Desperately trying to downsize

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I finally bit the bullet and contacted an estate seller. She graciously agreed to come and look at what I want to sell since I am now considering moving into an independent senior facility.

Well, the bottom line is:
1) my house is not in a good local to have an estate sale because of the sparse parking available.
2) my house smells strongly of cat pee which would put a lot of people off on buying anything, and
3) With the antiques market in such a downturn these days, I just don't have the quantity or quality of items that would make it worth her wile to conduct an estate sale.

I guess I'm still stuck trying to downsize on my own - 2500 sq ft of "stuff" nobody wants.
 

Sorry to hear that she cannot help you.

Perhaps take an ad out in your local newspaper, that you are going to move and need to get rid of the stuff in your estate. List a day & time that people can come? Or perhaps your city has some type of on-line community board where you can list the stuff there?
 
Around here there are little consignment boutiques that will also buy antiques. Is there anything like that where you live?
 

If you house smells that strongly you probably shouldn't try to sell anything as the items probably smell too.
 
"...trying to downsize on my own."

Do you have a plan, deboden?

It's a huge drag that you were left with a house, and the stuff in it, that doesn't suit you at all. This happened to two acquaintances of mine - one had a house left to him by his father, the other had to clear out her mother's house full of "antiques" and brick-brac that was of little or no value.

The guy who got the house donated it to his church. He could have donated it to the local college, a medical college that is affiliated with a medical center, or only to their cancer center. But anyway, he chose the church, and was able to deduct the given value when he did his taxes for that year.

The lady got a bunch of boxes from a department store, filled each one with various glass pieces and what-nots, and sold them for $5 to $20 per box at what she called a "surprise-box yard sale". Anything that didn't sell, she put out on the driveway the following week with a "Free" sign. The furniture was another story. What she couldn't sell, she donated to the Salvation Army (or whatever). She did have one really nice old chest that she sold back to the manufacturer for a pretty good price, but otherwise made very little off her mother's *treasures*.

They didn't really profit, they just got out from under the responsibility and cost of maintaining this stuff.

As always, good luck to you, deboden.
 
When I was moving out of the house that had been my parents', I contacted estate-sale agents and antiques dealers and was surprised to find that even the items that were valuable would not bring much money because they were not what people were buying at that time. Even the depression glass didn't get any interest. I learned that an item is worth only as much as someone is willing to pay for it at that particular time. Maybe if I'd had money and space to store some of the things until they were popular again, but I didn't. The only things that were of any real monetary value turned out to be the gold and the sterling.

I had two cats at the time, and two litter boxes, but no one -- agents, dealers, my friends, other visitors -- mentioned smelling cat pee, not even my friends whom I asked. A house shouldn't smell like cat pee if the litter boxes are kept clean, unless an entire tom was living there. And not many people keep entire toms indoors unless they are running a cattery.
 
Guitarist said:
When I was moving out of the house that had been my parents', I contacted estate-sale agents and antiques dealers and was surprised to find that even the items that were valuable would not bring much money because they were not what people were buying at that time. Even the depression glass didn't get any interest. I learned that an item is worth only as much as someone is willing to pay for it at that particular time. Maybe if I'd had money and space to store some of the things until they were popular again, but I didn't. The only things that were of any real monetary value turned out to be the gold and the sterling.

I had two cats at the time, and two litter boxes, but no one -- agents, dealers, my friends, other visitors -- mentioned smelling cat pee, not even my friends whom I asked. A house shouldn't smell like cat pee if the litter boxes are kept clean, unless an entire tom was living there. And not many people keep entire toms indoors unless they are running a cattery.
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Might be that as OUR elders pass away, the market is saturated with the items they leave behind. That greatly reduces their perceived value.

And, if I remember right, Deboden mentioned the pee smell was already there when she got the house.
 
The problem too. We have six cats and two dogs. You become immune to the fragrance. I dunno...I'm downsizing by just donating to local churches and my favorite library. My Dad had success on Ebay but I don't know how that works.
 
For me, I just ask the local charity if they want the stuff. Then they haul it away and sell it for cheap. Someone out there needs stuff, and they can't afford to pay much.
 
Guitarist said:
I had two cats at the time, and two litter boxes, but no one -- agents, dealers, my friends, other visitors -- mentioned smelling cat pee, not even my friends whom I asked. A house shouldn't smell like cat pee if the litter boxes are kept clean, unless an entire tom was living there. And not many people keep entire toms indoors unless they are running a cattery.
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My mother had 11 cats at one time and some of them weren't too particular where they relieved themselves. One area of carpet in front of the side porch door is actually brown and stiff with old cat pee and the floor boards are warped there. I've tried almost everything I could find on advice on how to eliminate cat pee odors. It seems the more I do, the worse the smell gets for people that visit. I don't smell it (except on very warm and humid days), but I've probably have gone "nose blind" to it. I could rip up the carpets, sand the floor, re-varnish it and put down new carpet, but why do that when I might be moving and still have cats? I'm down to 2 neutered male cats now and they are pretty well behaved in their litterbox usage, but still have "accidents" from time to time, mostly from over shooting the edge of the box.
 
I once rented a house which had a terribly strong cat urine odor. We took out the carpets and washed the floors and walls down with dettol. Then painted. Floors can also be painted if necessary. There are also solutions available at pet stores to neutralize the odor of cat urine. I would suggest looking around for such a thing as you'll be more likely to sell it or even rent the house out if you clean it up.

Cats should not make such a mess if you keep the litter boxes clean and male cats who are neutered will not spray or urinate inside.
 
Cookie said:
male cats who are neutered will not spray or urinate inside.
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Oh how I wish that were true! Some of my cats would be allowed inside if that were the case. I have one spayed female who is an indoor cat and she is perfect with her litterbox. All others are outdoors. Neutered males and even some spayed females will spray the second they are allowed in-the back of my black leather couches that are right inside the door are their favorite targets. Not a big problem-it cleans right off with Nature`s Miracle and leather cleaner but yeah,they can`t come inside anymore.
 
Well, that is a conundrum. From what I've read, male cats who spray have some kind of problem, bladder infections or stress, or something is upsetting them. Female, I don't know, but a vet would. My male cats never sprayed inside the house after they were neutered.
 
You are correct about the "something is upsetting them." Unfortunately,everything or anything can "upset" them or stress them. Like the fact that one cat gets to live in the house and they don`t lol.
 
Gosh you're all making me very glad that Ziggy is such an angel cat!

No overshooting because I use a big tall see through bin with a doorway cut out for his letterbox and I clean it after every use.
 
Well looks like, I may be heading toward the path of down sizing more so, getting rid of practically everything so I don't have to lug it with me for my next move. I'm looking forward to getting out of dodge, otherwise known as Florida, but, I'm not looking to that unloading of all the crap I said I'd never accumulate again after the last time I moved and got rid of so much unneeded stuff. :aargh: Anyway, I have a tiny bit of time, I've been mulling the move over for some time whether to stay local, which wouldn't entail getting rid of so much or making the move out of state which is going to require a huge dump, I'm opting for out of state to NC my mom's hometown and where I do have some real people connections.
 
jujube said:
I haven't been to Winston Salem since I was a kid. We had some relatives there but I haven't been in touch with them for 60 years, probably. I planned on getting over to WC last summer; maybe I'll get over there this year. It's such a historic town.
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Yes, lovely friendly town, it's where my great-grand father's home is listed as a historical land mark. It's also where my mother and siblings are buried and I have some people looking forward to me coming there. I'm looking forward to returning, it's been a while since I visited, that part of NC, but, I've never forgotten how much I often thought of someday moving there if the opportunity presented itself.

Small world that you and I have been in some of the same areas. I've lived in Tampa, spent time in WS when I was a tot and at the age of about 8 too. The tot part I didn't remember so much till my aunt brought it up last month. And of course again in adulthood in my 40's.
 

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