Selling the family home
We actually did it! Selling our home, one that holds so many precious memories for us as a family, is when this new adventure we’re embarking on became very real. This decision wasn’t taken lightly. Many months of discussions, including plenty of brainstorming and mind-mapping to work through the pros and cons, were had over the kitchen table.
Our main concern was making sure Jemma and Kalani were okay with our decision. Both were very excited for us, but “What! You’re selling the family home?” pulled at the heartstrings a little and made us question whether or not we were going too early and/or being too selfish. However, the fact that both girls were independent and getting on with their lives helped us to justify our next move.
The initial process of sorting through your belongings and deciding what to sell and what to keep was a little daunting to say the least. First step was to allow the girls to take possession of anything they wanted. After that it was sell, sell, sell! Once we’d sold a few items, the uncomfortable feeling of nostalgia dissipated into the background. Rather than rearing its ugly head every time we waved goodbye to something as it disappeared out of sight down the driveway, we felt a growing sense of freedom. Market Place was our go-to for the de-cluttering of all our worldly possessions. Having not used this platform before, we underestimated its capacity to quickly move things on. So quickly, in fact, that we went way too early with the sale of our bedroom suite and were left sleeping in a swag on the bedroom floor for six weeks! A great intro into the life we were about to embark on :)
A special mention to both sets of parents for helping us work through this stage. To Ian and Sue for helping us out with the storage of some precious items that we didn’t want to sell and did not make the cut (you can only have so many surf boards on board a 38ft catamaran - surely 7 between us is enough, right?). To Ian and Jenny for upending their quiet routines and allowing us to stay once settlement of the house went through. Luckily, the boat of our dreams became available way sooner than predicted and our visit was only for approximately six weeks instead of six months. Nothing like having your 50 year old daughter, your son-in-law, and the occasional grand-daughter imposing on your space. Not sure about their perspective, but we loved that this opportunity allowed us to spend precious time together.
A final thank you to our beautiful girls, Jemma and Kalani, for being so awesome and making us feel comfortable enough to follow our dreams. We are beyond excited at the prospect of sharing many exciting adventures with you.
