 sj |
||
|
||
BS: Downsizing Tips Here
|
|
|
Subject: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 24 Sep 13 - 11:35 AM I'm suggesting this as a permathread organized somewhat how the Spirituals Permathread is organized, and offering to edit it. A real old thread about the topic focused on downsizing issues in music collections; it's here: BLICK! Some downsizing tips have shown up in other de-cluttering threads, and links here can lead to those. I don't see this as a chatty thread but more as a collection of resource tips; tho I am sure some chat will occur cuz peeps is peeps. :~). I have two tips to post and will do that next; let's see if the thread catches on. If it does it can be organized as seems best for whatever shapes up. ~Susan |
|
Subject: Multi-tasking Appliances From: wysiwyg Date: 24 Sep 13 - 11:45 AM I discovered thru necessity that a cheap rice cooker works as well as a crock-pot for many functions, is lighter and smaller, and does so many jobs. At the moment is is pre-boiling (and then will slow-cook) seasoned country ribs (boneless pork). The rice program seems to keep it boiling till an internal temp is reached, before going automatically into the keep-warm phase. The removable bowl fits over the range fan for cooling and then fits well in the fridge. The glass top makes it easy to see what's in there at any given time. The aluminum bowl soaks itself clean overnight, with minimal scrubbing needed. I would not use it for acidic foods. Being that it's unbreakabkle, I can live without the acid! I have used it to make meals in layers, adding the stuff needing less cooktime as the day goes on. You can boot it back into boil mode quite simply and then let it resume low-mode. It thaws and then boils, too. I have used it for frozen kielbasa, frozen meatballs, and all sortsa stuff. I bet it does a fine job with oatmeal tho it would form a crust overnight just like rice would. At serving time, adjust seasonings and saucing. And BOOM! Four crockpots and a turkey roaster, ranging from 1 - 40 cups, that I do not need to store in my next kitchen! ~S~ |
|
Subject: Dialing Down the Square Footage From: wysiwyg Date: 24 Sep 13 - 12:00 PM If you know the size of the space you will occupy next, and how you will use it, you do not need to wait for the move to start living small. Example: We foresee about 1,000 sq. feet plus a garage, later, with a smaller LR than we presently have, and with one of 3 small BRs used as an office. Our current LR has the same amount of total space as these 2 rooms, so it's changing to fit that plan, now. El cheapo area rugs define these spaces. Basically my goal is to move all the stuff we now use UPstairs to similarly-sized spaces DOWNstairs, and to gradually start using the upstairs NOW as the storage locker I think I'll need later. The office I have now upstairs is being closed; materials are being eliminated or re-organized for storage. What I use daily fits fine in the two end-sections of the present long, narrow LR. If it does not fit here, it will not fit later, so it must go. I'll photograph anything I am SURE I cannot happily live without, so it doesn't hurt too much to leave it behind. ~Susan |
|
Subject: The Secret Stash/HomeBase From: wysiwyg Date: 24 Sep 13 - 12:10 PM A waiting-room conversation yesterday had a really cool tip I had never heard and might not have thought of, in addition to some easy-fixes I HAD heard before. These came from a lady who had downsized from a large house to a large RV. Eventually she plans to stop RVing and move into a tiny house, when she and her husband feel too tired for road life. The easy fixes-- she gave away stuff to kids first, then friends, church, and a charity that picks up. She photographed a lot of heirlooms first. She placed ads for giveaways (like FreeCycle). She threw out trash. She sold a very few items. The neat thing was that since she loves to entertain, and cannot host large groups in an RV except BBQ-picnic-style, she kept all her good crystal, china, flatware, serving pieces, table linens, etc. It's all in a storage locker at a place they visit annually with adult kids nearby, where they also maintain a PO box as their official, primary mailing address. (They prolly pay bills online.) This "home base" is NOT the town they plan to live in when they become housebound-- it's just a favorite camping destination where lockers are cheap!!! Brilliant! ~S~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: GUEST,Eliza Date: 24 Sep 13 - 01:54 PM We downsized three years ago from quite a big house with huge garden to a tiny bungalow with a small garden in another village. It wasn't hard at all. In fact, reducing all our possessions to the bare minimum was liberating and a great relief. I chose just enough of my hundreds of books to fit into one bookcase, and took the rest to the church sale. I found dozens of my clothes hadn't been worn for years, and recycled them gladly. (Not worn for 2 years - out!) I held a massive furniture and goods sale on our big front lawn, having put fliers through every door in the village, and crowds arrived to buy the stuff. We made over £300. Then we did two car boots, which are real fun to do. We totalled £200 with those. I picked just enough pots and pans to go in one cupboard and gave the rest to my two neighbours. And ornaments! How excellent it was to get rid of most of those dust collecting nuisances! The way I worked out all this was to decide which furniture we were keeping and to put items in the drawers and shelves until they were full. Anything else had to go. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 24 Sep 13 - 07:04 PM Thanks, Eliza. For us USers, what is a car boot in this context? ~S~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Eldergirl Date: 24 Sep 13 - 07:37 PM Think I'll be keeping a close eye on this thread. So far, I can see the good things about downsizing, culling possessions etc, it's just that I have trouble winding myself up to Do it. Some canny hints could very well start me off. If this sounds like chat, I apologise, it's more like grateful thanks and interest! L. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Don Firth Date: 24 Sep 13 - 08:04 PM W y s i w y G, translation: A "car boot" in the UK is a car's trunk in the US. On the other end, a "bonnet" is a car's hood. (I'm multilingual!) Don Firht |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 24 Sep 13 - 09:06 PM Yes I know what the boot is, but it sounds like some kind of sale was going on, perhaps kike a US flea market? ~S~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Eldergirl Date: 25 Sep 13 - 03:21 AM You load your stuff for sale into the trunk of your car and set off for your chosen car boot sale early in the morning, Saturday or Sunday, pay your fee to pitch, set up in rows with a fair crowd of others, and sell your gear to whomsoever rolls by. Antique dealers, general public, trolls.. It can be great fun and profitable. One time I made £250, another time £32.. That wasn't so great but at least the stuff was gone. So kind of like a flea market I spose. Open to anyone, and some folks take it Very seriously and make a regular secondary income, like a market stall holder. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: GUEST,Eliza Date: 25 Sep 13 - 03:55 AM I love doing a car boot. I adore chatting to people and I'm hoarse by the end of the day! You can put prices on your stuff, but I'm always ready to reduce, as the object is to get rid of it and not take anything home again. It costs only £6 for your pitch, and the rest is yours. We take a folding wallpapering table, then spread a large rug on the ground as well. If you tip a load of real junk into a heap, I've noticed that folk adore rummaging through it and you sell more that way! I know it can be painful to jettison much-loved things, but try to brace yourself and imagine someone else geting pleasure from the stuff. Honestly, "Less Is More". Pick two or three really good ornaments and get shot of the rest. Those three will be displayed much more effectively. My friend Ronda takes loads of things to our local auction rooms. It's surprising what people will bid for what you may think is rubbish. There's commission to pay, but Ronda makes a nice sum each time. We also have here in UK Charity furniture depots (eg Salvation Army, Home Start) who come in a van to take away your donations. So you can remove all those silly bits and pieces of tables and chairs and sofas you no longer want. |
|
Subject: Car Booting for Fun and Profit From: wysiwyg Date: 25 Sep 13 - 07:51 AM Yesssss...... I am seeing the car boot selling thingie like a booth limited by the sz of the parking spot, and then whatever fit in the car can either be sold or used to display what is being sold. Right? So I wondered, if two people were both downsizing, would it make sense for each to tend tge other's boot so as to reduce the attachment to the items and increase the motivation to maximize profit? See who can bring in the most in friendly competition? |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: GUEST,CS Date: 25 Sep 13 - 12:53 PM Havne't been to a boot sale for donkeys! Are they any good anymore? I always hear stories of them being taken over by traders selling tat! Wysiwig - In the UK boot sales are conducted on grass playing fields or grassed over farmers fields. Each car or van gets a pitch for a modest fee, and the owners then set out a stall of stuff they've brought to sell, in front of their vehicle. People sell all kinds of stuff, from old clothes, to books, garden tools, car parts, pots and pans, plants, small items of furniture, pictures, etc. Often you get burger vans and the like as well to keep everyone fed. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Eldergirl Date: 25 Sep 13 - 12:55 PM That sounds like a good idea, especially if your fellow boot sale (bootsailor?) has a talent for selling stuff.. Must see who I can round up. Gotta start somewhere. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: GUEST,Eliza Date: 25 Sep 13 - 01:03 PM Here in Norfolk they're still going great guns! Lots of farmers' fields to use, and country people here are thrifty, they like getting a bargain, and don't mind secondhand stuff. One of the very popular categories is children's toys and games. Once your children have grown up a bit, they don't want their old toys. The farmer or organiser usually sites your car as you arrive. One chap wears a huge cowboy hat and forbids any sales until he blows his whistle at exactly 10am (it's called The Late One,as most start at the crack of dawn) You could swap stalls I suppose, but we like our own car as we pack a picnic in it, and I'd be wary of reducing prices for a friend. One word of warning though - do not go round the other stalls 'just to look'. You'll surely end up buying a whole lot more things to take home again! (Once I saw a chap passing by with a huge old dog, which lifted its leg on all the goods the stallholder next to me had laid on the ground. He had to buy everything the wee had flooded! And once a strange man bought all my old clothes, saying he thought they'd fit him nicely. I didn't ask.) |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 25 Sep 13 - 01:38 PM [giggling] If we got permathread permission, is everyone OK with me editing all the bootsailing material together? We do not bootsail in fields where I live (it's like your wilder parts), but they DO stake out fields (I am told) for cow bingo or some such. Maybe it's cow chess.... but I doubt it. But a bootfield sale would be a really fun alternative to a street-long multifamily sale, at least on my road. No sidewalks, few houses, traffic fast and too close, blind curves, etc. But we do live next to a usually-empty field our landlord would probably let us use and our driveway could park lookee-loos..... and porta-loos, too in fact.... My only visible selling space for variable weather is a dark and dirty front porch. It did not work well last time. OTOH we DO have a pop-up camper with a small awning for a Yard Sale sign out front... and we have not folded it up yet for winter and I can make hot drinks in it...... Must nap now. :~) Keep the tips and genius ideas coming! ~Susan |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 Sep 13 - 07:27 PM There is a dovetail here - think of all of the decluttering I could do if I loaded my pickup truck with overage and rolled into a boot sale. :) I'm not downsizing, I'm trying to make more space in a crowded house. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 25 Sep 13 - 07:37 PM LOL... come on over! ~S~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Eldergirl Date: 26 Sep 13 - 03:29 AM I'm still trying to picture cow bingo... !! Two fat heifers - 88?? LOL! Sorry, bit of a drift there. I like the idea of auctions, but those local to us seem to want Proper Collectibles and Antiques rather than boxes of oddments, so I wound up taking my box to an antique shop where the chap gave me a tenner for the 3 items he could sell, and the rest went to a charity shop in town. So still a result, even if only one verysmall box cleared. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: GUEST,Eliza Date: 26 Sep 13 - 04:32 AM Our auction rooms near Aylsham (Keys) have 2 categories of sale, and the second one, euphemistically called 'Cottage Sale' is for tatty old junk stuff. You'd think no-one in their right mind would buy it, but they do! I think people who rent out holiday barns and cottages put old stuff in that the children and dogs can't ruin. I'm still left wondering about Cow Bingo. Or the more intellectual Cow Chess. However does it work? Is it where the cow pats land perhaps? (Number two, steaming poo etc.) Please tell us!! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 26 Sep 13 - 08:44 AM Yup. Cow bingo = a grid for cow flop. I've never been.... think the time of year/ambient temp might affect seating options.... standing players prob preferable for staying upwind? !?! :-) It is an alternative entertainment option if the Donkey Basketball people haint been to the local high school of late. As you probably know the driving distances here affect rural ebterrainnent accessibility. :-p |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: GUEST,Eliza Date: 26 Sep 13 - 10:38 AM Hahahahahaha! Please tell me you're pulling my leg! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 26 Sep 13 - 03:19 PM Well I am misspelling a lot (eek, hoping for later editing privileges to fix my yptos), but no, the Bingo game is real, known under various names, as you can see in myriad forms on YouTube. (Now donkey basketball, which is also seriously real, that'd be chatting. ;~| If we get to be a P-thread I'll use all the chatty posts to summarize the above tips-- swap in tips for chat?) I suppose there could be PupFlop Bingo too, come to think of that.... nonononono.... ~S~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: GUEST,Eliza Date: 26 Sep 13 - 05:59 PM Dog poo?? No indeed!! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 27 Sep 13 - 02:50 PM I am inspired by the Boot-Sailing conversation to do my impending Porch Sale as a Yard Sale on a trailer, under a canopy, in front of our pop-up camper. I'm sailing my "boot" to the sunnier spot people will enjoy-- instead of feeling bummed out (not buying) by a cold, dirty porch now also cut in half by my ramp. The merch has been stored there-- but it's boxed, so can travel into the back area on the trailer that will haul away whatever is not snapped up. ~S~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Eldergirl Date: 27 Sep 13 - 08:02 PM Dear WYSIWYG, here's to a calm sea and a prosperous voyage for your Bootsail. Let us know how it goes. As for the cow bingo.. jeez Louise, I don't know whether to laugh or cry! Eliza, I'm definitely with you on the idea of Pup flop bingo. Nonono.. That reminds me, I wrote a poem a few years back; Spring Haiku. Dogs, in spring, will do What dogs must do at all times. Look out! Ohh, your shoe.. Ach, must get some sleep, i'm due at a festival in the morning, help! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Bobert Date: 27 Sep 13 - 08:42 PM Seems that every time I try to downsize I end up upsizing??? Guess I need to work on this... B~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Bettynh Date: 28 Sep 13 - 01:16 PM Don't forget to publicize your sale - I find the middle of the week before a weekend sale is perfect on craigslist. List your location (you can include a map), list directions and hours. And on craigslist you can be chatty - mention you're downsizing, list potentially valuable or interesting stuff, offer a bargain table, and let them know whether dealers are welcome or not (I usually post that earlybirds are welcome, but I won't give my best deal before published hours.) If you think you have something particularly sellable but bulky (furniture, perhaps?) you can place a separate ad for it on craigslist and include "email me or view at my yardsale at..." If you sell something before the yardsale, you can edit or delete reference to it once it's gone. Our local newspapers have started offering free online yardsale notices as well, but they're limited in size. Tell them what you'll do if it rains (I say "I can't deal with rain - I'll delete this and repost with a new time if rain threatens.") If you can recruit neighbors to have sales at the same time (even within a mile apart in the country) you can publish together or mention each other and possibly increase traffic. Clear signs from every direction are important. They can be handmade but have to be readable from a driving speed (ahead of a turn, perhaps). |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 29 Sep 13 - 11:48 AM Betty, that sounds great! If I wanted to interpret your post in light of your cultural/geographic setting, from whereabouts are you suggesting that? ~Susan |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Bettynh Date: 29 Sep 13 - 12:50 PM Susan, I'm in NH in a small (80k or thereabouts) city on the border with Massachusetts. We attract folks from Massachusetts who come to shop salestax free after they've done some yardsale cruising, so a neighborhood sale can cause a traffic jam. I think what I''ve said will hold up in more rural areas, though. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 29 Sep 13 - 01:44 PM Betty, thanks. .. Thinking hypothetically... I suspect that in flatter parts of the US the 1-mile "neighbor" zone might be a tad wider, or in Oz; but in denser UK areas it might be a little less. It's good to know scale to create a tip that may be applied as broadly as the mudcat population is dispersed! :-) --- Bob-n-Peavine, yes n lol. Increase sq ft and contents will tend to spawn to fill. How to avoid upsizing for me has only worked once I knew where we are going sz and lifestyle wise, plus really knowing why sz and style were what I want and need. ~ S ~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: mg Date: 29 Sep 13 - 07:06 PM I would say give away or sell the heaviest furniture...once you downsize you never want to move it again I presume...keep furniture that folds, rolls, does multipurposes. Get rid of most books before downsizing. Most clothing you do not wear..save a couple of nice outfits for funerals and weddings. Think about blow up mattresses if you have younger guests and use any spare room for office, hobbies etc. |
|
Subject: Anne's Long-Awaited Studio From: wysiwyg Date: 30 Sep 13 - 07:27 AM We had a delightful visit last night with a dear soul who had downsized from a large, antique-filled home into a 1-room mini-apartment in an assisted living facility. Here is what she did: She took along a very few cherished and utilitartian pieces to supplement the built-ins. She had time to plan well, so she let all extended family know when to submit a "wish list" for wanted pieces-- then waited till she had all lists, and firmly made the best decisions possible, no arguments allowed. (The pieces she took with her, she discreetly labeled as to eventual recipient.) She is an artist whose home never quite had room for more studio than her kitchen table-- so at the facility negotiated for shared use of a seldom used, north-sunned space, where she and another aged artist each have their own capacious studio section, and where other residents may also enjoy the facility-supplied, carpeted "settin' " section. (The door to this is labeled "Exit," which is true, for emergencies, as it leads to outside doors-- so for the less-cognizant residents it is an alarm-managed door they cannot open without staff coming along to ensure no one is harmed by playing with paints, etc. left to dry.) The maintenance fellows help her with heavy or too-chemically-laden tasks not within her medical safety capabilities. She reciprocates by being the sharpest tack on the floor, always gracious to help anyone in need. ~Susan |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Mr Red Date: 30 Sep 13 - 10:29 AM Never throw things away - never know when you need them. I have a corridor through it all about my width - is that downsizing? I can still open the doors! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: GUEST,Eliza Date: 30 Sep 13 - 01:54 PM Oh Lord, Mr Red, you're a compulsive hoarder! Just think of the spiders living among all that clutter. Shudder! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 01 Oct 13 - 09:36 AM Basic decluttering tips abound in the monthly/seasonal threads findable via Filter, search for ~S~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 01 Oct 13 - 11:23 AM Sorry, post apparently got nipped off (HTML boooboo?). Portion of above should read, Search (Filter) for "Declut". ~S~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Desert Dancer Date: 01 Oct 13 - 12:32 PM A friend shared this article which has some good ideas: Edit Keepsakes With Confidence — What to Let Go and What to Keep; If mementos are weighing you down more than bringing you joy, here's how to lighten your load with no regrets. She's moving to a smaller house, and she just sent me a small box of music/dance items... my husband says, "Now let's make a box to send her!" I've been through a couple of iterations - from house to small apartment to consolidating my small apartment with my husband's... still have work to be done on this front, though. And my 89-year-old mother's place looms on the horizon. ~ Becky in Long Beach |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: GUEST,Eliza Date: 01 Oct 13 - 03:28 PM There was a TV programme recently about hoarders and the misery they go through, unable to throw away anything at all. A specialist tried to help them 'let go' and got a skip ('dumpster'?) but every time she put objects in it, the poor hoarder quietly rescued them and popped them back in the house! They were all depressed and had issues in their past. Once they started therapy it got easier to declutter. It's something that can creep up on people, like over-eating. I live in horror of dying and leaving behind a muddle for my husband to cope with, so we keep things simple and minimal. One good tip is to imagine others getting the pleasure out of the ornaments, objects, clothes, furniture etc. That way you feel quite good about handing them on. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 02 Oct 13 - 10:32 AM Guest, Eliza, Since I can't say this via PM and do not have mod privileges on this thread, I need to ask you, here, to please drop the hoarder angle in this particular thread. That topic is well-handled in the Declut thread. My hope is that we can stick to the topic as outlined in the opening post. Thanks, ~Susan |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 02 Oct 13 - 12:53 PM How well I recall the tinier kitchens I have used at different times in my life. Counter space is always an issue. Below are some ways I have stolen a little space to have more prep space in a small area. What have you been able to squeeze, and how did you do it? Since we don't do HTML tables at Mudcat usually, I'll list these as follows: Place - Available stovetop - Available contiguous counter space - Available contiguous temp space - What was the trick that made it work - OK. Mine, in no particular order: Place - Bedsitter with tiny sink Available stovetop - 1-burner on top of small metal cabinet Available contiguous counter space - none Available contiguous temp space - tiny table What was the trick that made it work - shopping daily for anything needing refrigeration and lots of oatmeal/peanut butter brekkies Place - Motel Available stovetop - Microwave, coffeepot Available contiguous counter space - 5-24" Available contiguous temp space - supplied luggage rack with supplied towel; other supplied furniture w/supplied towels What was the trick that made it work - using supplied items and having basic cooking containers/implements/paper table service on board. Re-using styro leftover boxes as food containers, if fridge. Of course using AC to cool things if no fridge. Place - Home office Available stovetop - Microwave, tiny toaster oven Available contiguous counter space - 24" if no office clutter Available contiguous temp space - desktop What was the trick that made it work - glass on desktop, minimal clutter, nearby drawer for utensils Place - 5th floor walkup rooftop, Chicago Available stovetop - Narrow apt-sz 4-burner w oven Available contiguous counter space - table to left jammed into corner, loaded with canisters against wall Available contiguous temp space - none. Not one counter. What was the trick that made it work - wood-topped folding tray table used only as needed Place - Pop-up Camper Available stovetop - 2 burner cooktop Available contiguous counter space - about 5 inches all around for prep space (supplementing chop/prep space at other end of camper at dining table) Available contiguous temp space - bunk to right, folding metal camp table in camper doorway What was the trick that made it work - insulated pad on top of adjoining bunk, cheap WalMart multipurpose camping table Place - Van set up for boondocking Available stovetop - None. Boiling pot inside cooler. Available counter space - Cooler top Available contiguous temp space - a 12' strip of carpeted van floor What was the trick that made it work - the folding stool w/12" top I carry. Place - Mudcat Dorm converted to large bedsitter, no water line Available stovetop - Microwave on top of 3-shelf unit shaped like fridge Available contiguous counter space - large folding camp table Available contiguous temp space - shelf below microwave, top of microwave What was the trick that made it work - the shelving unit on wheels, which held a breadbox for mouse-proof groceries and a 2-gal water cooler. Camp table contiguous was prep space. Place - Current rented house Available stovetop - very nice electric 4-burner cooktop with downdraft fan Available contiguous counter space - about 16" either side Available contiguous temp space - One side of the cooktop, for an electric appliance in back and prep space in front What was the trick that made it work - Using the 2 burners we seldom use, plus large metal-topped island behind the chef for prep and serving Place - Vacay house Available stovetop - 4-burner gas range (oven below) Available contiguous counter space - scant, once other appliances are added Available contiguous temp space - will use 1 side of range for appliance, and island described above What was the trick that made it work - the island plus the oak sideboard that will line a wall as an appliance/cookbook/serving pieces garage ~S~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Rumncoke Date: 02 Oct 13 - 01:42 PM When downsizing do be sure that what you get rid of doesn't have any value. My driving instructor, 32 years ago now, told me of the old lady moving into a smaller place and the grandchildren threw out about half a million pounds worth of her husband's collection of statuettes of scantily clad young women. They were stacked in a bedroom in hundreds of dusty cardboard boxes as she didn't like them. Plus I hear people boasting about buying items at boot sales or in charity shops for pennies which were worth considerable amounts. A schooner - I think it is a drinking glass - bought for less than a pound and sold for 200 is possibly the best bargain I heard about. The Clarice Cliff tea service my mother in law had almost got dumped when the house was being cleared. A slow and steady sorting out is by far the best way to go about reducing a household - enjoy doing a bit of research, visit toy collector shows or look on line and then search the attic for that set of bricks grandma gave the children or the porcelain/wax headed doll put away in case if got broken. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: GUEST,Eliza Date: 02 Oct 13 - 02:53 PM Dear Susan, I see. Eliza. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: Eldergirl Date: 02 Oct 13 - 09:01 PM As Eliza said a few posts back, one person's junk is another person's treasure, and there's no telling what people will buy if given the chance. And I agree with Rumncoke, slow and steady does it. My other half is still grieved about the Hornby train set which wasn't in the attic when we cleared my in-laws' house. Think it was ditched in a mad clear-out by my pa-in-law a few years earlier. Worth money, but mistakenly junked. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 02 Oct 13 - 09:30 PM Thanks, Eliza! ~S~ |
|
Subject: Storage Tricks From: wysiwyg Date: 05 Oct 13 - 02:35 PM What are you using around your place for downsized storage? I'm using a lot of different things, one of which is those re-usable grocery store bags, which have generally replaced the old brown-paper foldable sack with handles. Some are plastic-coated and printed with seasonal themes or other decor to make it easier to spot what sorts of stuff might be in the far-back or tiptop of that odd closet. ~S~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 06 Oct 13 - 11:56 AM I have something to tell people who are planning on downsizing. It's true in the U.S and probably true elsewhere. My in-laws decided to downsize and moved into assisted living before their house was sold. That's when we all learned that mainstream insurance companies will not insure an empty house. We were directed to a small, local agent who demanded $1000 every six months. Nobody had budgeted for that. I suggested that an impecunious relative move in and take care of the place, but the reply was "We couldn't do that!" Go figure. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Downsizing Tips Here From: wysiwyg Date: 06 Oct 13 - 12:17 PM L, OMG (Thanks!!!) ~S~ |
|
Subject: Maximizing Tight Closet Spaces From: wysiwyg Date: 06 Oct 13 - 12:43 PM At the moment I have three times the amount of clothes I expect to have later, which is straining the closets here. Closet space will also be less commodious than now, in future plans. And I am not yet reduced to Spacebags, tho the cheaper knockoffs have promise for later, under-bed ideas. But for now I need it all to be hanging, not folded and hermetically sealed-- so I bought those thingies that let you hang a lot in a small space: HangUps Now, I find I still have too little rod space, so have used hangers as mannequins (A la What Not to Wear's "rules" mannequins), to make up a batch of fall outfits. I have 3 pairs of dress pants and 2 pairs of colored jeans, and these go interchangeably with all the various tops, jackets, and sweaters. So, on each top-half-of-me hanger are now color-coordinated outfits which the pants complete-- shells inside jackets, etc. For local wear the jeans are usually fine, and for business-wear elsewhere I'll wear the better trousers. (And of course I have drop-dead cocktail or funeral wear in a secure closet.) Taking the time to put these together is a good habit to cultivate now, because I do not expect to have limitless closet spaces later in my life; then, it will be a nice way to get dry-cleaning out of the stifling plastic wrap, into air-out mode, and then neatly into the closet. And when the LR clothes rod is full..... I can hang these many outfit sets ON THE HANG-US, in the relatively dust-free closet! ~Susan |
