support thread for serious decluttering/moving? - Page 13

[_betsy_]

Yeah, just what I came here looking for! I haven't been here forever, but I was hoping to connect with other Mamas who are moving.

We're selling our condo and moving (somewhere not too far away, don't know where yet). We had the real estate team over today, took pictures and worked on the write up and  signed paperwork. Won't really feel official until it's on the MLS and I can see the photos online!

This will be our first selling experience. Ia m NOT looking forward to showings and the disruption this will cause all of us. With a kindergartener and a 3 year old, we have lots of toys -- though I have decluttered an AMAZING amount and the agents were thrilled with the work we had done since they were last here. We got a storage unit and have practically filled it up... so a lot of our stuff is already packed, which should make moving more manageable, right?

DH spackled and repainted, new grout around the tub, all that stuff, while I packed things for storage.

Anyway, I was hoping to hear from other moms of young ones on what it's like living in a house that's on the market. I WOH FT, nights, so I am home most of the day and I get a later start than most people. It'll be easier with the nice weather to just pack up and hit a park as needed for showings.

What MUST be done before each showing? I assume counters cleared, sink empty, tidy home, clean bathrooms... Do people expect to see vacuum lines? Do I have to take out the garbage/recycling every day?

Experiences? Advice? How disruptive is it? 

[worthy]

Welcome, Betsy!  We sold our previous house with a 10 mo, 3yo, and 4yo.  It can be done.  I'm sorry I don't have time now to say more, but I will come back to it!

[AfricanQueen99]

Betsy - we sold our last house when the oldest was 18 months. I found the easiest thing to do was to wait for the agent to get to the house and *then* leave. I packed up the kid in the stroller and grabbed the dog and we walked the neighborhood until they left. It's fairly common for people to make the appointment and then not show up...which would have irked me if I made serious plans.

Our house goes on the market on Friday and I'm planning on the same system with three kids and the same old dog. . Luckily we leave on Friday for a ten day vacation so I would seriously love to have an offer without disrupting our lives!!

Personally, I think you're given a bit of a "pass" since you have small kids. People won't mind a few toys on the floor when they're looking around.

For me, I'm going to vacuum every morning (which is so far from my norm it's funny), have a couple of "10 minutes to run around and clean like Mommy" times a day, and wipe off the counters the final minutes before we walk out the door. I think it will be good enough. My agent also said that in a pinch I should shove stuff under the beds (a space we don't use for anything) and not in closets.

[PenelopeJune]

Well, almost everything I own is in a 10x10 storage unit, and only the few things I need over the next two months (my clothes, makeup, computer) and a few things my kids need (a small box of toys, their bunkbed, and their clothes) are here at my mom's house, where we will be staying until August 1. I cannot WAIT to get my apartment! These next two months are really going to help me to appreciate it.

I am totally decluttered. When I get my place, I only have exactly what I need. I have four glasses, four plates, and four bowls. (Okay, that's one extra from what we need, since I only have two kids...) I have no extra junk. It's both nice and also a little scary to have so little "stuff." My apartment will be nice and tidy, though.

[worthy]

PenelopeJune, that is AWESOME!  Must feel so good!!!!!  You are an inspiration.
 

[journeymom]

Glad I found this thread.  I'm getting a lot of great information and inspiration. Your posts here are so enthusiastic, I'm psyched to get cracking!

We're getting ready for a short-sale of our home.  We've been here for 10 years, so have the attending 10 years (plus 20 years of marriage) of stuff to recycle, toss, shred, sell and pack. 

It's going to be really nerve wracking, to say the least.  Dh and I agreed that the next few months we're going to have to put double the effort into being calm and flexible, and not bite each other's heads off.  I know that plowing through 20 years of accumulated stuff is going to surface some resentment with me: the office dh took over with piles and piles of computer equipment and boxes, the piles and piles of stuff in the garage that I feel was never my responsibility to care for.  So, for my part I'm going to work very hard on not letting resentment take over each time I tackle a corner of the house, and dh needs to commit to sorting and getting rid of a whole lot of equipment and junk.

I'm trying to emotionally distance myself from this sale, as we're moving under less than ideal circumstances (mortgage is upside down, we're in financial trouble) and we need to do what's right for us, not what saves face.  It helps to remember that this is a business transaction that's going to leave us in much better financial health and stability. 

I'm reminding dh and myself that keeping an 'up' attitude is going to help our kids cope with this much better. Which of course makes things easier for the two of us.  

I've been skimming from the first page. Apparently investing in a lable-maker is beneficial?    Someone here mentioned that a couple months ago. 

Yard sales, Craig's List, Freecycle, etc:  I haven't done anything like that.  I'm 44 years old and have never held a yard sale!  I'm thinking I must be brave, the time has come to attempt a yard sale!  Lol! 

[worthy]

Let's see...I told the realtor, no showings without at least an hour's notice, preferably 24 hours.  We packed away a ton of stuff so there wasn't much to clean up.  I did the floors first thing every morning (vacuum and dry mop).  We were lucky and sold after just a couple of showings.  Even that was stressful.  I also second the advice of waiting until the people show up and then leaving, so you don't take kids out unnecessarily.  I think paring WAY down on toys and just putting all the most messy stuff in storage helped us a lot.

I'd build a separate time, or two, into your daily routine for extra tidying to keep it manageable if you get a showing on short notice. 

I think people understand if you have small kids.  I would not leave smelly garbage out, but trash in the trash bin?  Sure.  (Take the diaper pail out with you when you go.)  Counters as bare as you can possibly make them; everything up in cabinets.  Wipe the counters and tables down, wipe the sink and sink fixtures down, swish the toilets, etc.

Keep some glass cleaner handy if you have glass doors/windows/mirrors that get fingerprinted.

I also bought rolls of instant chocolate-chip cookie dough and cut off and baked like 4 cookies just before people came over.  With that rolled-up dough you can easily do this over and over.  I also put out a pitcher of lemonade and/or water with lemon floating in it, and glasses.  The house smelled heavenly from the cookies and people appreciated the snack (it was summertime).

I had special new towels that I put out just for showings! 

I used opaque plastic bins in closets for hiding stuff on short notice.

No need to leave vacuum lines, just make sure the crumbs are gone.

Also I would make the beds in the morning and make the bedroom off-limits after that...so when the time came, it was only the kitchen, living room, and bathroom that needed cleaning.  If you have multiple bathrooms make all but one off-limits for the same reason.

I think a strategic use of videos for that half-hour before the showing is a good idea if it will keep your kids out of trouble while you run around and tidy up.

Good luck!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by _betsy_ 

Yeah, just what I came here looking for! I haven't been here forever, but I was hoping to connect with other Mamas who are moving.

We're selling our condo and moving (somewhere not too far away, don't know where yet). We had the real estate team over today, took pictures and worked on the write up and  signed paperwork. Won't really feel official until it's on the MLS and I can see the photos online!

This will be our first selling experience. Ia m NOT looking forward to showings and the disruption this will cause all of us. With a kindergartener and a 3 year old, we have lots of toys -- though I have decluttered an AMAZING amount and the agents were thrilled with the work we had done since they were last here. We got a storage unit and have practically filled it up... so a lot of our stuff is already packed, which should make moving more manageable, right?

DH spackled and repainted, new grout around the tub, all that stuff, while I packed things for storage.

Anyway, I was hoping to hear from other moms of young ones on what it's like living in a house that's on the market. I WOH FT, nights, so I am home most of the day and I get a later start than most people. It'll be easier with the nice weather to just pack up and hit a park as needed for showings.

What MUST be done before each showing? I assume counters cleared, sink empty, tidy home, clean bathrooms... Do people expect to see vacuum lines? Do I have to take out the garbage/recycling every day?

Experiences? Advice? How disruptive is it? 

[kt~mommy]

well, it finally feels official... i really thought i'd probably move this year, and now i'm official loan approved and i have a definate date as to when i need to be out of my current place (it was up in the air before). so my motivation is renewed. my mom is going to start coming over on weekends to help sort and pack and i have GOT to have myself a garage sale!

[worthy]

Trying to figure out in the next couple of weeks whether to do a short sale or foreclosure.    Sad that I'm in this position at all.  I need it sorted out and decided before July 1st.  Might need to be out of this home by Oct 1st.  My parents are hopefully helping me get a new place, but we're in limbo on that front right now -- not much on the market, and the one I reeeeallly want is a stretch for them (worth it, I think, but it's their decision ultimately.)

I ran out of steam this week but am trying to put myself back together and keep moving forward.  The pool table downstairs SHOULD be gone on Thursday -- we set up an appointment for the guy to come get it.  I had a super-busy week and I'm now tidying up, getting the dishes under control, etc.  The constant rain is not a help.  The "easy" lawnmower still is not fixed, grr.  PMS also is not helping, LOL.  Just one foot in front of the other until it's done.

I hate this limbo.  Want to be done!!!
 

[zebra15]

Hugs to everyone.  We are living with my parents and this is a whole new set of challenges.

[journeymom]

Originally Posted by worthy 

Trying to figure out in the next couple of weeks whether to do a short sale or foreclosure.    Sad that I'm in this position at all.
 

Among other reasons, we chose to do a short sale instead of a foreclosure so that we're the ones that made the decision.  Sort of a "You can't fire me, I quit!" thing.  I'm just so disgusted that our creditors, including the mortgage company, have been completely unwilling to work with us.  We're selling it, they're not taking it away from us and kicking us out.   I know, it's kind of a thin difference there!  We're still going to have to declare bankruptcy afterwards. But it makes me feel better. 

Originally Posted by zebra15 

Hugs to everyone.  We are living with my parents and this is a whole new set of challenges.

How long will you be with your parents? 

Thanks, Worthy, for your post up there about showing the house. I don't know what to expect when we get to that point!  That's really helpful.

[zebra15]

I dont know how long we will be at my parents house.  As soon as I get a job offer in writing I can go rent an apartment.  I've been doing resumes every day and trying to set up as many interviews as I can.  This area of the country is much better economically than the area I left, however, companies are slower - much slower to respond to resumes and slower to fill openings.  We've been here 3 1/2 weeks, I've had 3 interviews, several phone calls type interviews and I have at least one more interview waiting to be scheduled. Plus I'm waiting to hear back from an interview I had last week (I thought that one was going to be an offer for sure but... now I'm wondering).

Living with my parents is just so 'challenging' on so many different levels.  We defiantly need our own space, and fast.  I'm living out of boxes in the garage and a few items in the house.  My  mother is very territorial and controlling  OMG!

[worthy]

There's nothing like planning a big potluck/party to get the clutter consolidated in the garage.  LOL!   At least there is plenty of space in the garage for the clutter, and it feels good consolidating it (or the majority of it) into one big pile that will be easy to chip away at over the next few weeks.

Supposedly tomorrow is the day the (set-up) pool table will be gone.  Yay.  Still have one in storage, but that is less pressing.  Get the big lunking eyesore out of here!

The yard is a mess -- tons of rain, no time to mow or garden -- sigh.

At least the moving-clutter-into-the-garage is lifting my spirits for now.
 

[Chalex]

Hi Ladies,

We sold our house!  Rather quickly too--less than a week on the market!

We ended up getting a storage locker which is filled to the brim.  Still, a lot in those boxes that can be decluttered, I'm sure, but we really wanted the house listed.

We also had a stager come in and we rented out her fancy artwork, sheet sets, sheers, throw cushions, knick knacks....we just didn't have the time to do all the shopping and really it's not that expensive.  (actually, our real estate agent decide to pay the bill, which shocked us!)  Our online photo's totally didn't look like we lived in the house :)

So, getting the kids and dog out the door was a royal pain, especially when they touch everything and don't want to let me just clean up and set up.  (we had the table set and bedding to change, etc.)  But, I lucked out with my mother coming to stay with us the last couple weeks and she's born organized and obsessively clean.  LOL  (I was tempted to lock the kids in the van with a DVD if I had to do all the setting/cleaning up myself! eek!)

Betsy:  When showing the house the stager told us to turn on every light, everything off counters (except our kettle in the kitchen),  all windows closed but curtains way open,  boil cinnamon in a bowl in the microwave (we don't have a microwave, so I just bought some cookie scented air fresheners),  make sure all vehicles are out of the drive way, then basic tidy out front--we left our garbage in the garage...)

Good luck!   Hmmm...now to get a house to move into....

[worthy]

Chalex, that is awesome!  Proof that it can be done...really great to hear.

I negotiated with XH in writing for more time...basically the house will not go on the market until Oct 1st, to give the kids and me time to find a place to move before making a decision about how to leave the house (short sale, foreclosure, deed in lieu, whatever is best).  It's complicated and I won't go into more detail except to say that when XH left, I was left with an unreasonable financial burden and the path was pretty much set by that.

Fingers crossed that "the house" will work out before then.  Or that some reasonable second-best will surface in time.

Good luck to all who are selling, looking, moving, packing...
 

[worthy]

How is everyone doing?  I'm headed into my garage RIGHT NOW for some quick, focused work.  I'm gonna try to get the recycling and trash all separated out of the pile, and stuff that really belongs "in the house" piled into the kitchen so I can put it away later.

Soooooooooo sick of the Garage Pile.  Time to make it go away for good.

[worthy]

Ugh.  I am out of steam.  Whew.  Recycling is piled into my car, trash and paper compost and metal recycling just waiting for the right day to get rid of them.  There are still a couple of boxes of junk to go through, and other cleanup/tidying on the things I'm definitely keeping.  But I made a lot of progress and I shouldn't have expected to get it all miraculously done in one morning.  I hate the slow nature of this -- the garage has been a mess since we moved in, and it's still not quite "not a mess," but at least I'm not un-do-ing the work by adding anything to it.  I'm stuck in that "will it ever be done?!" part.  But it has to, right, if I keep at it?

I'm just too darn responsible.  Can't toss anything that could be useful to someone.  Bane of my existence!  So I have all these piles...recycle, compost, donate, give to particular friends...and sometimes I wish I was the kind of person who could just get a dumpster and be done with it.  But no.
 

[zebra15]

Worthy- I give you permission to get rid of everything. You do not need to find a 'home' for every last little thing.  You CAN get a dumpster and be done with this.

[mromans]

We moved when I had one in half day Kindergarten, a two-year-old and a four month old. Whew. I had one hour notice on showings. People would come all sorts of time, such as two hours later while we were eating dinner, etc. The worst was when we all had the stomach flu and canceled showings, but the people showed up anyway.

This is what I did:

• In the morning, tidy the upstairs and then keep it off limits. 
• Pack boxes, label with a number and keep a computer file on what was in each box. Pack the boxes neatly in a corner of the basement to be moved to storage later
• Cut up apples and place them in the crockpot with a little water. Heat on low. They can be left all day to make the house smell nice, and I used the homemade applesauce for my kids
• When I was exhausted, I would pack the kids in the car with a portable DVD player and park a couple of blocks away so I could see when the showing ended and could get back in the house. I felt weird about doing this, but with two in diapers, and selling in the middle of winter, it sometimes saved my sanity. 
• Use small bags for diapers, garbage, etc., so they can be quickly tossed
• Stash laundry in the dry washer or the dryer if needed, or use a towel to cover the top of baskets containing dirty laundry. 
• Invest in lots of windex and paper towels. In five minutes, all of the sinks, faucets, toilets, etc are shiny. 
• Toss, toss, toss. Sometimes it is cheaper to re-buy something than it is to pay to move it, and most of the time you find you can live without it anyway. 

[lunarlady]

A lot has happened since I last checked in. We found a renter (hooray!) Now that the lease is signed I can stop worrying about being show ready and just focus on packing. With one week left until moving day I've grown far more ruthless. Trial sized toiletry items -trash. Clothing I'm not crazy about - donate. Organizers, bins, etc. that may not work in the new house - donate. Food items - trashed. I honestly struggle to throw things that are "still good" into the trash, but at this point I just need to focus on the fact that after living in my drawers for years, these products are most likely chock full of BPA, and that hauling them to the new house isn't going to make my new space womderul. Trash, trash, trash!