Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Would you pay to move it?

We are approaching the half way point of our month long paint, repair and pitch it campaign and are making great strides. I am motivated by the projects that present instant results, hence hardly a day goes by without a paint brush in my hand.

Thus far the exterior has been painted, the pool house mechanical room which had major water damage has been drywalled and re-insulated, and most of the interior light fixtures have been replaced and parts of the second floor repainted and windows washed.

Tomorrow the siding guy comes to replace the gutters and the tree chipper comes Friday.

My mantra has become, "would you pay to move it?" If not pitch it. While we have no plans to move anytime soon, in a house with lots of storage it's too easy to accumulate stuff. It's been cathartic to purge the detritus found in closets and garages, swiftly and ruthlessly. Goodwill, the Salvation Army and the Habitat shop are as grateful to have it, as I am to be rid of it.

I've also found many things that I never knew I had, especially boxes of old family photos I believed were lost forever. Going through those photo boxes cost most of an afternoon and night, reliving the memories, trying to remember names of people long forgotten and places and spaces of long ago- priceless. Time not misspent.

Later in the week I'll share a special photo.

Toad

7 comments:

Tempest in a Pink Teacup said...

I've been purging for an imaginary move for a while now. A friend recently came over to visit and said my house had a slight echo. I took it as a compliment.

Anonymous said...

This is just impressive, sir -- such focused industry on both your parts, and what an effective motivation mantra. If your estate were mine, the temptation for me would be to "relocate" things over at the barn.

Could you please take calls one day in the future, I've stored up a few puzzlers [especially regarding storage] in "the ways men and women see the world differently" -- I need to receive some guidance on such things as, say, why we bought a new elaborate printer/fax/etc to replace the one struck by lightning, yet we [he] stored the dead one in the [teeny] closet.

-Flo

Toad said...

Guilty as charged!

David said...

All this maintenance and purging IS impressive. Doesn't it feel great to get rid of things.

I've got a closet system that has been sitting in its box awaiting installation for months, reading this kind of inspires me to get that put in.

davidsl said...

i admire your ability to go thru your stuff and purge. the very prospect of doing the same in my humble manse exhausts me.

Patsy said...

Toad! I forgot to tell you that you inspired us to tackle our upstairs closet and eaves. We are 4 moving boxes and one contractor sized trash bag lighter. I also have a giant pile of clothing for Goodwill and another for my annual Ladies Clothing Swap.

Many thanks!

Toad said...

I've been imagining the sound of an echo throughout the house and have been doubly motivated, thank you so much.

Patsy, most of my advice is do as I say, not as I do, but I'm glad you were inspired. You too have spurred me on.