed to move back to MN in Aug and needed to get rid of a lot of stuff to keep moving cost down, but then I just decided it was all too much in too short a time. I'll move next year. I have sec 8 already and it is great, if I didn't have it I would be homeless. The hard part is I have to move my stuff to my mothers house and stay with her or my daughter and look for a place after I move, I'll have 60 days to find a place. So after you get HUD help it may be possible to move back closer to your family too.

I'm still planning on taking a lot of books and DVD's to half price books. I have thousands of books! I'm just going to spread it out a bit more and make it more manageable. I do have a male cousin in a town not too far away who has offered to help me transport the bigger stuff & books(thank goodness) to consignment stores could your brother help do that?

[Rose76]

Originally Posted by George H.

You might find CL and/or a yard sale will add to your stress Rose. If there is a consignment shop in your area that would be much less stressful.
If there are things you think someone might want but aren't really valuable, CL has a free stuff section. You just put the stuff out by the street and make an ad giving info on the items and state that the items are just to be picked up and do not bother knocking on your door or emailing about the items.

What does "CL" stand for? I'ld appreciate knowing. Sounds like an interesting option.

In the past, I've put things out on the street with a "free" sign. But I never thought to advertise that I was doing so. Thanks for the tip.

[Rose76]

Oh . . . . okay . . . . CL stands for Craig's List. Sorry. I can be pretty dense, sometimes.

[Rose76]

Thanks. sidestepper. I have a lot of books and other media. That stuff is heavy. Getting it to second hand shops is an option I will look at.

As for my brother helping . . . . I'm afraid not. He hasn't been speaking to me for months. That's okay. He's been so hostile to me in the past, that not hearing from him is kind of a relief.

I am on a waiting list to get the Section 8 voucher, but I may have a year or more to wait. Ideally, the voucher is what I wanted. It's portable. It would have given me the option to move back near where my family is. Still, where they are is very expensive to live. I might have had a hard time finding a place. I'm interested to hear that you have 60 days to locate something. That's not a whole lot of time.

An alternative form of help is to go to an apartment complex that has an "Affordable Housing Program." That's what I am looking at now. Through that, I might get a place in just 3 months. This program also involves HUD funding. It can be gotten much quicker than the voucher if an apartment complex has a spot for me and not too long of a waiting list of their own.

[splitimage]

Hi Rose,

I went through this last year when I had to give up my 3 bedroom apartment that I'd lived in for 13 years and move into transitional housing. I had to get rid of most of my stuff and only keep what would fit into a small one bedroom apartment, which will likely be my next stop, plus I wanted to keep storage costs down.

What I found - in Toronto, no charities pick up for free, so donating would have meant paying to have it hauled away and I had a lot of heavy antique good quality furniture. So my goal became getting rid of the maximum amount of stuff without it costing me too much to get rid of it.

I contacted several antique dealers, estate sale agents, and none of them were interested in my stuff, apparently the market had really dropped out for the type of furniture I had.

I had about 800 books to get rid of, and I couldn't find any buyers interested in them, so I posted an ad on Kijiji (similar to Craig's list, but more popular in Canada) saying 800 books - primarily fiction free to anyone who will pick them up.

I did sell some stuff on kijiji - musical instruments, and electronics. It was relatively easy, but it can take time.

I got rid of a lot of stuff using Freecycle.com Freecycle is an online site that has local sites for most cities. You join the site for your area, and then you can post Offer or wanted adds. The catch is it has to be free. I finally got rid of all my unwanted furniture, some more books, and a slew of kitchen equipment and some of my china/crystal that I decided I didn't want to keep, through Freecycle. People who are interested in your stuff, e-mail you and you decide who gets it. They have to arrange pick up with you at a time which is convenient for you.

I also had some art I didn't want, that I wound up auctioning off, through an art dealer, and I made good money on it.

The final stuff I wanted to get rid of, small appliances, clothes, shoes that were still in good condition, linnens, etc. I donated to Goodwill. I enlisted a friend with a truck and we took 2 truckloads to Goodwill.

Good luck with it. Downsizing is a major pain.

splitimage

[Rose76]

splitimage, I am in awe that you had so much to divest yourself of and that you did it in such an orderly fashion. Thank you for breaking down for me just how you went about it. I am looking into Freecycle.com. First time I'm hearing about it.

In my city in the USA, The Salvation Army will pick up donated furniture, which I was pleased to hear.

I can become awfully anxious trying to think about decisions I have to make. I am very grateful for the posts here, which show me that it can be done.

[Perna]

When I downsized to retire, I had to bite the bullet and I threw away a lot of good stuff. If it comes to the stuff or my stressing, I'm going to let my stress level dictate Once the black plastic bag is full of stuff, I usually forget what the stuff is/was? Just doing a go-through like that at least weeds the stuff by half and, surprisingly, can feel good?

Can you put a notice on a bulletin board or anywhere in your current apartment building or neighborhood? Make a flyer for the laundry room or something? I forget how big your building is, sorry if it is kind of small. I was always a bit more comfortable with my own neighbors since I lived there too, than having people from all over like freecycle come? I also felt a bit better if I could have a friend/neighbor around with me when other people came by to look at or get stuff?

[avlady]

I hope you can get through all this it sounds exhausting, but I'm glad to see people here had some good ideas for you. I got worth of over1000 books by taking them to a book store, a vintage one, and they were so happy to get them. We probably could have got money but i know what you mean you just need to get rid of them and soon.

[Rose76]

Thanks, Perna. I don't live in a complex, or even a big building. So I'm limited in having a very small number of people who are near at hand.

It does come down to a matter of "biting the bullet." That is hard for me to face. I have compulsive tendencies that make getting rid of things especially hard. As you demonstrated with your own move, though, it can be done. That's what I have to keep telling myself. Keeping myself safe is more important than making money. So I may end up using donation to get rid of decent things, rather than trying real hard to sell things.

Wow, I am getting crushing chest pain just typing here right now. This is something I don't get often. It's caused by anxiety. Oh my. I must get off and let my chest pain subside. Wow, this is so tough.

Thanks all.

[Rose76]

Oh. My chest pain subsided. I hope I get through this whole ordeal without completely losing my sanity . . . what's left of it.

Thank you, avlady. Books are so heavy. I need to explore the bookstore market to know where best to donate/sell. It seems different stores take different types of books. Every trip in the car uses up gasoline. I try to fill up my car no more than once a month. My budget is so tight.

I think that the hardest part of all this is that I feel so alone. Feedback from PC members helps alleviate that. I am grateful for all these ideas.

[Open Eyes]

Rose, you should see if there are any used furniture stores around you, we have them all around where I am. Often they even put adds in papers to buy things from people moving. See if there are any listed online in your area. They come out, see what you have to sell and offer you a price for all of it, one lump sum.

[avlady]

One thing i don't understand is that you can't sell your furniture, as where i live there are alot of vintage stores that charge high prices for what they've got. I would look into selling the furniture, you may be able to get some GOOD money for it, even if it's not vintage.

[anneo59]

Originally Posted by Perna

When I downsized to retire, I had to bite the bullet and I threw away a lot of good stuff. If it comes to the stuff or my stressing, I'm going to let my stress level dictate Once the black plastic bag is full of stuff, I usually forget what the stuff is/was? Just doing a go-through like that at least weeds the stuff by half and, surprisingly, can feel good?

Can you put a notice on a bulletin board or anywhere in your current apartment building or neighborhood? Make a flyer for the laundry room or something? I forget how big your building is, sorry if it is kind of small. I was always a bit more comfortable with my own neighbors since I lived there too, than having people from all over like freecycle come? I also felt a bit better if I could have a friend/neighbor around with me when other people came by to look at or get stuff?

I wish you all the best. Haven't done this in a while, but preparing for if need be and as I'm getting older. Did a lot when younger. Yes, just gotta let a lot of stuff go fast. I know it's tough, hang in there, the more you do and check off your list, the better you'll feel!

[Rose76]

I'm on a waiting list to get an apartment in a complex that participates in a HUD program. It could be about 6 months that I have to wait, per the management there. It could be more . . . and it could be less. Could be 3 months . . . . could be a year. Depends on who comes and goes there, which they can't foretell. The management at this place have been very nice to talk to. I trust what they tell me.

Finding this place has given me some sense of hope. I should be looking into other options and exploring everything. My case manager gave me some addresses to check out. I haven't. I'm awfully depressed. Thank you all for understanding that this is an ordeal to go through. I feel less alone thanks to the encouragement and advice above.

[Perna]

I used this to sell some books: Cash4Books.net: Sell Books - Sell Used Books Online - Free Shipping

They pay the postage of shipping. However, they only take like 2-3 of every 20 or so books sometimes, depends on what type books you enjoy. It is kind of fun though at least sorting through your "favorite" or "best" books and seeing if they'll take any. Gets something done and can be "rewarding".

I ended up having something like 33 large bags of books, say 500+ books and I called a book dealer/store owner who came to my house and offered me a price to take them all (and/or to take "some" and deal with all :-) It was only a couple hundred dollars but it solved the problem. The sorting was hard and even when I got here I still had too many books. I'm only now working to get rid of them; there's a book collection box next to the clothes one in a shopping center near me now. I put a 2-3 bags in the back of the car off and on and then go to the shopping center box when out doing chores, etc.

I couldn't deal with my clothes when I moved so I took everything in my closet to the cleaners and picked it all up after I'd moved. Much easier than "packing"/moving it. Yes, it was something like $100 but I had a huge amount of clothes in various states of use and cleanliness (didn't throw anything away ever) and it was worth it to me for the "organization" cleaning did so sorting/giving to charity, etc. was easier in the long run later.

If things get too stressful you could perhaps rent a small storage room for a month or two and deal with sorting it over time; just get things you aren't sure of out of the way and go from there. One thing a friend of mine did was he had to furnish a 2nd apartment when he was working out of town and when that job ended, he had all that furniture so he put that in a storage room and then advertised it from there and someone came to the storage room and bought the whole thing so he got the money and they got the key to the storage room :-) He didn't have to have people come to his home. A lot of places like that have "one month free" or whatever and/or you could take the person who buys to management and switch them over so management knows, etc.

[Rose76]

Thanks, Perna. That site is an interesting option. It's amazing what exists on the Internet. I checked it out and glad to know about it. It sounds like you had quite a challenge when you were in my shoes . . . and got through it. I really appreciate the knowing the concrete steps you took to do that. These ideas show me that this doesn't have to be as panic-inducing as I've made it in my mind.

[TerryL]

rose, when my mother passed away we had to clean out her apartment so we just put up a sign in the lobby of her building for a garage sale and invited just the tenants. sold a lot of things that way. as for what was left, i contacted local churches and social service agencies and they came and took away most of what was left as they helped the needy. we never had to truck anything anywhere. hth. good luck on your move!

[Rose76]

Thanks, Terry. That worked out well. You know - part of my feeling overwhelmed is that I expect to have to do this for my S/O, as well. His health is failing alarmingly. His kids talk about him needing to go to a nursing home. I will help him stay in his apartment, as long as possible. (I'm over there more than I'm home.) Still, I think the day is not far away when I will have to clear out his place, too. (His family is thousands of miles away.)

It feels like I have the dismantling of my life ahead of me.

[TerryL]

I'm sorry you are so overwhelmed Rose. Is a nursing home for your SO the only option?

[Rose76]

He seems to be okay in his apartment for now. I don't know for how much longer. I've thought about finding a place for both of us to live together. I don't see that being a good idea. The bathrooms in most places wouldn't accommodate his needs. Us living together was a disaster when we did it in the past. He gets very upset at times. So do I. He is just starting to have a little confusion. He's been falling. His son says he shouldn't be alone. If I lived with him, I would be responsible. That would be not fair to me. He wants to stay where he is. None of the options is good.