I thought this is funny. I’ve been working with Former Neighbor J on plans to ship the remainder of his belongings to his new home on the other side of the continent. We’re talking about the belongings located here…
…and indeed filling – packing it – from rear to front. Yesterday I spent hours tunneling around in there, completing an inventory of its contents, so I have a fair idea what-all is in there, right? So I sent the list off to J&H. And this morning I learned, not to my surprise, that they don’t actually want very much of it. They went off with three trailer-loads of stuff, after all. They’ve been living without the rest since March, and I have received no requests for shipping forgotten essentials even though we made arrangements to do just that.
I’m still on the hook to get rid of it, though, within 30 days of closing. “I guess the rest of it is yours,” said J.
That stopped me, smack in the middle of the plaza. What the hell would I do with a whole building full of furniture, paintings and kibble? The answer is…I hadn’t a clue. There’s almost nothing in there I want, and absolutely nothing I can’t live without. Oh, there are a couple of better-quality saucepans I’ll keep if I can find lids. Some small tools I’ll probably snark up just because who wouldn’t. A couple of buckets of dehydrated food. Some better trash cans, for sure. Nothing I couldn’t live without, but a few things I won’t turn down if they’re free.
But you want to know the one single possession of J&H’s I’ve spent the past several months craving? The one thing they have that I truly want?
I thought about that this morning. I get down on myself sometimes because it seems I haven’t really learned as much about self-sufficient living as I should have in nine years of life in the boonies*. I’m lazy, I sometimes jump to conclusions that more careful thought would prove wrong, and I’m just not as skilled as I wish I were.
Then somebody hands me the key to his hoard of household kibble, and I don’t want any of it. And maybe that means I’m doing something right. Whatever the faults in what I am, at least I’m content with what I have.
As for the household stuff, I told J that once I have a final list of what he and H want, I’m going to turn the neighbors loose on the rest and then haul what remains to the thrift store and/or the dump.
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*And it’s nine years this week, by the way.
When I’m out at the ranch (not a full timer like you are), it seems like a whole lot of tasks involve ‘move this heavy / bulky load from there to there’. Move dirt – move wood – move rocks etc. A good wheelbarrow makes a whole lot of sense to me. I think I have that very wheelbarrow (Loews Kobalt no flat tire, steel handles – yoke ?) and its saved me a lot of back and forth trips in the years I’ve owned it.
The building would make a much larger lair, and if it’s oriented correctly provide room for more solar panels……
I’ll agree on the wheelbarrow, few things are as useful. Pneumatic or flat free tire?
9 Years, OMG! If you were near a postal outlet I would say sell thee stuff on kijiji.com and make a few bucks out of it. Maybe you want to ask some of the neighbors to have a look after you have picked over to bones as it were. Good luck…
Oh, flat free. Only way to go.
And of course I can’t have the building(s) or any of the infrastructure. Or I’d be out there unmounting solar panels at this moment.
If J actually wanted a large amount of that stuff, I would suggest PODS. It’s a very simple way to move large quantities of stuff. You can take your time filling the pod, and then they move it to its destination, where you can empty it at your leisure. As it is, I believe that you have a good plan. Also, the new owner might well not object should you leave useful stuff behind.
Sell it. Whatever the neighbors don’t want, throw it up on craigslist or something and sell it. Even if after expenses you only keep 20-30% it could be a handy rainy day fund for those minor emergencies when two becomes none.
Selling it is the reasonable, logical thing to do. I’m not going to do it because I live 10 miles from the nearest pavement and had no administrative aptitude whatsoever before I spent 9 years hermitting in the desert. In short I have no fulfillment system whatsoever.
Ben: that PODS truck needs a more-or-less paved road, I suspect.
Yup, a wheelbarrow is the most important tool a homesteader can have.
“Ben: that PODS truck needs a more-or-less paved road, I suspect.”
True, but I assume that the other three truckloads of stuff left by…truck.
I did once convince a PODS driver to leave a POD in a rather sporty place. We didn’t actually need a tow truck to get his truck out of that spot, but it was closer than any of us would have preferred.
it’s a good idea, but unfortunately immaterial. I looked them up, and they don’t come near here.