I’ve moved 19 times in my life.
My wife and I rented 4 homes, bought 6 and sold 5 of them together.
As I mentioned in a recent post, since my wife died last year, I’d been thinking about selling my home.
Well, the thinking is over. I listed my house this week and have already received an offer. It’s just a matter of time until I sell it.
Now I’ve got to purge my belongings so I can fit everything I own into a Toyota Tacoma Pickup and 6×8 foot Runaway Venturist trailer.
I checked. I’ve got room to carry 8 large storage bins, plus a generator, solar panels, 2 golf cart batteries, an inflatable mattress, gas cans, food and water.
I’ve downsized before but never to this extreme.
Essentially, I am getting rid of everything except some clothing, tools, kitchen utensils, camping gear and blankets.
Zack is going to take a bunch of our furniture. That makes me really happy. Our home is full of antiques and beautiful unique artwork from Ellen’s parents. We’ve got lamps from the late 1700s, Tables that are 150 years old and pottery from to 17th century.
Some of our stuff is valuable I suppose. Much of it was beautiful to me and to Ellen. But none of it can go on the road with me.
I love that the memories of our home will carry on in Zack’s. Plus it will give him beautiful, unique furniture that will now be his to cherish.
All of our clothing is being donated. I told Ellen I would be donating her clothes after she died. She was fine with that. Even so, it was still heart wrenching to pack everything away a few months ago. But now, I’ve got no choice. Her clothes and most of my clothes have to go.
I plan to never wear a suit again, never wear a tie again and never wear dress shoes. My khakis are gone. So are my work shirts. My outfits will be utilitarian. Passable and clean, but definitely not office attire.
I’m paring down to the bare essentials and nothing more.
Except, I am keeping Ellen’s wedding dress. I can’t let it go. At least not yet.
A full kitchen – Gone. I’ll give Zack everything he wants and donate the rest. All I will be taking is a few plates, bowls, pans, silverware, utensils and a pressure cooker.
Artwork – Getting disbursed to Ellen’s family. Zack will take some. Her sister wants the Monkey paintings. Her brother will get the “old” family photos. I will keep some paintings and most of the photos at my mother’s house. Very little can go with me on the road, but I’m not ready to give these up yet.
Tools – After 30 years of being a homeowner with mediocre DIY skills, I’ve amassed a decent collection of tools and supplies. It’s all gotta go except what I anticipate I’ll need on the road. There’s no room for chainsaws, power tools, spare sets and lawn maintenance equipment.
TVs and Computers – I already gave my 20″ monitor and bedroom TV to Zack’s girlfriend. I’ll try to sell the big 50″ TV to whoever buys our house since it is mounted in the perfect location. I’ll take my Macbook and Ipad with me. I’m debating taking my Chromebook because it’s only 2 years old. However, it’s likely to just take up space so I should probably get rid of it.
Paperwork – I keep paper files to a minimum already. Everything is scanned and stored digitally. But I will take a small file of important documents with me.
A lifetime of memories goes with me.
I don’t need our stuff to remind me of Ellen. I think about her constantly. Even so, it’s bittersweet to go through this purging process.
I am taking photos so I can look back someday and recall the good times we had building our lives and our home together.
But now, I think getting rid of everything is a necessary step for me to build a new life alone.