” Look at all this room ! How are we ever going to fill all this space?!?”The worst question one can ever pose, when you’ve walked into your new house. Coming from humble beginnings, I didn’t have much to bring with me when we bought our first house, 21 years ago today, September 1. It was an in-fill house aka a split level house, built in an older neighbourhood on a lot that was sold off of a larger neighbouring lot. It was beautiful. Only 13 years old and had lots of potential, in my eyes anyway. The basement was huge! We only had an old sectional couch and ping pong able to fill it. Well that slowly evolved. With additional hand me down furniture as well as furniture bought from my work selling off excess office supplies, our house grew cozier& cozier. Over time, with the adding of a third mouth to feed, we started to burst at the seems. It’s amazing how much equipment a baby needs. With another baby on the way, one bedroom wouldn’t be enough especially if the brother ended up with a sister.
After strategic house hunting we found ‘The One’. A Randall cab-over. With baby # 2 on the way, no need to part with any baby equipment or accessories. Coincidentally we moved in 11 years ago today. We walked into hour 2nd new home, took a look at all the space, especially the basement & said, you guessed it, “what are we going to do with all this space?!?” Should never have uttered those words. The best way to describe this as the accumulation effect. Stuff keeps piling up. I’m not a pack rat or hoarder. Sometimes it is hard to get rid of stuff that meant so much and held memories at different periods of your life. Purge, purge, purge- that’s the motto of the season. Long Gone are the strollers, bouncers and high chairs. Learning to let go is a challenge. Garage sales are often the answer. I’ve learned over the years from experience as a seller and a buyer, when the prices are set too ‘high’ the seller really doesn’t want to get rid of their stuff.
And you always set the price of your stuff with a cushion price, so that when people talk you down you can be more flexible with the price and not lose out.
As I prepare for next week’s neighbourhood / community sale, I’ve sifted through box after box of gently used treasures, whether its toys, books or stuffed animals, I always wish good intentions in that it would be nice if someone acquires what was once ours, enjoys it as much as we did. And of course I hope someone does take it so we don’t have to re box it – cause this is the last garage sale we are ever having! I’ve been saying that for 8 years now! Happy G-Saling!
jnflamand_thinks_too_much 