We bought our house in December and will be full time residents around June. Every time we drive down we bring a load with us, whether it is clothes, kitchen stuff, etc., we pack enough boxes to fill up whatever we are driving. Closer to the time we actually move we will try to put the rest in a 24' trailer. We have to seriously downsize which we need to do anyway. Will be having at least a couple of yard/moving sales before we leave our current home, and giving things to children they may want. It is hard to part with things you have had for many years, but at the same time it can be very liberating. I am trying to keep family pieces and either sell or give away the rest of what I don't need or what won't fit. Plus while we were there in Dec. we bought some new furniture for down there, and will be leaving some of ours in the current house since our oldest son is buying the house from us. At any rate I am counting the days to get to TV!!

ha ha ha ha ha.......you got me on that first sentence.
I was thinking, "obviously, he has never moved".......

Sounds like a good plan. To have a home bought already is the ideal.
Easier to do that way. We could do that, but hubby prefers to sell this one first and then go down and see what we find.............been there , done that. You guys are fortunate indeed and best wishes to all.......

We downsized "big time" back in 1994........when we moved to Venice, Florida......however, we gained five grandchildren after we returned to Vermont these past almost two decades........and all the "joys/toys/games" etc. that go with hosting the grandkids.

We also sold all of our furniture back then and rebought in Florida......then moved it back here, then replaced all of the Florida furniture up here with northern furniture.......so yes, we would sell it all again.........it's a big house. Tons of closets to declutter. So many winter clothes. So many gifts given to us. And then............there is the GARAGE filled with tools and things.

Again, best wishes. You do have an ideal plan.

Rushing into anything, whether an idealic condo directly on the beach overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.....or a gorgeous home in TV can have buyer's regret. Plus, the choices in TV are phenomenal and huge.

We've never had that large inventory of homes to even look at in our small town here........so just finding one will be mind boggling.....but we can do it and eventually we will. I look at the resales every day....plus the newly built ones. I truly think it's wise to buy the house and even rent it out if one must..........and then put this house on the market as it may sit for years and years..........until someone comes along.

If we bought one now, we could at least go down for the winters.
Have it all set up..........then the "move" would definitely be easier.
However, then there are the two property taxes, etc. and all the utilities, if it doesn't rent out. It will all come together..........I have no doubt about it. THANKS AGAIN.

An honest man, to say the least. I can feel that humidity......
I can see those 60 boxes........yikes. Winter sounds good, but it still would be strenuous on the older joints and whatnot. Glad you are all settled....or are you? Still going to move again?

That's the trouble........how do we do it all "around and between" our morning and afternoon naps????????

Like you and your spouse, we also have always been in synch and super organized..........but the past few years have definitely "slowed down".

This springtime we are replacing all the carpeting (this is a tri level huge home).......we're doing it for resale value.......just the thought of emptying the entire china cabinet in the dining room and where to put all the furniture when they are ripping out the carpeting, pads, etc......to install the new............I know they do it......but it's all just mind boggling.

Ditto for all the closets......which need painting on the interior.....the carpeting put inside on the floor of the closets..........and then all the clothes returned. Again, just a lot of work. Mornings is when we do our most strenuous tasks as we are morning folks.

Thanks again. Appreciate your comments.

Again, the energy level is NOT what it used to be.....now that we are 67 & 68.
The last time we moved to Florida we were 49 years old.........turned 50 when we returned to Vermont.
There is truly a vast difference between 49/50 and pushing 70.....in energy.

Absolutely!

We were a corporate move to Tampa in 1997 so didn't really clean out.
I just found a list from that move the other day that I had 25 things to do that day and on that list was "bowling and lunch with my Son".
HUH? All that stuff to do and I still fit in bowling and lunch?
Well, I was in my early 40's!

Now anticipating our move to T.V. we are truly cleaning out and
it is totally exhausting! Worthwhile but exhausting.
I'm finding muscles I didn't know I had!

My DH is using advil every day so it's not just me.

My motto now -- one day at a time.