There is no basement storage in the Houston area and there is no attic, if there were, it would be too hot to use to store most things, including books, whose glued bindings would break due to the heat.
Before the move I owned over 8000 books (which I had listed in an Excel spreadsheet so I'd know what I owned) and maybe even over 9000 (since I book collected for years before creating that spreadsheet). I donated about half of the books to charity, to four different public libraries for their used book sales which fund the purchase of new books for the library's collection and library programs such as children's summer reading programs. More books were donated to two charity thrift shops.
I also gave away almost all of our bookcases, to a local homeschool "co-op" and I had no choice but to leave behind many built-in bookcases. I now realize I had it better than I'd realized with lots of walk-in closets, under-the-eaves storage closets and a dry large unfinished basement.
In the new house I have just three places for books inside the home.
1. This main bookcase (purchased from IKEA for this house) holds the majority of our books. The books we are currently using for homeschooling are here as are books I am reviewing and some computer software and audio books. That fluff of orange on the top shelf is one of my cats.
The house is so small that I created a wall for this bookcase by blocking off the sliding glass doors that led to a patio. The windows had no window treatments, so I blocked the light by pinning long curtains in front of the glass, so the sunlight would not fade and ruin the books.
That patio was not a place I ever wanted to visit as it was about 8x8, with sides of two house walls and an 8 foot high fence. It was more like a little jail cell with the added benefit of having the clothes dryer vent blowing hot air on you while you sat there.
2. This second bookcase (purchased from IKEA for the Connecticut house) holds my books only. The topics are: cookbooks, knitting, photography, gardening, herbs, wellness, birds, trees, plants, nature, and some fiction.
The fact that I could pare down my cookbook collection and other nonfiction reference books we use to this was nothing short of a miracle and to fill gaps in what I need to know I'll be websurfing and using library books.
3. This third spot holds the least amount of books. It hosts some cookbooks and family recipes.
The three Target ITSO bins at the bottom are homeschool materials with some books in there. When in Connecticut this held more books but here it is being used for some files and office supplies since we have little space for those items.
The drawers and the cabinet hold fine art supplies. I do not have an art and craft closet here as I did in our fomer home and I have no basement to stash supplies. .Some nature collection things and some family hand me downs and a few decorative plates are on the main shelf (just as they were before).
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Well, that's it folks. I hardly have any books in this house. Can you believe it?
We are focusing on living and using what we have. I no longer bookhunt for a hobby.
We read and use what we have then I decide if it is worth keeping or not. It is nonsensical to save stuff that we have to pay even more to keep, meaning, it is stupid to hold onto things that must be stored in a storage unit when we're already shelling out over $600 a month in storage unit fees! If I keep accummulating things I'll need to add a third storage unit!
I have not yet unlocked the mystery and skill of mastering the use of the local library system. I've been told what to do but have not put time into actually doing it. For the library here, there is a game that must be played involving getting cards from surrounding towns (in person) then using multiple websites to request interlibrary loan since the local library has (in my opinion) slim pickings.
It is easier to just buy what I need from Amazon with one click of the mouse then it appears on my doorstep thanks to the men who drive the brown trucks. I have to be careful to not over-buy though.
Where are the rest of my books?
Presently the garage holds perhaps 60 boxes of homeschool books. They are staying there for now but if I have to, they will move to storage unit B (I hope they fit). So far due to the Texas drought it has been dry and they are safe from water and humidity there.
Those books were books I thought we might use this school year. I didn't have enough time between my husband getting the job and our move prep to also plan the entire school year's mateirals and find them and sort them out, so I took everything I thought we may use and put them in the garage so that after we unpacked I could go through them in a more leisurely manner.
Thousands of other books await future use in storage unit A. That unit is stacked floor to ceiling and is large. It is unpenetratable unless I hire strong workers and disassemble the whole thing in search of the homeschool books that are mixed in and among the furniture and other belongings.
The plan was to sell the Connecticut house and buy a new house here before March 1 and move everything out of storage into the new bigger house and use it. There are things in that unit that I thought we'd need in March. Our real estate agent had convinced me and the kids to move out in the summer as the house would show better vacant as it would look more like a new house. We moved out quickly so as to get it on the market before summer was over so hopefully someone would buy it and move in before the school year started (so their kids could enjoy the highly rated public schools in town). I was told the house would sell fast if we prived it aggressively and were not asking too-high prices out of greed. I was told we'd close before Labor Day! It's nearly Halloween and the house is still on the market...
I am praying that the Connecticut house sells so we can move on with our lives. My fear at the moment is that the real estate market will stay flat and dead (which I was told started in August) and we'll have to renew our lease in this too small for our needs house.
The idea of having to go through the storage unit that is packed up ten feet high and solid like a brick in order to find next year's homeschool books and curriculum is a scary and tiring thought. It would be easier to buy everything new, but if we're still pinching pennies due to maintaining two homes on one income that wouldn't be a frugal thing to do...
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