Moving/downsizing one year on

I am in the middle of doing this so I am in Packing Box city at the moment. We too are downsizing and we have had to get rid of so much (long overdue for some of it) Nevertheless a very emotional experience after 41 years of marriage. A lot of tearful sessions, doubts and anxiety. Our stuff goes into store and we leave on the house on the 2nd which basically leaves us homeless as we sold quickly and haven't had time to look for another house. We do have a plan in place. Any hints or tips??

Lovely to read your positive post Riversidegirl.

I found dismantling my family home very painful and because of Covid, had to leave all of the furniture I'd hoped to sell for free with my house. When my Mum died she left me some money, and amongst other things, I bought two life size bronze lions for the garden. My buyer wouldn't buy them, and insisted they were removed before completion, so I had to give them away to a neighbour. The neighbour's garden is visible from the river path, and I saw them last night - it was an odd feeling.

I had to squeeze into a tiny rented two bed cottage and hope to buy a three bed bungalow, which is going slowly. I'm going to have a fresh start and make sure I only buy things I absolutely love. Newatthis, try and find a rental with a garage, mine is full to the ceiling, I'm so glad I didn't have to pay for storage on top of my rent.

My move wasn't easy as I had 2 buyers pulled out just before exchange. Luckily my bungalow was still on the market and the vendors still went with me. Put my house on the market March 2018 moved August 2019. I downsized from large 3 bed semi with large gardens to 2 bed bungalow with gardens from and back ideal size for me to do myself had always had to have a gardener since my husband died. Best thing I ever did was move. Had to get rid of lots of things but the relief getting rid of stuff was wonderful. I love my pared down life. I spent 34 years in the same house . Unfortunately my husband died in 2004 so I spent a long time on my own in a house way to big for me. As the children had left home. But had parents and mother in law to look after. That's why I stayed.

I moved over 100 miles. And love my home. I feel at peace. Had a lot of work done and love everything I've had done. Everything is my choice which I have never had before. I cleared both gardens and have replanted with what I want. It's been tiring but exciting all at the same time. Only the living room and hall to be decorated next year and paving in the back garden. Already chosen my colours. My neighbours are wonderful and couldn't have chosen a better place to live.

Since moving my life has had its ups and downs but moving wasn't one of them. I don't miss my old house or old life one bit. Love the new me and life.

We have just moved from our family home of 35 years and spent weeks packing and also getting rid of so much stuff. Years and years of old cards, children's school books, business papers, dolls houses, mum's china and a loft full it took 2 days to empty. It still took 3 furniture vans to take our furniture which is now in storage along with a lock up we've rented which is full. We already had a small bungalow we're now living in but always knew it wouldn't be big enough so are in the process of buying another house but I'm determined we won't fill it with so much stuff this time.

I thought it would be really upsetting to move out of our house and away from everything we're so familiar with back to our old home town but in reality it was pretty easy and there were no tears as we shut the door for the final time.

People are not very big. Their possessions though is another matter entirely.

I’m more than happy having downsized 10 years ago. So many older people ‘cling on’ to family sized houses and ‘stuff’.

I found it immensely liberating to let go. We have led a much different lifestyle since and feel only joy that we were brave enough to ‘do it’. We take our memories and photos with us. Good enough!

It all sounds lovely but I'm very much stuck for some time now due to the pandemic- I downsized personal items but the housing market here has become brutal- I can't move- The inventory is scant at best because the interest rates are low and lots of people are buying and sellers are asking more than homes are worth-

We downsized just over 2 years ago and so happy not to be rattling around in a large house with equally large garden.
I can now walk to the shops previously in a tiny and picturesque village but 3 miles to any amenities so not good as one gets older.
Never think of our previous home and glad to be rid of the mountains of stuff we had to get rid off.

All my art and hobby stuff was put in the attic. I now find the ladder too steep so haven't seen them since. The pictures I brought don't really suit the house so remain unhung.Even though I threw out a skipload of stuff the garage and outhouse have collected enough to fill another. I was glad I had the furniture and curtains sorted before I moved in for I wouldn't want to be shopping now.
As for social life it is very quiet here and the one group I joined has shut for the pandemic and may never reopen as most were older people.Good for walks and local shops and a nice garden.

Fairly positive on the whole; for those of us stuck, my loving thoughts and best wishes. I do wish it was worth putting our pictures in an auction though. I am planning on hanging them in the basement.......It's lovely to be able to sit and read the papers at the weekend (although miserable) instead of (hard) gardening etc. We have planted a small mixed fruit orchard, it's just a year old. I am hoping to have a small fig plantation on the other side of the path. Can I recommend growing figs? We had a 20 year old neglected Brown Turkey treelet, which is up against a south wall and has gone mad this year. I have found cuttings from public trees (including from the oldest Inn in Britain, the Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham) and am amazed at how they are growing. I never thought I should find a new hobby after all these years, but I'm loving it. See the Facebook group for fig growers! We can be in the city centre on foot in 25 minutes. I'm so happy to be back.

It's nearly two years since I moved and I love my new house and much prefer this area. I can walk to the High Street and it is much leafier and less urban. Like everyone else, I spent a lot of time decluttering before I moved but do still need to get rid of more.
I've been slow in getting things done here as nothing is urgent. I do miss my old neighbours and haven't got to know people here much. None of the social things I do re-opened in the summer, nor do zoom meetings. This doesn't stop me preferring the new house.

How are we all after 6 years????

As was one of the original group back in 2019. I moved from my house in London to a flat in Weston-super-Mare at the end of October, 2019. Just had time to commence settling in when he pandemic hit. Survived that and since then have had carried out major work on the flat - new bathroom, kitchen, ensuite, flooring throughout. Some new furniture.

Very settled in here. The flat is situated near town centre, I need to use a disability scooter for getting around,and with that have so much within ten minutes of home - beach, high street shops, two theatres, cinemas, library, park, museum, Bus hub, GP's surgery about a mile away, and hospital 2 miles, but easily reached by bus.

I am fortunate that one of my daughters lives less than a quarter of a mile away. I have taken up various activities with u3a, and knitting groups.

I have various medical problems, and really do hate the long dark nights of winter (always have but I am getting worse), finding myself feeling panicky as it gets dark each night.

But on the whole things going well. Was one of the best decisions I ever made to make that move, much better in a small town than a large London borough. I am also secretary of our Flats Management Committee which means that I have to deal with solicitors any time any of our 25 flats are being sold. The whole system has definitely got more difficult in these last six years - I will never move again. Anyone in the process has my deep sympathy - it was bad in 2019 but horrific now.

Well we are in the last stages of downsizing. Our furniture and belongings were delivered last Friday and Saturday, and we cannot move for a sea of boxes.

We had a major clear out of furniture before we moved. We sold a lot of our furniture to our buyers. The biggest problem is that we have bought a project house. It wasn't really our intention, although we are serial doer-uppers, but in well over a year of looking this was the only house that met our space requirements and was by far the nearest to amenities. Everything, optician podiatrist, dentist, doctor, 2 supermarkets, other food shops, even a Waterstones are within a couple of hundred yards of our new home.

So we have been camping for three months while house wide work is done - central heating installation, plastering, flooring.

Our biggest problem has been discovering that we cannot get most of our chest of drawers upstairs as the landing is too narrow at the top of the stairs. we got one up and this has given us maximum dimensions. The rest will go to the local auction and we will hope to buy some smaller ones there as well.

Similarly several other items - like the coffee table -are just too big for the new living room.

But the main thing is what I call the persective view. When we have moved before it has been to houses the same size or larger than the previous ones and our life perspective has been 30 years or more. Now we are in our early 80s and our life perspective is probably 10 years max, so I am looking at things and thinking - will I need this in th next 10 years. A simle example, as our children grew up a selection of their toys were kept - for visiting children (really if/when we have grandchildren). Well, we have grandchildren, all in their late teens. We will not be here for great grandchildren, so the toys have gone - and this has applied to all kinds of things.

However, the biggest problem at the moment is that we do not a garage , so lots of stuff is going to a storage room, mainly kitchen stuff bcause currently my kitchen is tiny, but an extension is pending.

Its just over 2 years since we moved back to where we had been living for ten years previously. We had moved north to be near our daughter. My husband found it very difficult and we moved back so I had to drop seeing my daughter and grandson regularly and leave a nice spacious 4 bed detached for a smaller 3 bed as house prices had changed. My daughter is now getting a divorce and needs me more. Another move is out of the question. I still don't care for this house but we have made it nice and comfy. We differ fundamentally - I want to be in a village in the countryside he wants to be in town. Guess who won!

Franbern. Glad it has worked out for you. I can't believe it is 6 years since that stressful time. We are now cosy in our bungalow. A few things still to do but nothing urgent. Love and best wishes for 2026.

We downsized almost 20 years ago, in our 50's, and then did it again 5 years ago in our 70's. We couldn't be happier now, it's actually smaller than our first home and is ideal.

Riversidegirl

18 months ago there was a group of us suffering the pain of selling and moving. Downsizing, estate agents, buyers, surveyors, removal firms, solicitors, oh it was hard!

Where are we now? We got fed up in the end, as we were supposed to be moving that week before the Autumn term started, and the vans were all booked. So we put everything in store and moved in with son and family.

A year and a bit on, we have almost completely refurbished (good old Ikea) and just have decorating left. Plus the remnants of 55 years of married life in boxes in the basement....yes! we are so lucky to have that basement.

I can't believe we got rid of nearly all our precious stuff; we each have a huge cupboard in the biggest room, laughingly called THE STUDY; mine is full of family history and family treasures.

So glad we moved when we did. I don't think I could have coped much longer. Sadly we have not had a deal of social life because of the virus, but hey, we are still here and have a wonderful view over the city and wooded countryside.

Good for you.
Time to enjoy!

,👍💃

Interesting thread. We're decluttering.

We've never moved, approximately 65 years in this home. Children's toys, books, clothing are all moving to our children and grandchildren for theirs. Crockery and cutlery sets, linens, kitchen items are also moving to our children.

Emptying extra bedrooms. Ease for our children when we pass.

Mine have different preferences to me as regards furniture etc they have been in their own houses many years, bigger than mine, they are happy with what they have. All my stuff will have to be donated but I have had my pleasure out of it. It's finding an area to suit me thats the problem.

It's interesting. Some people stay in a house for years we have always moved every 10 to 15 years as things have changed.
Do I suffer from ADHD or something? Is it easier for me to forget the past and move on ?
Ideally I would move to a small place on the south coast.

Allsorts

Mine have different preferences to me as regards furniture etc they have been in their own houses many years, bigger than mine, they are happy with what they have. All my stuff will have to be donated but I have had my pleasure out of it. It's finding an area to suit me thats the problem.

We are secondhand Roses. All our furniture (except the settee) is secondhand, mostly inherited. DC love our furniture and have quite a lot from us. We dare not get rid of anything without offering it to them first and DGD cannot wait to have her own home so she can join in.

However their style and use of our furniture is entirely different from ours. Our DD taste is mid=century modern. DS & DDiL are more Boho, with white/dark blue paint and stripped floors.

We are just conventional modern country house, in a much smaller building.

I moved in December 2019, downsized.
I got rid of so much stuff before I moved, given away or sold. Thought I'd done well, until I moved in and saw I had to do more. I'm happy to decanter so things have gone easily. There are just a couple of small things left that haven't sold, so although they hold memories I am charity shopping them in the New Year! Then all will be completed on the decluttering side. We've built a large extension, it's still a much smaller house than before, decorated throughout and settled in with the local villagers, it's bliss!

Shandy3 I think you used to have a different name in 2019 . The year a lot of us moved . And we where all happy with our moves. But decluttering is a never ending task . For me mainly kitchen things as I can't cope with the weight of stoneware oven dishes so gone back to the old white aluminium with blue line round the edge.

Unfortunately my book collection and craft stuff has grown . 🤦😄

Happy Christmas Shandy. Good to see you posting. I often think of you and I'm so glad to hear that you are happy in your home.