I moved my old furniture to my "new" house and I'm sorry I did it for the most part. If I had it to do over again, I'd have sold off most of it. I'd have kept some of the antiques, but not all of them. What looked so perfect in my last house isn't what's right for this one.

In your shoes I'd part with everything I could bear to part with, and keep only a few things I felt were irreplaceable. Then I'd have great fun decorating my new place to suit it... not with "leftovers" that aren't quite right for it. Sell your stuff and use the money for new stuff. Besides, with CL you don't have to buy all new stuff. You can still get quality stuff for your new place.

I moved all my stuff from Ma To S California..but most were peices given to me by Grandmother..If It wasnt it didnt come with me. I would sell anything that won't fit or just think will not go in your new home. You might end up taking a loss in the end as far what everything is worth..But I would rather have less of what I wanted than a ton of stuff that doesnt go and nowhere to put anthing! Gl with your move.

You did not mention if you are selling your FL home or not, but keep in mind a beautfully decorated (uncluttered) home will command a higher asking price or sell more quickly which means a lot in this depressed RE market, so even if you sell off your furniture and don't get full value from the sale, perhaps it will help to boost up the sales price on your home. Perhaps the new owners might be interested in purchasing some of your furniture or perhaps you could try a consignment shop. It does not sound like it makes too much sense to move the bulkier items, though I would definitely consider moving/storing the artwork as those items usually are more personal to you.

If you are selling a lot of nice stuff, I would try to do the majority over a single weekend (Fri-Sun) and bill it as a high-end moving sale, advertise well in variety of venues to generate as much traffic as possible. I've seen some CL ads where people take pics of everything and upload to a photobucket/shutterfly account and link that in the CL ad and just keep reposting the link until everything sells.

If you do not get a decent price for something, perhaps you have some good friends/family member (like a single divorced mother) you can give one or two items and get good Karma for it. When we were remodeling I got rid of a lot of stuff and stuff that did not sell, I gave a few items to my friend who is a divorced single mom and felt really good about it as it went to someone I knew who was deserving of a break. For everything else, take the time to find a nice charity and donate. If you are unsure about something, it's unique or has special meaning, by all means take it along.

Take pics of all your rooms, though, so you have the memories of what that house was like.

hmmm, tough call, but valinsv makes some excellent points in her first paragraph. Showing the FL home furnished might well get you an extra boost in price, and if it's a snowbird taking flight south or a transferee in, they might well love your furnishings and offer a lot more than a CL sale.

I know it would be a hard decision for me. I get sentimentally attached to some really goofy stuff. :o

Hmmmm...good question. If you're near Datyona Beach, I'd say sell all of your good stuff to me because I'm moving from my little starter house into a bigger home!

We're giving away most of our stuff as it was (mostly) laminated-wood that wouldn't make the move well. It served us very well as our starter furniture and through two little babies---but they're definitely not pieces I would put on the moving truck.

When we left TX in 1999 for me to go to grad school I lugged my new dining room set with me to MD and crammed it into an apartment too small for it, then moved again and crammed it into a new apartment. When I finally got it to my new old house it was just totally wrong for the room and I sold it then. I probably spent hundreds if not thousands moving that thing around and it didn't even end up working.

Ditto my bedroom furniture though that was more useful in the interim than a formal dining room set.

If I had to do it again I would have dumped it back in TX though I was very attached to it at the time and could not conceive of doing that. I'm even more attached to my new stuff and my taste has changed and refined itself - the old set was ok, the new one is stunning.

Oceanna, your "leftovers, not quite right" really resonates. You are in the sell-it camp. My style is pretty classic, so even though the style of home will change from FL ranch to vaguely Craftsman, I think things will fit style-wise. It's really size that matters. ;-) I appreciate hearing your BTDT perspective.

Tamber, believe it or not, my grandmother's furniture will go in DD's room. We're giving her the big MBR on the second floor and she'll actually have room for the big, honkin' 94" sofa! We're cramming ourselves into the pseudo-master on the first floor and will have tiny furniture, tiny closet, etc. Don't say it....I know...

Val, we are under contract. You are right, having the house look as good as it did made the process easier. Reactions during several realtor open houses were "beautiful" and "refreshingly different." Thank you for helping me see the value of having made good purchases. If I hadn't spent so much, we might not have gotten the offer we did. Or so quickly. Thank you for that perspective.

As for Karma, I am right up there with you. (DH isn't, but what can I do?) I already have a great charity in mind (shelter for abused women) and DD has a friend whose Mom might be happy to have some "new" things. I kind of dread the Craigslist thing, but if I could do it inside the space of a weekend...write the ad that way....maybe that would work. I find that people say they'll come and then they delay and eventually they disappear. I can't deal with that.

We have lots of pics and I am thinking of asking for a copy of the virtual tour. Buyers asked for the extra brochures my agent made and she also sent them the disc with photos from the VT...that's a good sign they're excited about the house! I am hoping they'll buy some of the furniture. They have even expressed an interest in DH's car!

Moon, they are moving in to retire and they apparently don't have a house to sell. That makes me think they're keeping the existing house and might be happy to buy some of our things that are "just right" for the space. I'm feeling quite sentimental about everything at the moment. I know I want to move, but I am touchy and unable to be rational at the moment. Let's hope the moment passes. :-)

Fairytalebaby, get a trailer and come on over! (I'm on the left coast!)

Lisa, I know that new DR set. Stunning indeed! My tastes have changed, too. I fear that more refined = more expensive though! Is it true?

It's funny, I went through files today, while scrounging up the receipts, and saw clippings from magazines from six years ago, when we first moved in. Lots of French Country. Now, I am drooling over Wegner chairs at Room and Board! Scary, huh?

When I was moving locally, but storing stuff for almost a year, I did a price per pound analysis that helped me figure out what was worth moving/storing/moving and what wasn't.

Most of my furnishings are antiques and I've moved them with me. I'd say Washington to Alaska was a bit far (they took a cruise while I flew). But the costs...it cost about $32,000 (I had to pay taxes on the move) for my move here with all of my things. That did include a couple months rental and storage but basically it was freighting and storage. For me, it was worth it (because I wasn't paying LOL) but you'd have to assess the cost and the value of the furniture before you cart it all up across the country.

I have moved so many times, I feel like an expert. We moved from FL to TN in 2006, and when we sold our house the people wanted the furniture. It was a blessing, as it really would have never worked in our brand new country farmhouse. After only 7 months of living in our new home (15 months total in TN) we returned to FL as it was 'home' and all our family is here. I have already had to sell some of my new furniture as it will not work in our new home currently under construction. Other furniture - like my new Nichols and Stone Dining room - I will just make it work, although it is not what I would choose now for this new house. I'd sell - as it is so much easier and once you move - I think you'll find a lot of things just won't fit.

Good luck!

Heck, I sell some furnishings when I move from one house to the next, in the same town! LOL

Congratulations, Amy. I hope the sale goes through smoothly. This gives us hope that things might be finally turning around here. I hope you feel you got a fare price:)

Hi,

It's your decision but it cost me a lot of money to move south, keep things in storage and then have them delivered to the new townhouse once the remodel was finished. After a few days, the furniture from the house in NJ looked very old and dated in the newly remodeled townhouse. I ended up giving away most of the NJ furniture to the Salvation Army.

Clearly it cost me more to move the furniture and keep it in storage until the new place was ready then the furniture was worth. But, at that time I wasn't ready to sell anything and inspite of the cost, I'm glad I waited to see how the furniture looked in the new place.

Best of luck in whatever you decide!

Karen

We moved about 5 minutes away from our old house, so I didn't think about getting rid of much furniture. Boy, should I have, though! Furniture that looked perfect in the old house doesn't fit the shapes of the rooms here and just generally looks WRONG. And we still had to pay movers to move stuff I should have sold anyway.

I would also recommend selling your TV and getting a new one when you get there. 5 blocks away, and they broke our TV.

My neighbor moved here from England, and they brought everything, except appliances (because of the voltage difference). It was put on a truck in the UK, then the truck "box" was shipped via a ship, then put back on a truck on the East Coast, then driven cross-country. Took a long time but they brought everything. They slept on an aerobed for a few weeks, though...

I moved from Milwaukee to Phoenix a little over a year ago. I sold several items via craiogslist - snowblowers are not needed in Phoenix - LOL. So while I was happy to sell some items I should have sold or dumped a whole lot more. My move - including hving the moving company move the car - cost over $11,000.

So really think about how much you love this old piece or that. You may be better off just starting fresh with many items.

Well, if you can afford to start new, then to me it is a no brainier. Unless you are building a duplicate of something you are so in love with...(tradition, heritage, decor) -- why would you want to do the same old- same old?

After 21 years I moved last August to our new home and really did get to start over. But not everything...nope- I kept the possessions that define me....like Great G-ma's sewing machine...the rocker I rocked my 2 babies to sleep in...my G.Armani clowns both sons "broke" (mom! HE did it NOT me!) playing baseball inside my house while I was gone one day....the carousel horse DH gave me 19 years ago.
A woman is defined by her standards but some things are just priceless.
You know what they are.

Amy, I can absolutely relate to what you are feeling right now. In my case we moved from NJ to Oh and much of the furniture we had fit perfectly in the old house, one that we thought we would never leave. My biggest problem has been with my baker's rack, buffet server and several DR chairs. While my new home is slightly larger than the last, it is configured differently and so my DR is smaller than the last and the curved wall I had near the foyer is gone, hence no room for the BR.

Right now the server is in the basement, the chairs are scattered in the gr's and the BR is in my LL family room. It took us so long to find furniture that I have had some serious separation anxiety re my furniture. Anxiety that ultimately I believe is residual homesickness. I've been working with a decorator and we both agreed for me at least I still need more time to come to terms with the fact that I am in a new space and that this is not my old house. One plus for me was the fact that the company relocated me so I didn't have to pay for the move.

Right now as a matter of fact I found the most perfect game table and chairs that would fit perfectly in my LL. Guess what, if I want the set I have to move the Baker's rack to the basement or the room will look crowded. I'm mulling it over.

My DH and I took such a long time to pick out furniture, finding pieces that were of good quality and that we really loved. We definitely purchased with the thought that we would have this furniture for a really, really, really long time. So some decisions have been really difficult for us.

Good luck with your decision!

Thanks again everyone. Punamy, thank you especially since we have been in this same boat together. It does feel like things are shifting here. We're very happy with the price we settled on and it was a cash offer, no contingencies, etc. We feel truly blessed.

As for the cost to move vs. the cost to replace, it will cost far more to replace than to move. The furniture here cost me far more than the cost of moving it would be. If it were a wash, I wouldn't think twice. But I am subject to a double whammy...throwing away what I've already spent and spending even more to start over. Gyads...

Deborah, your post really touched me. Clearly there are more issues at hand than just money or things. Technically, you and I can probably "afford" to replace the furniture. But that doesn't make it feel any less wasteful to me. And it doesn't take away the heartache of homesickness. And I agree, when one works hard to pick special things, it is harder to let go.

We moved here six years ago with nothing but rugs, art, books and a folding table. A few years earlier, DH had retired and we took off sailing for what I thought would be 5-10 years. We sold just about everything before we left...but most of it was hand-me-downs. The few items I loved went to a friend and that made it easier.

After two years, we realized we weren't cut out for the cruising life and so we started over in an empty house. Everything in my home, I have struggled to choose over the last six years. I have learned so much and worked so hard to make this place a home for us...both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

So, I look forward to making those "right" choices for our next home, with all that I've learned, here at the HD board and in the trenches of the furniture stores, catalogs, thrift shops, as well as in my own spaces. I'm feeling like I probably need to let go... I really appreciate everyone's input.

Well, first off, moving can be an inordinately stressful time, so i wish you only smooth passages every step of the way.

As for your furniture, i completely understand becoming attached to your carefully selected and much loved things. Since it's not in my budget to purchase quality furniture all at once, i end up buying one extravagant piece every three years or so, and adore it more than any sentient being should adore a material thing. It takes me forever to "build a room," and there's so much empty space around me that even after three and a half years, people still say, "Oh, did you just move in?"

Having said all that, when we moved into this house, my every nerve was plucked by the process, knowing somewhere in the pit of me that the movers weren't going to treat my treasures as the treasures i knew them to be. Sure enough, they didn't, and not one of my treasured pieces arrived unmolested (and of course not only do you have to endure the damage, but they never compensate for dings and dents and gauges because the paperwork they fill out is just vague enough that you can't prove they did it).

So in short ... REALLY think about the extent to which you want to be encumbered by the belongings of "life before this," and whether or not you want the pure headache, and possible heartache, of fretting over your things as they make the transition with you. In retrospect, there are perhaps just a few items i would have wrapped MYSELF before the mover's got hold of them. I think there's something very liberating about selecting a few "anchors" to our history, while beginning life anew.

Good luck with your move!

My BIL just moved here to Houston from CA. He sold everything except his bed and tools (he loves woodworking). Even though he regrets selling all his handmade furniture I'm sure he wouln't have liked the bill to bring it all here. All his tools are taking up more than half my garage.
My family moved from Argentina to the US when I was 6. My mother sold almost everything. Antiques that belonged to many generations before her. She still regrets it. Luckily we still have alot of things. But she spent years tracking some things down. It it's just furniture, good quality of not, sell it. But if it's anything that means something to you, whatever it is, then keep it. You would be surprised the space you can find. I think my BIL went overboard to try and save a few bucks.

I fear that more refined = more expensive though! Is it true?

Yes, that was a euphemism! I did VERY well on selling the old set, we paid $3k for it in 1998 and got $2500 for it in 2006 or 7, I forget how long ago now! Part of that is that was solid mahogany and getting harder and harder to find especially in that price range and part of that is that the $3k price was 50% off the "going price" (I think 75% off MSRP) at the time - we were looking at buying the floor model and the salesguy had one more set in the warehouse and gave it to us for the floor model price.

It did cost me far more to replace it though. The table was $1800, the curio $2500, the chairs were I believe $100 a piece plus $150 to professionally polish and reupholster so $250x7 is what? nearly another $2k. So $6k to replace a $3k set. I wish you hadn't made me add it up (I bought it all over a period of a year). :) Geez it didn't seem so bad in pieces :D

Nope, we've dragged everything with us every time we've moved! We decluttered before moving, but have kept all (or almost all) of the furniture. I don't regret it at all, although we do need to add to and/or replace or recover some of them. After having just built a new home and picking out all the finishes, etc., I just didn't want (and really couldn't afford) to choose new furnishings as well. But even if we could have afforded it, I like most of what we have and want to just work with it and maybe tweak it until it's just right (if it ever is!)

Good luck to you with your move! It sounds like an exciting new adventure!

We've moved many times and the last move was one that required we get rid of furniture. Some went to consignment, some I sold, and the rest was donated.

I suggest first running an ad in the paper, and CL, and also contact consignment stores. I sold my most expensive pieces thru the paper. It's still hard for my DH to believe, but there are still a lot of people who don't use computers to shop! :)

I got half the cost of my most expensive pieces. If someone wants the piece bad enough, they'll pay your asking price.

Contrary to estreya's experiences, I've always been satisfied with the movers we've used. With every move, we used a large, reputable company and the forms they use allow you to make a note of any existing damage to an item. Once you're at the new site, you should be given a form to fill out for any damage found afterward.
Yes, some things got damaged, but the a rep from their insurance company responded immediately and repair service quickly followed.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm picking up hints that you're not completely happy with this move. If it helps..........I always looked at each move we made as a new adventure. Once the decision was made and the process of moving started, I mentally cut all my ties with the 'old' place and concentrated on all the great things to come.

Do they have furniture consignment shops in your area? Where my Mom lives in FL they do and she bought some very nice pieces when she moved there.

I have actually thought about this even though I have no plans for moving. I would sell everything except some pieces of sentimental value. I have been wanting to replace the current style with a new one for years. LOL

And like a lot of people said, what fits in one house doesn't always work in the next.
Clare

Amy, you hit the nail on the head as my Mom used to say. Also contrary to Estreya our movers were wonderful and none of the furniture was damaged in the move.

Again good luck!

amy - being a military family we have moved over a dozen times - coast to coast and even Hawaii. We carted everything with us back and forth for 30 years. Some things we hand carried if we could - esp after my silver was "missing" after the Hawaii to Va move! Our furnishings had to fit in both size and decor-wise bc it wouldn't be feasible for us to buy new stuff that would fit the decor of each place. I remember my mother telling me my furniture would not look good in Hawaii - well sorry, but we couldn't buy new stuff every move.
When we moved to our present house we knew DH would be retiring so we gave away most of the stuff and bought new. The items we kept were important to us (don't ask me WHY I kept that pink chair - though it was my g-grandma's that I recovered (in the 80's mauve).

I guess I am agreeing with everyone - take what really means a lot to you and buy what will look great in the new place!

Hi again everyone. Just a few thoughts...

Lisa I am sorry to have made you add things up! It's exactly what sent me reeling. Making the list and looking at the numbers, all in one shot, was stunning!

I am actually very happy about the move, even though the process is difficult. I really love my home here and the way it has turned out. It's been a joy to work on and I am finally feeling pleased with the results. Interestingly, the staging process seemed to seal the deal. A little less furniture and clutter and the place looks "perfect" to me. (To the powers that be, may I please carry this awareness to the next place!)

But we have never felt like we fit in here in FL. Going to MA is like going home. Our friends and family are there and the general mentality is a much better fit for us. DD has said repeatedly she wishes we could pick up this house and move it. To some degree, I will recreate certain elements up there...like in the kitchen.

As for finding a good mover, we have been referred to someone by our piano dealer. We have a mid-sized grand to store and ship and supposedly this company is the best. (Don't even ask where we're going to fit that thing!) I have seen movers do a hack job. As a confirmed control freak, I'd love to do it myself! But that is ridiculous, of course. We will hire the best and just hope for a positive experience. Nothing we own is without patina anyway.

Funny, Hoyamom, I woke up this morning thinking about my grandmother's silver. I think that will go in the car with me.

So, if anyone's still reading, do you think I need to offer things at 25% like my realtor suggests? A good friend suggests I start at 40% and work from there. Patina or no, this stuff is only 4-6 years old and it's mostly name brands people would know and recognize. The dining table is the first thing you see on the Ethan Allen website when you do a product search for dining rooms! So, it's still relevant.

I don't think you need to start at 25%, especially if you have some time to spare starting higher - but like I said I got a huge portion of my dining room set back, maybe that's not the norm though. I sold my old bedroom set for more like 40% of what I paid for it and it was pretty beat up - it was pine with metal swirly stuff that didn't hold up well to multiple moves. I guess it sort of depends on how much you paid in the first place though.

Also it doesn't have to be all of nothing. If you already know the dining room set won't fit right, why bother cramming it in and being unhappy with it? If there are things you're not sure of, move them, live with it a while and see how it goes. I would not be so fickle as to get rid of things that might work just because I wanted new but in the course of moving from a large suburban new tract house in TX to a smaller old house, nothing really seemed to work in our case. Our huge master suite in our other house was replaced by a 12x12 room, our huge family room where the big sectional fit was replaced by a 13x15 living room etc.

We're also planning to stay here "forever" so that makes me a little more comfortable with spending a little more on furniture. It's done, it's done once, and will hopefully look the same 30 years from now. :)

I wish you the very best, Amy. Didn't know you had sold - that's wonderful. You have such an eye and heart that no matter what you do your new home will be a lovely welcoming place.

I would take the DR table because with no table at all I would be in too much of a hurry to replace it, and that would make me rushed and anxious.

If you plan to buy new special order furniture in MA you will have an easy time. Also, you will have a ball shopping for antiques, if that's what you want. (Why not have us all join you in Brimfield?). But good lightly used furniture like the kind you have now will be more costly in MA. Households there don't move around and change so often, the "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without" mindset places high values on things.

Fabric heaven, though. I'm so jealous. We have one store to go to here.

When I moved I posted pictures of stuff here to say "should I bring this". Everybody said - take it and make it work. The things that did not work failed because of scale or level of detail, fuss and formality.

Hi Jamies! You're so sweet...thanks for the kind words. We have not one but two "makeshift" tables to use in the meantime from our summer house. So, even though I think I've found a table I like online, we can wait...will have the way-old hand-me-down or the Ikea with two huge leaves to tide us over. It's a good point though!

I hope you're right about fabric. The places I've seen close by are not too interesting. One in W. Springfield. Never seen so many cabbage roses in my life. Gyads! Just looked it up...Osgoods. I will go back...hopefully I was having a bad shopping karma day. ;-) But still, I'll be 2 hrs from NYC and 1.5 from Boston. (doing the happy dance!)