Couple Packs Twelve Years Of Florida Life Into Two Pods Including Tool Carts, Custom Furniture And Halloween Decor, Then Says None Of It Is Coming To Japan

“No way this is all gonna fit.” That is the worry in the voice of a woman packing up her life into two storage pods, in a post from the maker behind @selenebuildsthings.

A couple sits among stacked moving boxes, packing up a long-lived home.

The pods are not quite packed to the top, but they are getting close. As the doors get ready to close, she admits she is not even sure the first one will shut.

Then it does. “Lock it up,” she says. “That’s our whole life. Like that’s it. This is all we own.”

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Twelve Years In Florida, Nine In One House, All Squeezed Into Two Pods

According to her caption, the couple spent twelve years in Florida, and nine of those years were in this house. All of it now fits into two pods, one loaded and closed, then the second one filled right behind it.

The packing is a bit of a puzzle. At one point she jokes that something is wet and dripping and that it might be her. Then it is time for the next pod. “One down, one to go,” she says, and later, “One out, one in.”

She wondered out loud whether everything would make it. In the end, the pods closed.

The Tool Carts And Custom Furniture That Made The Cut

When space is tight, you find out what you value. For this builder, the answer starts with her workshop.

Her tool carts came along, and so did the french cleat wall tool storage, a system of angled boards that lets tools hang on a wall and be rearranged easily. Her custom furniture builds made it in too, including a coffee table that doubles as a standing desk.

She also packed the chabudai she built, which is a Japanese low dining table. That piece fits neatly with the next chapter of the story.

“We Were Not Negotiating On That” Was Her Verdict On Halloween And Christmas Decor

Some things were not up for debate. Every Halloween and Christmas item the couple has ever made came along too. “We were not negotiating on that,” she writes, adding a pumpkin emoji.

The couple also packed as many of Devin’s trees as they could fit. She says he grew them from seeds, and that he is very proud of them.

Not every tree made it, she says, and she could not bring everything she wanted either. “But that’s ok,” she writes.

None Of It Is Headed To Japan

Here is the twist behind the packing. “None of this is coming to Japan,” she says.

The pods are heading north, where everything will go into her brother-in-law’s basement and her father-in-law’s garage. The couple packed up their whole life so it could sit in storage while they are away.

The post ends with a teaser. “Farewell to Florida” starts Saturday, she says, and it begins with a room she had to take apart before they could even list the house.

What To Keep, What To Store And What To Let Go Before A Big Move

Few people move abroad, but plenty of us face the same question when we downsize, rent out a home or head to a new city: what comes with us, and what stays behind? This couple’s approach offers a useful pattern.

They kept what they built, what they made together and what carries memories. They also chose storage with family rather than paying for a unit somewhere far away, which can be a big saving on a long absence.

Decide the keep list first. Pick the few categories that matter most, such as tools, handmade furniture or holiday decor, and protect those.
Pack heavy items low. Tool carts, boxes of hardware and anything dense belong on the bottom, with lighter pieces on top.
Label by room and by priority. When it all comes out of storage years later, you will be glad you wrote down what is in each box.
Take things apart when you can. A table or shelf that breaks down saves space, and it is easier to carry.

Storage Tips For Family Basements And Garages

Storing belongings with relatives can be a generous gift, but it works best with a few ground rules. Basements can be damp and garages can swing from hot to freezing, which is hard on wood, paper and anything with moisture sensitivity.

Raise boxes off the floor on pallets or shelves, and wrap furniture in breathable blankets rather than plastic that traps moisture. A few moisture absorbers in the corners can help, and a quick check-in a couple of times a year catches small problems before they grow.

It also helps to leave the family a simple list of what is where, so nobody has to open every box to find the right one.

Photos can help too. Snap a picture inside each box or pod before you close it, and keep the images in a folder on your phone. If you ever need to find one item in a stack of boxes, or make a list for insurance, those pictures will save a lot of digging.

Finally, give yourself permission to be sentimental. Packing a life into two pods is emotional work, and the builder’s own caption carries a crying emoji right next to the words about the room she had to take apart. Marking the moment, as she is doing with her Farewell to Florida series, is a healthy way to close one chapter and open another.

You can follow the couple’s journey on their Instagram page. The pods are closed and locked, the trees that fit are along for the ride, and the farewell to Florida is only the start.

Willow and Hearth