Downsizing - recycling is COOL!

Downsizing the house and the mortgage to prepare for retirement makes a lot of sense after the kids have left - to reduce the burden of home maintenance and save money, as well as make it easier to lock up and leave when travelling. But just the thought of moving to an apartment or a retirement village can fill you with anxiety and dread if you can't imagine how you will pare down your precious possessions and furniture after decades of accumulation and memories?  Any household move will inevitably mean that all that perfectly good furniture won't fit in the new place.  In the past it's been hard to shift, and worth very little, and the cost of setting up house all over again can be daunting. Well the good news is that it's now easier to sell it all online with a burgeoning market in second hand furniture and other household and personal effects, and it may be worth more than you realise.  You can now instantly access a huge potential pool of buyers for some of your worldly goods using trading sites such as eBay, which are remarkably effective in sourcing buyers who will come and collect what they buy, making the whole process so much simpler. No need to hold a garage sale - people can view photos of your items and buy them online, dramatically increasing your chances of finding someone who will love and appreciate your pieces just as much as you did! And the other good news is that today's younger generation really appreciate those quality pieces with their history, character and great workmanship, and are rejecting cheap mass produced throwaway furniture in favour of unique recycled pieces. Retro is in fashion, and it's really cool to recycle, re-use and appreciate the provenance of possessions, be it clothing, furniture or other household goods. Living greener and more sustainably means avoiding the waste created by rampant consumerism and a throwaway lifestyle - and what better way to live this ethos than to appreciate all those second hand possessions we downsizing babyboomers are shedding? Save the planet, save money and be cool, all at the same time - it's a win-win proposition!   Although we all approach the task with apprehension, cleaning out all the old accumulated possessions and clutter can be surprisingly liberating - a bit like going on holidays!  And once you take the time to set up a trading account and reap the benefits of online selling, who knows? There's bound to be some great bargains out there to help set up the new place too!