I know I couldn’t keep all of the things from our Illinois farmhouse, but now that we are settled in Florida I wish I would have kept these pieces!
Reflections on the Thyme to Let Go Downsizing, Cleaning Out Process:
After my Dad passed away in September of 2017, I began getting ready to start thinking about how to tackle the project of going through everything at the farm. After purchasing my Great Aunt’s house in Florida in February of 2018, I started to really tackle the project. There is a 7 part series entitled “Thyme to Let Go: How I Downsized the Family Homestead”.
A Facebook Memory from January 26, 2018 cropped up on my Facebook page several months ago. I have included it below:
I really didn’t think it would take as long as it took!
Our plans changed over the course of the months after my Dad passed away. Shortly after the 1st Estate Sale in October 2018, I decided to sell the pizza parlor, sell the houses and move to Florida full time. Sounded simple enough!
But things didn’t go according to plan. We finally got the Illinois houses on the market in July 2019. Because of the uniqueness of having 2 houses on the same piece of property , it took a very long time to find the right buyer. The sale was ultimately completed in May of 2021.
One good thing about it taking so long to sell the houses is that it gave me plenty of time to clear out the two houses, the 7 outbuildings, my off-site storage units and clear out the rest of my belongings from the pizza parlor.
Too Bad We Didn’t have Enough Stuff for an Auction!
I actually had an auctioneer tell me I didn’t have enough items for an on-site auction! I am not sure how much one needs to have an on-site auction! I ended up having a professionally run 3-day estate sale, sent things to 6 different auctions, sold a number of pieces on Facebook Marketplace, held two 2-day Estate sales with the help of a few friends, gave away quite a bit of things and did have one or more amazing bon fires! Plus, we brought a lot to Florida!
A Few Things I wish I had Room for In Florida but Sadly I Do Not
The Dining Room Table
Things I Kept That My Husband Isn’t Happy About!
In full disclosure, these amazing pieces are still in the back of my van waiting to be hung up in the Florida house! Yes, three years later they are still in the van. I have to find the perfect place, time and helper to hang them! It definitely needs to be when Dave isn’t home!
Hummm……..I didn’t realize we had a fireplace in Florida!