Thanks for this post. I retire in 6 years and have already started the downsizing process in my craft/sewing/quilting room. I am hopeful that I am keeping what I need and tossing what I won't regret tossing....one thing that I am doing is making "quilt kits" with a pattern and the fabric, cut to size, stored in 2-gallon sized Ziploc bags. It will be easier to move a bunch of kits than the huge amount of fabric that I have!

It has helped me to analyze what I truly enjoy about quilting. For example, I enjoy piecing quilt tops and quilting them on my longarm machine. Appliquéing, art quilts,etc. no longer grab my attention. With that in mind, I have eliminated some books and patterns, donated some items to my guild's charity projects and so on. I am blessed with a lovely stash and do my "shopping" there first before buying more fabrics for a project. Hope this makes it easier to make downsizing decisions.

If you don't love it. Pitch it.

I moved from a 2 story plus full basement house half way across the country. It was so hard to get started on what to part with. But I refused to part with anything from my sewing room. So the easiest way to start down sizing for me was to make a list of things that were to expensive to replace-appliances and furniture- tools. Then things that could not be replaced such as pictures and albums and memento's from loved ones. I pitched excess clothing-linens-dishes- pots/pans.When I moved into that house it took 3 -22ft box truck loads. When I left that house I did it in 1 22ft BT and it contained all of my stuff plus my son's and brother's belongings as well. I was shocked at how much excess crap I had. And I have not regretted getting rid of one thing. And since I have been here I have gotten rid of more excess and I love not having all the un-useful stuff cluttering up the place.Cleaning and staying organized is so much easier.

We downsized four years ago because of health reasons. There are things I should have weeded out that are still here and things I got rid of that I should have kept...just the nature of things I guess. I did weed out lots of fabrics I didn't think I would use and about half of my quilting library, some fancy fabrics and neckties, etc. It doesn't really matter, if I find that I need it I can usually buy another one. I still need to go through the entire house and weed some more!

My husband and I will be the ones responsible when both of our parents pass, even though we both have siblings, we seem to be the most 'responsible'. I cringe when I visit my parent's basement, or my dad's machine shed. Literally, you cannot walk into it. My parents live on the farm that my grandfather purchased in the 1930s. My dad worked the farm with my grandfather. When g'pa passed away,at home at age 100, my parents moved into the family home, clearing out most of my grandparents things indoors, but there is still a lot of it in the attic, I believe.
My inlaws are a little better, but they have a farm with a very large home(packed to the gills) and a lake place with 2 storage barns. (we're talking huge pole buildings.)
We sincerely hope that our parents, both sets, live long enough to downsize and make decisions on their own 'treasures'.

We recently had some renovation done in the main floor of our home (it's a "one-story" house with a walk-out basement). It required moving pretty much everything out of the main floor. We've been living in the basement for two months. It's now time to start moving back in and I find I'm overwhelmed (and frankly a bit depressed) about all the stuff. When we "packed" to move out of the main floor, I got rid of three banker boxes of books, found homes for half of my quilting/knitting magazines, and also got rid of-- through donation or trash-- two large hefty bags of clothes. But then there's my DH's stuff, which he's made clear I cannot touch.

I watched some of the Peter Walsh videos, but they're all missing a key element: how do you help someone become even willing to get rid of stuff, to even open the door to the spare bedroom that is actually a storage room, to then open one of the 100+ boxes that have accumulated over the years? Walsh's video's assume a willingness -- "okay, today we're going to take on small appliances; go to the back of your cupboards and pull out those appliances you don't use any more; donate them". All well and good, but we need the help BEFORE that step-- what's it going to take to shift the mentality, to become willing to let go? How have you handled THAT?

We downsized 17 years ago & I have regretted it ever since. We went from a 4 bedroom/3 bath/4 level house to a 2 bedroom condo type dwelling. If I had it to do over, I would never move to a smaller home.

I downsized when I came to Illinois. I left a 7 br/5 bath home and came to a 4 br home so I had to get rid of a lot of things. NOT my fabric...I have missed a few things I parted with but not many..the ones I missed are things I never thought I would want like a clear salad bowl. I forgot I used it for a layered dip. Oh well. I did clean out my sewing room earlier this year. I gave quite a lot to a church that does charity quilts and was given a letter from them to take to my accountant at tax time. (I really was shocked...I had no idea I could do that). Like QuiltnNan I now only have twin beds all over my house. I decided they are so much easier to change and since I live alone it works just fine. It is nice to have linens that fit every bed in the house and I love making quilts that size..much easier to handle.

Both my late husband and I were collectors so it was hard to part with our things but looking back I am glad I don't have so much "stuff" and I am working hard not to collect a lot of extra things again.

We downsized and I hate it. The things I sold or gave away, I have needed at one time or another. I guess that's the price you pay. I wish I had not gotten rid of my fabric as I could have used the 1 yard pcs. very easily. I am making dresses for the missions and children in other countries.
Dodee