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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Collecting

Ah yes, some folks will think we are nuts.  We are now collecting new furniture for the "new-to-us" house!

Honestly, our other furniture would not have fit the style of this house anyhow, and we are glad that we purged all the stuff we didn't want any more.  The things we did save are the best or favorite items and will incorporate those into the house when we move in after closing Dec 31.

I sure wish the sellers would have let us rent the vacant house ahead of time, as we offered in our purchase agreement.  But heck, they don't know us from Adam, and we could be trashy, or we could be really picky and wanting to re-negotiate on newly discovered faults or repairs.  (we wouldn't do that, but they don't know that)   Just the image of moving all this newly acquired stuff, in the middle of winter of snow, slush or ice is not appealing.

Right now we are planning on storing our newly gotten things in the heated storage space we rented for our motorhome, there's plenty of room!  I have my looms set up in here so I can come and weave during the days too.




So far we picked up a used dining set that turned out to be VERY VERY heavy!  


Yup... eight chairs and a rug too, all one package deal from a lady selling her home.  It's a very sad story why she had to move.  She would have split up the set if I only wanted the table and chairs, but she made it a good deal if I bought all the pieces.  

So I took the whole thing, buffet AND the china hutch.  She even threw in the rug, some fancy tablecloths and the pad for underneath them.   Those are three thick slabs of marble in the top of the buffet to set hot dishes or chafing dishes on.  (heck, I don't even own chafing dishes) 

We already have a built-in china hutch unit in the dining room of the house.   But we will use these pieces around the house, and keep the set intact.  I am going to recover the seat cushions as I can not see my grandtots managing well with WHITE seats???


Steve set up the table.. it's HUGE with 2 pedestals, 
plus there are two leaves that make it even longer! 
(for all eight chairs to comfortably surround it) 

Well made and solid, and did I say HEAVY????   Steve and I struggled to get it loaded when we picked it up last night using brother Pete's trailer for the big pieces.  We set the eight chairs lapped over each other on their sides in the back seat  and trunk of the car and the back of the Tracker.

Oh.. speaking of the car....
Steve was chatting with the owner of the next storage space for his gutter business.  He had bought this car for his 17 year old son.  The son, of course, complained it was a "Grandma Car" and hated it!   2001 Lincoln Continental.   So after three months, the son bought a pickup truck of his own.  Now the dad had to sell the car!  The price was right, plus he knocked off $500 just so he didn't have to list it and show it to prospective buyers.  There wasn't any room to park it at his house anymore with the new truck, so he would have been running back and forth to show it while it was parked at the shop.   $500 off made his life easier and helped us decide to buy it. 

Steve said it would be good for me to run around errands while we have the house now in the area.  Plus when we do Snowbird in the motorhome for the winters, we can fly back to Wisconsin for a few weeks at Christmas and have our own car to run around in, instead of renting one or imposing on family members to haul us around.  


I found this lovely fireplace screen on Craigslist.  It will look great in front of the fake electric fireplace, until we can replace that with a gas log one.  The screen will look great in front of that too!!!


Then we found a set of wicker furniture for the front enclosed porch... Steve found this on an internet search on Craigslist., The lady was selling it during the summer and still had it.  We paid down on it the other night, and are going back tonight with Pete's trailer to haul it to the storage building too.



Then we decided to check out a big sale going on at a new furniture store in Appleton.  We picked out some things, and the best part is they are going to store them in their warehouse until we are ready to have them delivered to the new house after closing (and some painting) is done!   

Steve found this bed...  on clearance!   and he compromised on a softer mattress.  Our last one from Verlo was "firm" for his back, but felt like a "rock" for me!  In all the years we had that bed, I didn't sleep very well.  So this time, we went softer and if he has to, we can slide a board between the mattress and box spring for his side.


And he found the chair he wanted (it reclines too)  
the flash makes it look lighter, but really it's a darker brown 


And I found the couch I wanted!!!!   it was hard to decide between couch or loveseat (only $20 in price) because the livingroom in the new house is only 13 feet wide and 12 feet long.



Our new livingroom presents a problem though if we buy a couch instead of just 2 chairs:

  • one wall of wooden columns and opening to the dining room, 
  • one wall of the pocket doors, 
  • one wall of the big leaded glass window 
  • and the last wall with the fireplace, 

See? there are not a lot of options.  

The couch is 7 1/2 feet long.   Oh boy..... or the loveseat is only 6 1/2 feet long, but feels less comfy and more crowded.  The salesman assured us we can change our minds any time before delivery and substitute the loveseat, or another chair, and adjust the price.

So we worked with a computer graphing program last night and arranged the couch form on the grid in various places in the room.  We decided we will just have to place the furniture into the room space, not on the walls, and walk around it from behind to enter or exit the room. I think it will work.


Now just a few lamps, occasional tables, and a bed for the guest room, and we are DONE!


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22 comments:

  1. You weren't full-timers for very long...LOL I have been following your blog for a couple of years now and I thought you wanted to get rid of all the homeowner stuff, the taxes, furniture, insurance, maintenance, etc. Just curious as to why y'all jumped back on the horse so quick. Did living in the Safari for a couple of months change your views on full timing? We are considering the full-timing lifestyle and having been researching and reading blogs for several years now...inquiring minds want to know, why did you purchase another house?

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  2. Beautiful - perfect furnishings!! What an exciting time for you, thanks for sharing!

    (Long-time blog follower, enjoying your journey)

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  3. I think some serious medical issues that cropped up in Steve's family have changed our thinking a bit. We are feeling the need for a "soft place to land" when travelling around in case something happens.

    Steve is really enjoying his job transfer to the DNR at the High Cliff State park nearby. He may not retire as previously planned, being only 55. Or else he can retire, pull his pension, but still possibly return to the park to work in the summer busy season as an LTE (Limited Term Employee)

    As my friend Paula said: "SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP, ROLL OVER, AND DREAM A DIFFERENT DREAM"

    We LOVE being in our Safari and sure enjoy it and could easily manage in it full time. And we are planning 6 weeks this winter to head to Texas or somewhere else warm and south. Then once Steve retires, we can go all winter, and still come back here in the spring, summer and fall rather than sweltering in the south.

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    1. I totally understand:) We have talked about full time and getting rid of stuff for several years now and I think we have come to the same conclusion, it's just nice to have a place (not on wheels)to call home. We will probably purchase a small Casita with an RV pad (or two) and just enough room for the two of us and the kids/grandkids when they want to visit. My biggest fear was something happening to me and my wife having no other place other than the RV to call home. She may not want to continue the full time lifestyle if I have assumed room temperature...LOL. I will definitely look for a small house, condo, patio home, etc., that will have little to no maintenance, allow RV's and it has to be paid for....no more mortgage payments. It will have to be in a mild climate all year round too:)
      I thoroughly enjoy your blog, thank you for sharing your journey with all of us.

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  4. Replies
    1. Yes.. too funny! Steve picked it out on Tuesday night and we read his blog now to see they have the same ones!

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  5. Your furniture looks perfect for your house. Good match.

    We once placed a couch down the length of a room facing a fireplace which made an aisleway behind it. it worked well for us.

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  6. "I think some serious medical issues that cropped up in Steve's family have changed our thinking a bit. We are feeling the need for a "soft place to land" when travelling around in case something happens".
    ------
    Those, along with some other practical consierartions, were a couple of the reasons we backed off our fulltiming plans back in 08 as well. In retrospect, now 4 years later, I am satisfied we made the right decision although I still do 'have my days' about being on the road 24/7. One of our main concerns was...what if we had a short or long term medical issue & had to return to Canada in the dead of winter. Where would we stay, where would we go?? For us & our totally independent ways, staying with family was not an option. So it's a nice comfortable feeling knowing, while traveling, if push comes to shove, we always has a warm comfy home...to go home too:))

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  7. You and Steve are making some wise decisions on furnishings. Love all the choices you have made so far. The house is going to look lovely and comfy. How much are you renting out a bedroom for? Does that include meals? LOL! Yup, I could move in there but then, would you really want me around all the time!!!!? Perhaps if I did the cleaning and laundry. LOL!
    We are looking forward to seeing your new home. BTW: does it have room for us to park our coach in when we do visit???
    Hugs

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  8. I LOVE the dining room set--gorgeous! You guys are just too funny but in our current circumstances we understand completely!! We never thought we would be going back to work, either!

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  9. My wife likes to weave, too. Let us see a picture of your loom when you get it set up.

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  10. How fun! The furniture will look great in the new house. I love the new house btw.
    You could "float" your furniture. Instead of up against a wall, float it in the middle of the room.
    Can't wait to see pictures!

    ella

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  11. Shopping for things for the house looks like so much fun! I think you made the 100% right decision. All the best of both worlds. You are both young enough that if you decide to go full full time in a few years you still can. We on the other and had better get out there if we are going to! We rented one of our houses for a month efore closing and had no problems. But when I was a realtor, One of my sellers allowed a buyer to store furniture in a house before closing, then when the deal went bad it was a nightmare to get them to remove it. Too bad you woun't be able to have Christmas there!

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  12. I love the furniture you have picked out. I didn't know that you could get a mission style recliner until I saw Al and Kellys. I love them. They look more comfortable to me than a regular recliner. Place your furniture away from the walls. More interesting and you can make your own walkways. This is fun! More pics please

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  13. I LOVE the Papa Bear Bed!!! It's Huge. But I would need the softer mattress too.

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  14. Wow, Karen! I was working with little reading time and up pops your blog about new furniture! and a new house?! whew! things fly fast around here. I so get the not full timing thing though, as much as I love to be out in the MoHo, I also love to land back home. Of course, now instead of downsizing our bigger place in Rocky Point, we ADDED the "cottage" in Grants Pass. I am still laughing at all of us! Now I gotta go read again what has been happening here.

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  15. Wow, first you spend weeks getting rid of your stuff, selling your house and Steve getting ready to retire. Next thing you know you've acquired another house, new job for Steve, car and "stuff." Life takes all kinds of twists and turns doesn't it. Enjoy.

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    Replies
    1. Yup... my friend said it's a great way to move... sell off your old stuff, then have a furniture store deliver and set up your new stuff! Then you don't have to carry it or move it or rent a truck! LOL LOL LOL

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  16. Looks like some great furniture. The longer I do this the more I realize there are so many ways to do this RVing thing. Sounds like you are working out the way that fits your needs. Interesting post!

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  17. Lovely house and what a buy. Great choice in furniture. Looking forward to seeing the after pictures. Have fun.
    Bev in NS, Canada

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  18. It looks like I am going to have a lot of fun watching you move in, furnish, and renovate. That's a beautiful old home that looks so well cared for. What a find!

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