Over the last few years the HH and I have gone back and forth about selling our house in high maintenance suburbia. And, if all goes as planned, today we’ll be moving out of the house our family has lived in for the past 8 years.
If not, we’ll be sleeping in a box truck alongside the road for a few days while all the paperwork gets sorted. 😉
Change is good.
Getting rid of most of the furniture you own is pretty rad too. 😉
Yes, we will miss our neighbors and our tight-knit community, but the empty rooms, enormous yard and the mortgage payment… Nope. Not chance.
We are downsizing… and let me tell you Bob… it feels GOOD.
Priorities change, and so do people, and what was important to us 8 years ago when we bought the place, no longer is. The next few months are going to be crazy, but you know what? I’m looking forward to it. 🙂
Here’s just a sample of what I have to look forward to over the next few days:
Wednesday – Arrived home after being on the East Coast for a week.
Thursday – Packing, packing and more packing…
Friday – Still packing, cleaning house and moving out {hopefully}
Saturday – Moving in to our new place {hopefully}
Sunday – Work on 4-5 craft projects for appearance on a New Day Northwest
Monday – New Day Northwest appearance.
Tuesday – Unpack?? Bang head against the wall? Go Crazy?
Wednesday – Renovations begin with Chino the Handyman and his crew.
Here’s to bigger smaller and better things!
~Mavis
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Christie says
Congrats and good luck on the move! Can’t wait to see what projects you have in store for the new house.
coleen says
Best wishes in your new home! We just did what you are doing……sold our house and had 30 days to find a new place, pack and move…..it all went smoothly! Good luck
Lesley says
Downsizing is where it’s AT! In fact, my own parents are building a 650 sq ft carriage house on my property … so I will be following along on your journey with great interest. Here’s to owning a (smaller) house instead of a house owning YOU! Yay Mavis
Sharon says
Oh wow, love the Tiny House Movement.
Brandy says
That sounds lovely! 650 sq ft is plenty for two! We’re looking to build something like that for my dad.
Sophia Merrill says
Congratulations! Onward to a NEW ADVENTURE! We’ll all be waiting (Patiently?…uh, no…) to see what the future brings you!
Brenda says
Will there be a garden?
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes! Of course. 🙂
Pam says
Hubby and I did the same thing last summer (my youngest graduated high school and shipped off with the Army). Went from the big house with the high maintenance yard to the smaller house in the country with 10 acres. I hope you’re as happy with your move as we are with ours……….:)
Sharon says
Wonderful! I can’t wait to downsize….hubby wants to wait 2 years…argh!!!!! So liberating. And some is getting a fabulous garden!
Jamie says
I can’t help but think the hardest part is leaving your garden, berries, trees and all your other plants behind!! Good luck.
Tracy L. says
That’s exactly what I was thinking!
Lynn says
Thinking the same thing here! I keep picturing all those wheelbarrows of rock being moved. Wow. I bet it was a hard decision…….or maybe not. 🙂
Susan S. says
Oh, wow!!!! Congrats! Adventures can be stressful, but soooooo fun. Please, please, please tell us that you’ll have space for a garden? Can’t wait to read your blog over the next few months.
Wendy Steele says
Good Luck, and Godspeed Mavis!!! All the best to you and yours on your newest adventure!!!
Beth says
Congrats and good luck! My daughter is a junior in high school and I truly want to make a similar move when she goes off to whatever college in 2 years- this house that we have been in for the past 15 years will be far too big with just 2 people in it! So, are you going to be 2 house people now? One on the west coast and one on the east coast?
Jane says
Yay for simplifying! Congrats and onward to new adventures! Love following your blog 🙂
CathyB says
Wow! Big news! Is that your secret #1?
Amanda S. says
Wow, I am shocked you are moving! Especially since you didn’t mention it until moving day! Granted, I don’t really read blogs much anymore, but I don’t think I missed that announcement. I remember seeing that you had something up your sleeve in relation to a house on the East Coast (but I assumed that was a vacation home). So are you moving to the East Coast? What are you going to do without your garden? And will there be a room for your daughter when she’s home from college for holidays and the summer? What are you going to blog about if not couponing (which you don’t really do anymore) or gardening?
Tracy L. says
Mavis,
Are you staying in our area?
Lindsi says
When we purchased our house 12 years ago, it seemed so big coming from a small rental. Then we had kids…the house isn’t so big anymore. We have often thought of upgrading to something with more room and a bigger kitchen. But in the end we always talk ourselves out of it because we know in a few short years the kids will be off to college and the house will be too big and empty. I love all the noise that comes with my smaller home. The messes not so much. But when they are off on their own it will be just me and the hubby; a perfectly sized house for just us.
mary mcmahon says
Hi, mavis. best of luck w/ the move. where is the vacation house? in the northeast? I live in Ohio but my fav place in the world is Maine. mary in Cincinnati
Joyce Tucker says
Mavis, good luck with the move,and the new home.. How exciting! ….. and tiring. We moved to the east side of the state last summer. No mildew over here 🙂
If possible you might like to try plucking, dividing and potting up a few of your prized perennials. I have Siberian Irises that we purchased when we built our first home in Vancouver WA. I dug some up and moved them north with us, and again 9 yrs later when we moved to the east side.. I love those Irises and it brings back great memories when I see them in bloom, here at our new place. I even brought a volunteer voila and fern. Both came up in a crushed rock walkway at the old place. Heck, I even brought some strawberry suckers with us.
Good luck with the move. What an adventure!
Ashley says
Congrats!!!! That’s so exciting!
No one has asked the most important question though: Where, oh where did you get those gnome sheets!?
Sierra says
Will your chickens be able to move with you? We move quite a bit for my husband’s job. After the movers have packed and loaded our belongings I often wonder how 36 years of living fits in a moving van with 2 other families. Good luck with your move and hope everything goes as planned.
Barbara Newman says
Good luck on your new adventure!!!
Sherry in Sumner says
Boy, Mavis, when you put your mind to something, you go at it 100%. I can’t imagine not seeing the progress of
your old garden but will look forward to keeping up with your new house, and especially the vacation house on the east coast. Best of luck!
Madam Chow says
We are moving, too! Only we’re upsizing – bigger house, relative moving in with us, and from a tiny lot to 40 acres in the country….WHAT AM I DOING?!
Mavis Butterfield says
You are crazy!!!! 🙂 🙂
Madam Chow says
I think you may be right! We’ll be 35 minutes from the nearest store! Plus, the only mower we have is a manual, old-fashioned push mower.
RebekahU says
Hooray for new adventures and to fresh starts! You will have lots of fun setting up your new garden. I’m hoping Monkey Boy has lots of strong, energetic friends to help you with the loading and unloading! 🙂
Helen in Meridian says
Are you leaving Monkey Boy back at the house with free Amazon delivered doritos so he can finish high school with his buddies? I couldn’t resist those Gnome sheets from Target a couple of years ago either.
suzann from NJ says
OMgosh–we decided this week that it was time to downsize too, Boys are gone. Pool bills too much. I will miss my garden the most.The house not so much. Oh well–life marches on!! Good luck to you. health and happiness where ever we go!!
Erika says
Hope you get to keep your chickens! And your greenhouse!
Lisa says
You weren’t kidding when you said you were going to keep yourself busy while your daughter was away at college! Good for you for downsizing. I would love to live a more simple life – preferably in the tropics!!
Rita says
I am so excited to see your new house and watch as you downsize. You are such a hard worker. I need to downsize within my small home so I’ll be watching for tips along the way. Wishing you the best as you do what many are thinking about.
jennifer says
oh man i got so worried when i saw the title of this post! i thought my favorite blogger was leaving me, glad to hear you are just moving. good luck with the move!
janet says
It’s not downsizing it’s rightsizing.
How you spend your money is always a choice.
I admire and respect what you’re doing!
Love you Mavis!!
Mary P says
I am really going to miss your wonderful garden and green house!
Jane says
I am so excited for you and can’t wait to see pictures of the new place! xo
Shell says
Is your son going to have to change schools?
M&M says
Wow! I am shocked. I am happy you are happy. It would be hard for me to leave the labor of my garden and yard. Although, I might feel differently once my last child leaves the coup.