RE: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,167276,00.html

We are getting ready to sell our house for our first change of duty station. I am scared to death. This house is the one thing that we have left of stability. I know that alot of you have lived in the military life for a while can you tell me what to expect. My husband is just finishing AIT and we are set to be moving to Germany I think. I just need some pointers on what to do.

I have lived in Germany now for 5 years and we are getting ready to move back to the states.I would suggest selling everything that is electric. Get rid of the washer, dryer or have it convey with the house. If you have more than one car, depending on where you go, bring the smallest car as well as the most reliable. We have a VW Jetta and it is perfect for here. Anything much bigger and it won't fit on the roads. A lot of people rent their homes, but totally an individual choice. Make sure that your TV and a few other things are dual voltage. Unless you are going to be living on base, buy closets!!!! The houses in our area, (Geilenkirchen)do not have closets, so you end up living out of shrunks...guugghhghg. That is about all I have for now, GOOD LUCK!!!

Hey,

I know exactly how you feel!! We did the same thing 9 years ago..and 6 PCS moves later. Uggh!! It will work out and just try to remember why you are doing this....everyone has their own reasons. We needed financial stability since I wanted to stay home with the kids. It worked!!
Anyway, you are embarking on an incredible experience, life changing. Hang in their and look forward to your new life in Germany. It isn't forever and enjoy it while you are there.

I know what ya mean. We have yard sales every summer and go to many others ad well as thrift shops. I am always amazed to find how high their prices are but when people come to my yard sales they want everything practically for free. I'm sure no one here would turned down an offer to take something if I paid them! lol
It's always nice to have a clean house and garage...even if it only lasts until the next holiday. I'm bound and determined this time around to stop buying so much "junk" that will inevitably end up at the next yard sale. Can't say the same for the grandparents though....

Think of this move as a clean slate. Live on less, put more money in the bank and in a few years you will have your dream home and be able to furnish it with all the things you love if only you simplify for a few years! Take advantage of the new opportunities and countryside as it is beautiful! Focus on what you need rather than want and you will be much more fullfilled.

Ladies, I have been a USMC wife for 15years, we have two kids and a great dane puppy, I attend school and am a disabled veteren. So I know how crazy your lives can be. When I need to clean house, I find the nearest swap meet and load up the SUV. At the swap meet you pay a price for your space(try to get a space closest to the entrance, you will make more money!)you can contact the swap meet and reserve your space early, I highly recommend it. The plus side is that at the end of the swap meet they have large trash cans, so what ever you don't want to drag home, in it goes. Another option is to place your unwanted items in boxes and bags and nail a free clothes sign on the nearest tree. I have done this several times and like magic the items are goes the same day. I even used this method to get rid of a washer,a stove and an entertainment center. I hope this helped, and remember ladies, "we are the backbone of the military."

We lived in Japan for nearly 3 years. Don't go crazy and buy all the local nic nacks! Its fun for a while and also when you first get back to the states but then you'll start to look around your house and and say, Why did I buy all this junk?" Stick to the unique furniture and a FEW memories for the kids.

Hey there, in case you didn't know about it, Military.com Classifieds is hosting "Garage Sale Days" for members of the military community. Check it out here:

http://www.oodle.military.com/x/garagesales/

After our first, our friend told me his CPA said you get more money by donating the items to Goodwill or Salvation Army and writing it off on your taxes than garage sales. Sales are a hassle and people showed up my door at 6:30am even though my signs stated 8-12pm! It didn't help with that move, but I haven't had a sale since. I keep an ongoing Goodwill pile since there's a location next to my grocery store. I haven't had a huge clean-out-the-junk job in years. Sometimes I fill out a tax sheet for the good stuff, and other times I just "let it go".
The Lord has blessed us with 3 very quick house sales. But we also helped. Moving your stuff opens up the space, especially closets. If your attic is easily accessible, move your stuff there (1st sale). Our walk in closets looked so spacious when I loaded our out of season clothes in the attic. 2nd sale my husband bought plywood sheets for the garage rafters. It was a great hiding place. I aim to make the house look really sparse. 1st sale I sold our hand-me-down sofa and chair and the dining room set. I pack up all the wall pictures, plug up the holes and spot paint any holes and dirty spots (kids finger prints). It's easier to paint over dirt than wash it off! Then I always buy 2 cheap palm looking plants from Home Depot ($10 on sale), and cheap pots for them. Real greenery is nice and they're cheap enough to leave or give away. Our 2nd sale we did ourselves! We were there 10 months before moving! If you're interested in that, let me know and I'll post more. Remember, junk in and junk out! Keep your life simple and see your "vision" improve!

I just retired after 20+ years and 9 moves. The nice thing about moving is that you can't pack rat things and have to get rid of all your extra junk. And hopefully, it makes you think before you buy something for $20 and use it for 2 years and then sell it for 50 cents, do you really need it...or would that $20 be better off in your child's college savings account. The reason I bring that up is we have 2 kids starting college and the amount of money that we thought would be enough, is of course not enough.

At the beginning we always did garage sales and they worked out ok, but once I started taking things to Goodwill, and noticed how much savings I received on my taxes, I would recommend that you do that. Just remember to be keep very good records about what you take, as you will need those for your taxes.