William and I are officially homeless. We have adopted the lifestyle of vagabonds - though hopefully spending our time in reasonably comfortable Airbnb’s, not backpacker hostels.
Eight or nine years ago we started talking about the idea of selling our home and just renting in different locations throughout the world. William has been patiently prodding me throughout the years. But I wasn’t ready, that is, until a few months ago. After all, life’s short. You’ve got to take advantage of opportunities before they slip by. :-)
By September the townhome which we purchased in 2005 and remodeled over a few years is up for sale with a Realtor. The Realtor warns that the average market time for properties in our neighborhood is seven months. I believe we will find a buyer next March or April, a hot time of year for home sales. William warns that we should be ready for the potential of a quick sale.
In mid-October we have an offer. OMG - we need to take 1700 sq. ft. of furnishings, memorabilia and clothing and a two-car garage with storage space and pare it down into what we want to store while we are vagabonding. We have just five weeks to get it done! We have been trying to reduce our “stuff” for a couple of years, but now we REALLY have to eliminate.
William photographs items he thinks may sell, shares them on Facebook, posts them on the Marketplace and e-mails them to friends and family asking them to put the word out. Regular trips begin to the local charity resell shops with our donations - sometimes twice a day. The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is contacted - if necessary, they will take most of the furniture as a donation provided we have it in the garage.
Friends and family help us with the purge. The winemaking equipment goes to William’s brother; beds, dining table, wall units and storage racks are sold to wine club friends; and two pick-up trucks, three carloads of household items and 15 cases of homemade wine make their way to family in Racine.
Eight or nine years ago we started talking about the idea of selling our home and just renting in different locations throughout the world. William has been patiently prodding me throughout the years. But I wasn’t ready, that is, until a few months ago. After all, life’s short. You’ve got to take advantage of opportunities before they slip by. :-)
By September the townhome which we purchased in 2005 and remodeled over a few years is up for sale with a Realtor. The Realtor warns that the average market time for properties in our neighborhood is seven months. I believe we will find a buyer next March or April, a hot time of year for home sales. William warns that we should be ready for the potential of a quick sale.
In mid-October we have an offer. OMG - we need to take 1700 sq. ft. of furnishings, memorabilia and clothing and a two-car garage with storage space and pare it down into what we want to store while we are vagabonding. We have just five weeks to get it done! We have been trying to reduce our “stuff” for a couple of years, but now we REALLY have to eliminate.
William photographs items he thinks may sell, shares them on Facebook, posts them on the Marketplace and e-mails them to friends and family asking them to put the word out. Regular trips begin to the local charity resell shops with our donations - sometimes twice a day. The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is contacted - if necessary, they will take most of the furniture as a donation provided we have it in the garage.
Friends and family help us with the purge. The winemaking equipment goes to William’s brother; beds, dining table, wall units and storage racks are sold to wine club friends; and two pick-up trucks, three carloads of household items and 15 cases of homemade wine make their way to family in Racine.
On Sunday, November 10th our friends arrive at noon to move the remaining furniture which is not spoken for to the garage. The ReStore will pick it up on Wednesday. Monday our friends come to pick up our bed and the dining table, and William and I move to an Airbnb we have rented about 10 miles away. Tuesday and Wednesday are long days of packing and filling the 5’x10’x8’ storage locker. Thursday, November 14th is closing day. In the morning we do the final cleaning and walk through. It’s bittersweet - we have truly enjoyed our 14 years in this home and will definitely miss it, but we are excited about our future adventures.
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