We are attempting to clean up the old homestead in hopes of placing it on the market soon. Took a walk around the "estate" yesterday and realized that yes we have a lot of just junk to get rid of but other things we just have to take with us !! The extra kitchen sink..the other bathtub...the 25 buckets and the pots for planting !! Even thinking of pulling up the fencing for the goats. How have others done this ??? Are any of you "pack rats" like we are ?? The old saying of "if you haven't used it in a year..throw it out"..doesn't work for a homesteader. We have 22 years of homesteading treasures here. Help !!!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), April 01, 2002

Answers

Hide it in a trailer until the move.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 01, 2002.

Helena, are you sure you weren't walking around our yard?? No, I guess not, we have two extra bathtubs and our (multiple) sinks are all bathroom size. And we've only been here 3 years.....yipes!!!

Hmm, maybe you could advertise a "homestead...fully furnished" ;^}

-- gilly and bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), April 01, 2002.

Ahh, heck, just leave it all for the next victims. You know you will acquire everything you need on your new homestead and better yet it will be "newer", at least to you.

-- TIs I (really_tis_i@yahoo.com), April 01, 2002.

My husband done some work on the roof at the place next door and got a birds eye veiw of our place. We got the trash pickup company to bring out a contruction dumpster and we are doing a clean up. Brian does handy man work and we've got our junk and other peoples junk, although we've got several things built out of other peoples junk left over from jobs.

-- sherry in Arkansas (chickadee259@yahoo.com), April 02, 2002.

Helena, Do you have a barn or shed you could store the stuff neatly in? How about stacking it neatly and tying a tarp down over it all... Or renting a storage shed until the move. Put it all in a horse/cattle trailer. In other words, if you want to sell the place, it really needs to be cleaned up. Most people don't see beyond the junk even when you tell them it will be out of there by closing. It could even cost you quite a bit of money in the selling price of your property.

I hope that you find a way to "freshen up" the homestead. Sounds to me like you are making an honest effort. It got me thinking of what my own place looks like right now! Think maybe I'll take advantage of today's weather and start cleaning up. I'll be thinking of you...

-- Marge (mboyc73@yahoo.com), April 02, 2002.

Have an auction! Just kidding. But after seeing what some people pay money for at farm auctions; I believe if you put it in a box and/or sell it off a hay rack it will be bought!

-- Scotsirish (notreal@anywhere.net), April 02, 2002.

actually the auction idea isnt a bad one, catalog it, and call an auctioneer to come out, they will tell you outright if its worth anything... or this great ad i found in the paper,

junk sale, 3.00 a wheelbarrow full you provide the barrow.....

dont know if it worked, but hey , why not, it included a list of stuff they had, fencing,tub,clothes,some tools, garden stuff.....and it said 1 person must be able to move the barrow.

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), April 02, 2002.

Helena, I am quite certain that I will probably die here before I will go through trying to move our homesteading "treasures". Just too old for that sort of thing anymore!!!

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 02, 2002.

I agree with Marge, what you have grown accustomed to looking at can really hurt you when it comes time to sell. When I see old cars on a lot for example (that obviously haven't been moved or worked on in years), I assume that at least the soil underneath is toxic from oil, gas, and other fluids, and would certainly put into a contract that the bad soil must be dug up and replaced with clean dirt, or figure in the cost of cleaning it myself and lower the offer accordingly.

If you don't need the money, but don't want to just throw things away, another option is to just let your friends and family know that you have stuff to give away. See what can be recycled as well--some places are better than others for this. Good luck!

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), April 02, 2002.

sounds easier to stay put, if you ask me.

but, if you are going to sell, get it ALL CLEANED UP AND OUT OF THE WAY. You could even stack a pile to have ready to move and then cover it tightly with tarps. Garbage needs to be gone. everything need to look bright and fresh. paint the interior of the house a neutral warm white color and it will look great. good luck. when we moved here we both sort of vowed to never move again. after 25 moves in my 39 years, I can say "home sweet home" at last....or as we say, "we lovel our hovel".

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), April 03, 2002.