The home I was leaving was about 1,800 square feet plus a two car garage. We were less people, now that my daughter was married and gone from the nest as well as her older brother. Our new home was smaller - no family room, no third bedroom closed off, and only a one car garage. It was perfect for us; after all, it would just be my youngest son E and myself. But it meant there would be things we wouldn't be taking with us because they simply would not fit.
I had two large storage cabinets in the garage that I'd bought from Lowe's just 4 years earlier.
I knew that I might be able to fit the smaller cabinet but not the larger. I considered selling them, but my daughter said her mother-in-law was interested in the larger one. I had no problem giving them both away or keeping just the smaller one. I'd used the large cabinet as a pantry which I no longer needed. The smaller one I used to keep tools and cleaners for the car. Her in-laws came by and picked up both cabinets. I was glad because it was one less thing I'd have to pack or re-home.
It was easy to empty out because I was mindful to use whatever food was in there rather than go grocery shopping.
The next thing that had to go was one of the sectionals. I had one in the living room and one in the family room, and although the one in the family room was newer it wasn't as good quality as the one I'd gotten from Costco 4 years before. I decided to list the sectional, which I'd bought off of Amazon, on OfferUp. I spoke with a friend who'd sold things on the app and she said she'd had great experiences. Amazingly, it sold and was picked up all within 2 hours! I decided I would continue posting and see how much I could sell.
I posted my glass tables and ceramic lamps. These had been purchased 20 years before, so I wondered if they would sell, since they were no longer in style.
Although they were pretty and were in excellent condition, neither item got more than some passing interest. I didn't let that deter me, and I posted my china cabinet that I'd lovingly stained. It sold the very next day.
While I loved this piece, I knew I wouldn't need it. The new house had a dry bar right off the dining room that could easily house everything in the china cabinet and then some. I did keep the dining room table, and began using the dining room itself as a staging area for my boxes.
Next, my daughter and son-in-law rented a truck to take her bedroom set, which they'd be using in their guest room. Since there was plenty of room in the truck, I offered her my old patio furniture (too big to fit on our new balcony) and the television with stand from the family room. I had the fireplace/tv stand in the living room, along with the bookcases, and that's all I would need in the new house.
Once her bedroom set was gone, her bedroom was the first to be emptied out.
I continued to pack, declutter, and take things to Goodwill. The barbeque grill wouldn't be going with me, since I wouldn't have anywhere to put a grill. I tried my best to clean it so I could sell it, but after being outside for years, even with a cover, it was pretty beat up. I put it out on the curb, and before the day was over it was picked up by a Comcast technician who'd been working in the area.
Everything seemed to be moving right along like clockwork. But it's just like Florida to throw a wrench in the works - a wrench named Dorian. Would we get hit with a category 5 hurricane?! It was time to get back on my knees and pray for a miracle!
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