What Do I Do?
 

Ladies - I’m packing for our move and I have a question. We aren’t getting a big house, most likely a small designer or bungalow villa so kitchen space will be iffy. All my kitchenware, dishes, glasses, silverware etc. are at least services for 12 and even 14. And lots of serving pieces. That’s because I cook a lot and regularly host meals. In Florida, until we get to know people and get involved at church, it’ll mostly be family who visit and sometimes friends (2-4). So I’m debating on bringing down so much kitchen stuff. What did you do? Did you wish you had? Or sorry you brought it all? We’re paying a moving company so that makes a difference too. I love what I have and hate to get rid of it. Hopefully I get a nice big pantry closet! 🤞

The lifestyle here is relaxed and casual. I don’t have large formal dinners.

I have a designer home. The dining area has a table to seat six. With an insert it can seat 8. So that’s how many I can invite.

Last Thanksgiving we had 10 people, so we moved the dining table into the lanai, which worked beautifully. (Friendsgiving - your neighbors and friends become your new family. )

At Christmas, before COVID, I had 70 people over. Moved the sofa and chairs against the walls. Set up folding chairs and tables where I could. Room for 2 or 3 folding tables and seats in the lanai. Set the food buffet style on the kitchen island. Used good quality disposable plates and utensils. Everyone had a great time.

So - bring one set of dishes and cutlery. Bring enough serving items for a buffet service. Choose ones with a light, Florida color scheme. (Pastels, whites, creams). Give everything else to your family and friends or to charity.

Most people bring too much stuff.

Here come all the comments from people telling you to sell everything before you move and only come with your underwear! That's silly. Bring what makes you happy, you will find space. My great grandmother's Haviland china I pawned off on my sister, and the extra gadgets and bakeware that doesn't fit in my designer kitchen I have stored in totes on a stainless rack in the garage (I have a 2 + golf garage). I donated a lot of household items to a charity resale shop before I moved. I gave some treasures to family, thinking that most of my 'stuff' will end up at an estate sale when I croak. It is true that I have done less fancy cooking and baking since moving down, but some of that could be due to the pandemic. Pack the things you can't live without first, then be practical about the rest before you move. You will find a happy medium, and good luck with your move.

We bought a designer and at this time it is a second home. It was totally vacant. I bought practically everything new and just love it! We are coming from the north and almost everything we have reflects the way of life and climate there. The few sentimental items like crystal glasses my mom gave me, the fine bone China wedding set I brought with me. Nothing else. Even my beautiful Heinzman grand piano is going to go to my daughter. We are moving in to TV slowly over the years to become frogs, like my relatives before me. I agree about neighbors as new family.

Had the same thoughts...brought four sets of eight. Used them several times a year until the shut down. Hoping to host folks eating at our table/card tables again. If you love that kind of stuff, bring some of it. (and invite me over, most of the time I am the hostess...lol)

If you want to keep doing the same dinner parties you used to do, I would say you're better off bringing all you need for them because things have gotten quite expensive to buy these days. You won't have the same amount of friends for a while, but it's an easy environment to grow a big social circle in TV. Personally my villa has tons of storage that I'll never fill up completely.

Every home we had was sold furnished, every home different, a-frame, Tudor, southern living formal, and every buyer wanted the furniture ( which was bought in NC) and that was fine with us, our home here, spanish, bought everything to suit, we have no attachment to stuff, only to family, saved us tons on moving (besides its fun starting over)

We will bring down our custom dining table small side is 6 chairs, fully extended sits 14, with matching chairs. Every time we have people over it’s more than 20. Not everyone will fit at the big table, but I can’t wait until it arrives.

We have 3 sets of dishes, everything that goes with. I love using my everyday, good, and China. Why buy it if you don’t use it. We also have 9 different Riedel wine glasses, with 16 each, for wine dinners.

All lives in a large sideboard, ready for next gathering. Our lifestyle didn’t change just because we moved to TV, just different faces. We both cook and love to entertain.

The only dishes we didn’t bring was set of 16 Christmas China. Middle child took them, youngest the silver, passed down from my grandmother, oldest is holding out for the wine glasses.

We miss our basement, and wine cellar more than anything, but we make things work. Our Granddaughter stays at our up north home while she attends college. About once a month she send pics of the wine cellar so it doesn’t get lonely.

We got rid of almost everything. If I were to have a large number of people over for food, it would be served on chinette paper plates. Because I’m not trying to impress anyone but instead want to enjoy the company of my friends. ������������*♀️

There is so much stuff in thrift shops that your kids don't want anymore it's just amazing. But still bring what you want that you enjoy. Kitchenware and dinnerware are easy to pack and are you in small boxes and cheap to move. Just don't bring any fur coats! Personally we brought my mother's dining room table and chandelier as it had some great memories and my wife's piano I wish I still refuse to give up and two pieces of luggage with some clothing and that was it

TV houses typically don't have much storage space. We bought ours as a spec house and then added customized storage cabinets in the kitchen (with sliders), laundry room, and bath. We also added customized closet organizers for the bedrooms/office.

My sense is that the vast majority of people in The Villages never have anyone over for dinner and are never asked over to anyone else’s house. In the year I’ve lived here, I’ve had one dinner for six at the dining table and one pool party for eight, where we ate finger food off paper plates and used disposable cups. I have a thirty year old set of Corel that gets little use and a nice set of stainless dinnerware for twelve, half of which I keep in the garage. I got rid of all the redundancies. I haven’t missed them at all. Kitchen appliances I rarely use I keep in cupboards in the garage.

You may be one of the people who throw dinner parties—that sounds wonderful. However, a large percentage just sits home alone. A larger percentage meets friends at the golf course, or at a recreation center for some club, or maybe meets at a restaurant or at a town square. But that doesn’t mean they bring them home. This comes as a surprise to me, as I was hoping to do more entertaining and develop a group of friends that met at each other’s homes, but that doesn’t seem to be common here. To a large extent, the friendliness here means saying hello to people you meet while going for a walk. If you don’t go for a walk, your interaction may be more limited.

One comment for the guys (and gals) out there - I did not bring very many of my tools with me, thinking I would not need or want them. Over the years I have re-bought most of them, so think hard about what to leave behind. You may not need that riding mower, but hedge clippers come in handy!

Be sure of the model you buy...very sure....so that what you're bringing fits. Sometimes it's best to wait. We brought way too much "stuff" even after having 2 or 3 garage sales, private sales then giving to kids or to the thrift stores. Still ended up getting rid of "stuff" once we got here. That said, it is a different life-style here. MUCH more casual, many folks don't cook and if you have a "pot-luck" (covered dish in some cultures) they'll bring something from the store.

Kitche
 

You would be surprised how much you can fit in a dining room credenza. It holds my 24 place setting of Lenox with all the accessories I.e. bowls, coffee cups, dessert plates, plus many of my glass bowls, vases, box of silverware, etc. I chose one double upper cabinet in the kitchen for all the crystal stemware. I use one deep drawer to put my daily China. Drawers are nice for China. What I cut back on was daily coffee cups and glassware. I had at least a dozen coffee cups (mugs) which take up a lot of space. I now have four. If I need more, I can use the coffee cups from the fine China set. I also got rid of all the mix and match old pots and pans. I replaced it with a high end set where everything is new and matches and a few less pieces. If you run out of space, put things in totes in your guest closets or garage.