Ok, this post won’t need many words because the videos below do most of the talking. Click play to watch the final “after” tour of our Richmond home as it looked right before showings in early March. If you’re curious about how the showings went, we discuss it in detail on a podcast episode linked in the original post. If you want paint colors or sources for furniture, rugs, blinds, and accessories you see, those are listed in the original shop post referenced below.
Note: You can also view this video on YouTube.
For comparison, here’s the original before tour of the house. It’s wild to remember how different things looked seven years ago. This wasn’t an overnight transformation — it was a gradual process — and we’re thrilled with how it turned out. This home has been wonderful to our family, and we’ll always have a soft spot for it.
Note: You can also view this video on YouTube.
We also filmed a walkthrough after we packed the house and sent a pod to our new home in Florida. Since the Florida house is much smaller — downsizing from roughly 3,150 sq ft to 1,400 sq ft and from 14 rooms to 6 — we couldn’t bring everything. We estimate we took about 45% of our belongings and left about 55% behind.
To decide what to bring, we asked ourselves four specific questions that simplified the process. We outline those questions in a podcast episode and its show notes, where they’re also written out if you prefer to read instead of listen.
For the items we weren’t taking, we offered the buyer of our house first dibs. We created an itemized list with prices and she bought everything we listed. That made the transition easier and less wasteful — more details about pricing and how this went are covered in the podcast linked in the original post. Below is the video showing what remained in the house after packing (we did keep some personal items and plants that we’re driving to Florida with us).
Note: You can also view this video on YouTube.
Anticipating common questions:
- Our stair runner lasted over six years but took a beating during the bathroom renovation, so we replaced it with the same stair treads we used in our previous house to help our dog keep his grip.
- You’ll notice styled items on built-ins, kitchen shelves, and in some rooms. Those were smaller pieces we offered to the buyer to leave behind as a courtesy; she was happy for us to style and leave them, which made downsizing easier.
- We sent the pod ahead because it takes about two weeks to reach Florida. We had to pack and ship it before the final move date, then wait for the house to be ready. There are a few remaining repairs and bathroom work, so we timed the pod’s arrival to match when the house becomes livable. The exact moving day shifted frequently, so we waited until everything aligned.
We also took photos to show the before and after of several rooms. The office, for example, looked full and styled before showings. Now many functional items from that room — shelving, a desk, benches, and the filing cabinet — came with us because the office was highly used and these pieces will be useful in the smaller house.
Here it is now. The desk, curtains, a deck chair, and a light fixture remain. Personal electronics and some plants are coming with us in the car.
The living room was another tough decision. We loved the rug, the TV table, and our coffee table, but they didn’t fit the new house’s layout or scale. The coffee table, in particular, was extremely heavy and designed for a very specific arrangement that won’t work in the smaller space.
Because the new house’s layout calls for a lower, longer TV cabinet and different rug proportions, we made practical choices to avoid moving items that wouldn’t have a place. We used the four guiding questions to be honest about what we truly needed versus what would become burden.
We left both wall-mounted TVs because their wiring is hidden in the walls and removing them risked damage. Selling them made sense since we might want different sizes in the new house, and the sale roughly covered the cost of replacements.
Our bedroom saw similar choices. A large secondhand rug we adore didn’t have a spot in the new house, so the buyer agreed to keep and care for it — which is comforting. We also sold our current beds because we plan to buy more storage-friendly frames for the smaller bedrooms, like beds with trundles or drawers underneath.
For the kids’ rooms we involved them in choices. Our daughter surprised us by wanting to keep her dresser and much of her artwork but not her headboard. She’s excited to spend the money earned from selling some items on new things for her space, and at almost 10 she’s getting a lot of control over how her new room will look.
The art room was indispensable — it got daily use and is coming with us because it’s a proven, functional setup for kids’ projects. We plan to recreate that space in the new house, tucking it upstairs so the creative mess isn’t the first thing guests see.
In the end, it was emotional and practical. We love everything in our house, but we also wanted a smaller, easier-to-manage home by the beach. That meant making tough choices, testing potential placements multiple times, and accepting that not everything can come. Letting go can feel freeing — and knowing the items we left behind will be loved in this house helps.
We’re excited for the pod to arrive with our favorite things that will shape the new space. And yes, I’m determined to bring as many houseplants as possible in the car (John is quietly saying no).
P.S. If you want paint colors or sources for items in our house — furniture, accessories, blinds, rugs, and more — that information is available in the original “shop our house” post referenced in the source.