Money saved, but nerves frayed
Who among you has ever “minimized” a 100m² apartment after 23 years into a 2-room apartment and a motorhome?
Probably very few, if any, of the readers here. (The apartment is a “stopover” for me, as the motorhome isn’t here yet.)
We started this task in September, aiming to be finished by the end of November. We already had some “experience” with “downsizing” my parents’ 3-room apartment when they unfortunately had to move into a nursing home. An incredible amount of material simply ended up in a container because there was no other option. But that’s another story.
So, let’s summarize the many different phases.
Phase I – “When the declutterer rings once”
I confess: I fell for the advertisement when a brochure with a friendly smiling Munich resident landed in my mailbox, seemingly offering the solution to all our problems: “I buy flea market goods, furniture, carpets, furs (we don’t have any), etc.” and he also declutters.
Amazing! This ad came at a perfect time. So I immediately called and arranged a viewing appointment.
But then…. “I’m sorry, it’s all junk. The piano (walnut, 1893), bedroom furniture (Caruba walnut veneer and Italian piano lacquer) from a German brand, like new, which once cost > €5,000, and so on and so forth – it’s all junk that nobody wants.” He no longer buys flea market goods, and furniture only if it’s antique. “But I can gladly make you an offer for decluttering.”
Well, what can you do? The “marketing flop shock” was significant, and the offer arrived a few days later via email.
A paltry €3,000 was the total cost. This already included €300 as a flat-rate credit for salable goods.
My conclusion: “No thanks, please fool someone else!”
A still full living room, of which only about 10% is still needed
Phase II – The eBay Classifieds® Sale
Actually quite simple. Photograph the item, describe it, negotiate if necessary, and sell. Should be easy with so many great things. Think again! I had to “painfully” realize the following:
- eBay Classifieds is not generally free. After 50 ads in 4 weeks, every additional ad costs 95 cents. Solution: create multiple accounts. After all, I have enough email addresses. (In total, I placed about 120 ads!)
- Even for high-quality goods (not technology), the trigger price for many “customers” is around 10-15% of the original purchase price.
- Even high-quality furniture, like our leather bed from Segmüller workshops, is hardly wanted by anyone. It went for €200. (Purchase price approx. €4,000)
- The reliability of supposedly very interested buyers is appalling. No responses, no cancellations, no kept appointments. The result for me: “no more desire”
- Instead of paying to “bump up” the ad, just relist it. Nobody at eBay notices.
Therefore, a price reduction phase is usually followed by the “Classifieds Give-Away Phase (IIA)”.
But even here, it’s remarkable how difficult it is to give something away for free to a “customer.”
The real kicker, however, is when, for example, the “recipient” of a large projection screen asks if it can also be shipped.
Excuse me? Pack it for free and then take the huge item to the post office as bulky goods, all for nothing? Some people simply cannot be helped. No wonder I didn’t do it.
So, a gifted TV rack ended up on the street in front of the house. It was gratefully accepted at the door, but then it apparently didn’t fit in the car.
Phase III – Scrapping or the Recycling Center as a new “Home”
It is truly indescribable how much junk accumulates in an apartment and cellar over 23 years.
Never before have we visited the recycling center as often as in recent months. An estimated 20 trips with a car (Fiat 500c, which doesn’t fit much) and the respective rented vans.
Anyone with the “this could still be useful” mentality is unfortunately out of place here. Scrapping, as the last and irrevocable resort, also has advantages. It is final and confirms the end; once and for all.
Give-away events in front of the house. Whether books or other small items. A lot went quickly here. That’s how it works in a larger city!
Conclusion: Anyone facing such a mammoth task should:
- Start very early. Ideally, 6 months in advance.
- For larger gifted items, simply demand a deposit that will be forfeited if the item is not picked up (for my 1896 piano, I simply asked for €250).
- Do not expect too much profit, especially if you want to sell high-quality items. Be content with little to nothing. Because the alternative is scrapping.
And: Without revealing the exact sum, the proceeds far exceeded the estimated costs of the so-called “decluttering.” Instead of a “big deficit,” we made a “big surplus.” So it’s worth it if you do it right.
And as for the aforementioned “despair”: That could happen to you. The solution is simple: See it as a liberation. A liberation from all the material things that no one really needs anyway and that only drag you down. Because it’s true that “less can also be more”. After this experience, I firmly believe it.
