How absolutely wonderful and fun. Explore that oyster and find the pearl of your dreams. Have a fantastic adventure.

Today we had a Garage Sale after a clear out of both our house and our daughters house. It took me from Wednesday until late Friday evening to sort it and price it and at 6.30 this morning we started to set everything up outside under our carport. At 7.30 we had our first customers and the last one at 4.30 this afternoon. What is left is being donated, books to the library, toys to Head Start, clothes to the local Women's Center.
It was a tiring long day but it felt good to get rid of so much un- needed "stuff". And less to pack up when we sell!

First steps of many to our new adventure!

Oh and the money we made will go towards our road trip

Sounds like a busy few days for you all.

Fingers crossed all your plans go smoothly

I had been wondering about doing something like that if/when we were to downsize or whatever.

I don't think I could face the work now. I remember something in the UK about "house clearance". I found this on wiki
I can't find anything like it for Canada. Plenty of google results but they're not house clearance.

I now wonder if it might work just contacting second hand stores, charities and so on, saying "come and have a look, disconnect and take what you want."

Or maybe hold a bidding thing like that TV show "Storage Wars."

Well considering our flooding issue almost five years ago and all the things that were destroyed at that time I was amazed at how much " stuff" we had accumulated since then!

There were some positives and some negatives to the sale.

Negatives: Pricing and sorting everything.
Crying over getting rid of certain items
Setting everything up outside
Getting up really really early on a Saturday.
Meeting some of the crazy customers .
Finding places for unsold items.

Positives: Meeting some of the fun customers
Watching my 5yr old granddaughter give stuff away
Choosing a perfect weather day for the sale
Impromptu party with family and friends during. sale.
Emptier closets!


But I am never doing it again!

Thank you ladies

It's incredible how stuff mounts up.
We've had three major multi-bag clothing donations and still have too much, including a few shirts still in their original packaging that I had sent over with a few other things in 2005.
When my MIL moved to join us in 2011 she brought six appliances with her. Admittedly we made use of the fridge and freezer and in time replaced a dishwasher and oven with hers, but the washer and dryer are still out in the garage with some other cabinets and there's a ton of stuff down in the basement.

I've sold or given away an oven, sofas, chairs, computer desks, bed but I still have nightmares about having everything packed up and unloaded even if we moved somewhere that had room for it.

Honestly I'd love to have an empty home to move into and start all over again. That was half the fun in moving here; picturing new stuff in a new home.

RV traveling doesn't appeal to me one bit either! I want a real shower, proper toilet, big bed, proximity to restaurants ... all offered by a typical hotel or motel!
I met with my realtor two weeks ago to discuss selling my place in AZ. She suggested I sell furnished, as it would appeal to potential snowbirds and fetch a higher price. I signed the contract with her, and within a week I had a cash offer $30k over asking (and we asked what I thought was a ridiculous amount), and that was without listing on MLS! I could have probably got more by listing, and entertaining multiple offers, but I chose the path of less stress and accepted the offer. Selling furnished made moving real easy, and I was out of there last week! Easiest move I've ever made! For now, I'm going to hang out in CA permanently, which suits me fine. It's expensive to live in CA, but the climate, geography/terrain, and food options make it a hard one to beat.

Selling my place furnished was a wonderfully liberating experience. I not only included the furniture, but 'almost everything' - pots, pans, artwork, tools in the garage, bedding, towels, 'office supplies' in the drawers, monitors on the desk, TVs, etc etc. Knowing I got more money in the deal by selling it that way offset the usual anxiety over the 'cost' issues of giving or throwing stuff away. For example - I really wanted to pack my toaster oven because it was very functional and still in good condition, but - I can buy a new one for $100 or so, and I got a bunch of money in the sale, and leaving it for the buyer means it's not going to waste. So all I took out were box-loads of clothes, photo albums, etc. It still amounted to about 40 boxes, which are now sitting in a 5' x 10' storage facility (a LOT went to Goodwill, and the electronics recycling facility).

Wow! That was amazing and made your sale so easy. I hope ours will be as well

We spent today tidying our flower beds and mulching ready for Wednesdays photos. I am stressing a bit so I hope it all goes well without any glitches.

Pictures were taken of the house inside yesterday but of course it was pouring down with rain so the realtor is coming back on Monday to finish outside. She anticipates that by the middle of next week it will listed

Today we are officially up for sale!

here for you

OK, it's been a day - you should have some offers by now . Have you set a date for 'consideration of offers'? That seems to be the current practice around my neck of the woods - set a date for offers, and get everyone to submit by that date. Really sharpens the offers!

We haven't even had a viewing yet! Sign didn't go up until 5pm (rural Texas is slow).

We do have some viewers tomorrow and Sunday but I doubt we will any offers straight away.