Downsizing, To Move or Not to Move? That is the Question

@sueinmn Would you mind mentioning the brand? I try to buy "made in the US" but sometimes it seems impossible. I am pretty sure that the freezer we bought earlier this year was not made here. I didn't think any were now!
JK

I had a Kenmore washer for over 30 years, I believe made by Whirlpool. It even was totally submerged in dirty water during a flood. Cleaned it up and it worked fine! After a second flood we gave up and bought a new washer.

My first Whirlpool was my Grandma's - I'm sure 30 years old. My old boss taught me how to replace the pump, told me if I could pass accounting, I could fix a washer. That's been my mantra ever since - until the tub rusted out on the last one and flooded the laundry room.
Same with the dryer - my husband kept fixing until the tub was depositing rust stains on all the clean clothes. Making sure to leave the new ones open to dry out so it doesn't happen again.

I look at all this appliance replacement as part of "aging in place" instead of down-sizing. My husband has been doing little wiring jobs to make sure everything electrical is "just right" as well. Also have gotten gutter covers that actually work, added lighting to dim areas, put safe step stools with hand holds on both floors of house (to discourage my tendency to climb on unsafe surfaces), added an upstairs vacuum to limit hauling heavy things up & down...

Sue

I was fortunate to find exactly the refrigerator I was seeking - it's predeccessor has lasted 25 years with a small repair, I realize I won't see that again, but this one still has an excellent reputation. In addition it is US made and parts are readily available - the dealer is 1 mile from me and his own technicians do the repairs if it is something my handy husband or son-in-law don't want to tackle. For now, we are turning the old one on and off at 2 hour intervals so it doesn't freeze everything solid!
Sue

When we had to move my mother-in-law out of the house she and her husband purchased to be near us, we were almost overwhelmed. OK, we were. After my father-in-law died, we thought my mother-in-law was grieving because of her actions. She had dementia. Anyway, the first step for her was independent living which did not last long and then it was assisted living so fewer pieces of furniture and art work went with her. We could hardly make ourselves go into the house and work every day. Finally, we had friends come help us and choose anything they wanted after we selected a few items. It was great to see them go home with things they could use. Then we rented a storage unit for almost everything else, but only after we had a local thrift shop come and get loads of stuff. They are a wonderful shop and use the money to help people get back on their feet by giving them a place to stay and also teaching budgeting skills. We brought too much home with us. We are still working on that, but made room for more stuff by giving away things from Nana. We had a set of dishes from Nana with a 12-piece place setting with every bowl and serving piece imaginable. We decided to give all of that to a couple who loved old-fashioned dishes with pink roses rimmed in gold. That eliminated lots of boxes. Then we decided to give Nana's silver ware to the same couple. We had not used any of it and were so happy this couple wanted everything. The final step in the in-laws' house was a call to 1.800.gotjunk. Two nice young men showed up with a truck and cleaned out the basement and the garage. They told my husband they try to recycle everything. There were lots of good tools and so much more. Since we still had art work on the walls, my husband asked the young men if they would like to select a piece. They did and we removed the rest. A friend helped us clean and the house sold within a week. What a relief! Now it is time for the two of us to get serious about all the stuff we no longer need. We have no children so nobody wants anything. We might check with our friends again, but most of them are full up, also. What a long post. We are struggling! @joybringer1

My first Whirlpool was my Grandma's - I'm sure 30 years old. My old boss taught me how to replace the pump, told me if I could pass accounting, I could fix a washer. That's been my mantra ever since - until the tub rusted out on the last one and flooded the laundry room.
Same with the dryer - my husband kept fixing until the tub was depositing rust stains on all the clean clothes. Making sure to leave the new ones open to dry out so it doesn't happen again.

I look at all this appliance replacement as part of "aging in place" instead of down-sizing. My husband has been doing little wiring jobs to make sure everything electrical is "just right" as well. Also have gotten gutter covers that actually work, added lighting to dim areas, put safe step stools with hand holds on both floors of house (to discourage my tendency to climb on unsafe surfaces), added an upstairs vacuum to limit hauling heavy things up & down...

Sue

@joybringer, Sounds like quite an endeavor but one you managed successfully! A friend told me about 1.800.gotjunk a few years ago and I never got around to calling to see if they pick up in my area. Thank you for this reminder. It would be a great relief and assist for those items not given to charities or family/friends.

I’ve used 1 800 got junk many times in the past, but noticed earlier in the year their prices have really gone thru the roof. There are many junk collecting companies in my area, as I would imagine in other areas of the country. There is a company called junk king,and will try,them if I ever need that service again.