Gradually preparing to take the Plunge

[Keith]

I have a storage unit and two houses. The houses are both rented out and managed by a real estate company, so I don't have to deal with renters. Well worth the fee to just get a check deposited in the bank once a month.

How much you keep depends on your time frame, and if you plan to move back to dirt. For what you will pay to store some things, you can get rid of them and guy new ones later. Of course there are heirloom items, pictures, etc. that can't be replaced.

Keeping in mind that you will probably have to rent SOME type of storage for those items, you look at the incremental additional cost for a larger one for more "stuff". There is also the issue of how accessible the "stuff" is. If you cram everything you own into a 5x5 space, you'll never get to any of it.

[Arctic Traveller]

Keith wrote:

I have a storage unit and two houses. The houses are both rented out and managed by a real estate company, so I don't have to deal with renters. Well worth the fee to just get a check deposited in the bank once a month.

Keith, I too had a professional real estate company manage my rental.* Huge mistake.* On a regular basis they assured me they were inspecting my property, inside and out.* When I finally went by to inspect myself I discovered a tree had fallen on the garage, the new fence was broken, and the inside was TRASHED.* Neighbors told me the tree had been on the garage for over four months, and the fence broken in the first month. The only thing the managers had done was to collect their fees.* Hopefully yours is better, but make sure to check yourself as often as possible.* ................Arctic Traveller

[marinetrader]

10 years ago when we moved aboard, we rented a storage locker but after going a year without even looking in it we got rid of all of our junk and have not looked back

[Keith]

Arctic Traveller wrote:


Keith wrote:

I have a storage unit and two houses. The houses are both rented out and managed by a real estate company, so I don't have to deal with renters. Well worth the fee to just get a check deposited in the bank once a month.

Keith, I too had a professional real estate company manage my rental.* Huge mistake.* On a regular basis they assured me they were inspecting my property, inside and out.* When I finally went by to inspect myself I discovered a tree had fallen on the garage, the new fence was broken, and the inside was TRASHED.* Neighbors told me the tree had been on the garage for over four months, and the fence broken in the first month. The only thing the managers had done was to collect their fees.* Hopefully yours is better, but make sure to check yourself as often as possible.* ................Arctic TravellerSorry to hear that. Mine has been handling my properties since around 2003 and do a good job. I still drive by occasionally to check for myself.

*

[Dswizzler]

Our plan is to move aboard this year and spend the next 4 years getting to know everything about the boat, then punch out and begin cruising full time in 2015. Head out the Golden Gate and go south. Getting rid of everything other then the pictures and a few small family items. I agree most items you can put in a box and store for a year, you don't need or can replace cheaper then you can store them. As for most of the pictures, we plan to scan them for the computer and using the newer display frames, have a slide show run, most of the time with all the pictures from around the house and photos albums. Brings a touch of home to the boat.

[baxter]

new member -- Husband and I plan to retire in three years and purchase sailboat. Starting weeks with Blue Water Sailing next year so we will know what we are doing -- sort of.

Caribbean and Trinidad/tobago area for as many years as we can do it. Subdivision where I am currently has a large garage sale every year so this year we are starting to get rid of everything we do not use. 4800 sq. ft. house down to a 40 ft. boat -- No storage, getting rid of literally everything -- no reason to be bothered once gone. Daughter can keep a box of pictures and minor momentos. I figure once we get off the boat, back on land we will be 75 or 80 -- probably won't want a large house or large yard to maintain, so nothing we have now would fit anyway.

Never thought of an estate sale -- glad someone mentoned that -- good thing to look into -- might save a lot of time.

Plan to keep it simple. Want the freedom of not having to worry about anything back home.

[FF]

There is a huge boating community here with all of the resources you will need to get your boat (re)prepared for your journey.

Prepared for the journey?

95% is in a river or dug canal!!

Should the engine be operable , you are ready! Bring two big fenders and a line,

[Art]

Pineapple Girl wrote:Matt and I plan to do the Great Loop and cruise for several years.**It will be a few years until we GET to that point, but we've started looking at our stuff with an eye towards figuring out what we are or aren't going to take with us.* We aren't pack rats by any means but we aren't going to need*all this stuff from an 1100 sq ft condo*on a 35 foot trawler.* We aren't planning on coming back to where we currently live.*

So the question, what do we do with our "stuff" we aren't taking?***

Do people generally get rid of everything,*have a storage unit somewhere, or perhaps still have a residence with some stuff stored in it? *I have heard the suggestion to buy a condo/ house*in a good vacation rental market and leave the "can't part with it" stuff locked up in a storage closet there.*

Thoughts?* thanks!

*Prepare Well - - > THEN........

Jennifer, Matt; aka, Pineapple Girl - - > DO IT... *And, dont look back!!!* Ive been wild and crazy all my life; termed eccentric by some LOL.* Ive had wonderful experiences and plan a bunch more!* GET IT ON!!* Thats my # 1 philosophy!*

We were to be retired by 2010, rent out the houses, and travel Mexico to Alaska, on a boat; specifically - a 48 Tollycraft... But woops... in 2008 the economy tumbled and EZ Build Masonry System proprietary product biz I was to sell took a nose dive right along with most of the building industry, which is still descending. **So... I immediately pulled another invention-rabbit out of my biz-hat, and began another proprietary product biz, this time a much larger one, in the SolarAirPower clean-tech energy field.* I figure it will take a few years before I sell... probably stay on as consultant (telecommuting while on board boat yea, thats the way I like it!).* Then well do years of boat-only-liven while traveling the Pacific and flying family out to visit or flying back to visit them.* In the mean time, while things progress toward our eventual years of freedom onto the Great Pacific coast, we bought a 34 Tolly tri cabin and 31 Uniflite SS sedan*for play time in SF Bay and the Delta.* Sold the Uni, kept the Tolly!* Unis OK, but, I do really love them Tollys.* Will eventually sell the 34er to get our coastal cruising 48er!*

Re what to do with all your stuff: I recommend - sell/trade/gift anything you dont REALLY want to keep for long term.* You dont need a monthly storage bill and the*potential of everything going to waste in the long run anyway.* Store the personally important remaining items in minor sized boxes at a family or close friends residence. *Personally, I like to travel light... makes for low overhead and agile movement capabilities!*

Happy Boating / Happy Life! - Art

*

[Pineapple Girl]

thanks Art, we hope to see you up on the Delta in July.*

We are definitely working towards our cruising goal.* I have taken a job that will allow me to work from "anywhere" and we are selling our condo, though not moving to the boat just yet.*

[Art]

Pineapple Girl wrote:thanks Art, we hope to see you up on the Delta in July.*
We are definitely working towards our cruising goal.* I have taken a job that will allow me to work from "anywhere" and we are selling our condo, though not moving to the boat just yet.*

*Jennifer - Sounds great!* Good luck selling condo!!* We'll be on our Tolly (named, The Office - so apropos for me -*LOL)*in Stockton area delta for 4 days this weekend. - Cheers, Art

*

[FF]

Most of what you store can easily be replaced at a yard sale.

Having no JUNK to worry about is as freeing as burning the mortgage .

Get Free! And just GO!

[SOMERS]

*Faith, Hope , love and Charity, and the greatest of these is?

What goes around ,comes around.

Charity warms the heart.

" Throw bread on the water and it comes back *as buttered scones".

They are all objects.

Value is only an opinion of worth.

Give it all *away *only to the needy not the greedy.

*There is always a plan "B" should you need boat money,

**Hire and agent *to market and sell all that you no longer may require.

*Be free of the bonds that tie you and go enjoy your vacation with destiny

*



-- Edited by SOMERS on Wednesday 6th of April 2011 07:58:37 AM


-- Edited by SOMERS on Wednesday 6th of April 2011 10:19:35 AM

[Pinball63]

I have storage unit (40ft. ship container) but I bought it outright years ago!