First Project of 2014

I have my first project for 2014 and I'm excited.

When we left Sydney (8 years ago this week actually) we did what most people do when they move .. we purged and only took what we needed. However, as we didn't know the size of our new home in Dublin, and we had a four bedroom home, with formal and informal living space, and formal and informal dining rooms, a large backyard full of outdoor play things for MissM who was only 2 at the time plus a fish tank, two cars we couldn't take with us etc, there was a LOT of work done prior to the move.

G was already working in Dublin, and I had MissM as a toddler home-alone trying to work out what we were taking, selling, donating, storing. It was a very stressful time. Decisions had to be made via email or phone calls, and quickly.

For all we purged, we still have about half a house in long term storage. Stuff we haven't seen for 8 years - if we've missed it, we've replaced it.

We shed stuff when we moved from Dublin to Japan assuming we'd be living in a small apartment. MrsD has our lounge suite (one sofa in her rental property and the sofa bed in her spare room), MrsH had MissM's book case in her girls playroom; our outdoor table and heater is with MrsD's parents, as is most of our electricals ...... MrsS bought our car. We also gave away a lot of food and laundry items, and grog. We acquired several very large heavy photo albums full of memories, some lovely pieces of artwork from trips, ornaments, and a few more pairs of boots.

In Japan we replaced the lounge suite with another couch and sofa bed as we were fortunate to find a huge 3 bedroom 'western style' apartment. We bought brand new electrical things, and a smaller book case for MissM. A chest of drawers for us and a few other things. We gave away a lot of food and laundry items and grog. We sold the car. We also acquired a lot of lovely memories in the form of artwork, statues, a few more photo albums, a few Ikebana pieces, a new dinner set and numerous pieces of Japanese crockery (it's so pretty)

In the UK, we replaced all the electricals, bought  a coffee machine and a bread maker, bought a new outdoor setting, a trampoline, a new car, acquired a few more photo albums, and some more Ikebana pieces.

When we moved to Dublin, we simply packed up and moved! We drove our car, full of food and laundry products, grog, and clothes. We purged a few things, but basically everything could come with us for the first time.

We've learnt very quickly to expand or contract accordingly, tho not with out some stress at the time. Remember moving to Dublin this time round, we were 9 cubic metres over our allowance. Our next move from here will be a huge purge for sure.

How will we feel seeing things we've not seen for 8 years? What memories will rush back? Will we be brave enough to offload them ... afterall, if we've not missed them these 8 years, surely we don't need them. (I'll just keep telling myself that and soon enough will believe it)

The TV, washing machine and dryer have been in storage for 8 years. Surely the motor's have seized! They'll be easy to ditch.

I'm hoping SIL (G's sister) might want some of the furniture - assuming the company has stored them professionally and they are still in perfect condition.

Our taste has changed obviously over this time, and we've bought furniture to suit our lifestyle (it's all Ikea, say no more). The only furniture to keep will be my late aunt and uncles stunning mahogany dining table and chairs (it seats 18 and we have all 18 chairs) Goodness knows what we'll do with it long term - it's so formal and fancy, and BIG.



My project is as follows.

1. Find the manifest listing what's stored.
2. Remember what each piece actually is.
3. Decide what to do with it
1. Sell on eBay or Gumtree very quickly
2. Donate to charity
3. Give to family or friend who might like it
4. Work out how to get it to Dublin cost effectively and start enjoying it again.
5. Replace it in long term storage.
4. Contact the long term storage company and ask them how we go about emptying the unit; how long can we have it to sell things from, how do we go about throwing stuff away, can we recycle the electricals if they no longer work (TV, washing machine and dryer from memory)
5. Rejoin eBay or Gumtree and work out best way to upload advertisements.
1. Have a spreadsheet ready of each piece of furniture that will require measuring (we've a wall unit, table and two chairs from memory) so that all I need do is measure.
2. Work out with G a minimum  price we're happy to accept (who cares, right?! We don't want it)
6. Have a skip ready for the stuff to tip.
7. Work out which charity we can offload stuff to and how to get it to them (preferrably they'll collect)
8. Repack things we are keeping and move them into a smaller storage unit for the next goodness knows how long til we return.
9. Work out how to get the things we want with us in Dublin.

G thinks there's no point keeping anything, and in a way he's right. But we don't want to be schlepping the mahogany table and 18 chairs with us for starters.

I've so many photo albums from BG ...... what do I do with them? Maybe that's my second project.

When am I doing this you ask? 

Well the planning starts Monday when MissM is back to school. The actual DOING will happen on our next trip home which we are planning on doing first half this year. 

If anyone else has done anything remotely like this before, I'd really appreciate your advice.

I think the planning is the easy bit, the actual doing will take a lot of emotional energy as there's years of memories not seen for 8 years ....... and major decisions to be made. 

I'm already focusing on what G and I have achieved and experienced as a couple in terms of material things cos that's what's stored, material things, these past 8 years of being away, that what's there before. 

Before certainly played a role in getting us here, but it's the things we have now, the friendships and experiences that are so much more important.

With friendship

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