After years of thinking about it, the chance came. A move to France for work. Improving my French (which had been sleeping somewhere in my head for years), eating well, enjoying the baguettes (yes, I’m laughing as I say it, but also very seriously).

The problem isn’t going away. The problem is what I’m leaving behind. My whole apartment. Sofa, table, chairs, shelves, lamps, fully equipped kitchen, books, plants. Things I’ve collected over the years and can’t take with me.

Throwing it out isn’t an option

The first thing I thought was: “I’ll leave it next to the neighborhood furniture container and that’s it.” But looking at it from a distance, it didn’t make sense. Sofas still comfortable, a table that has survived five moves, lamps that light up just fine. Throwing all that out so it ends up destroyed at a treatment plant felt wrong.

In many Spanish cities, leaving furniture out outside of pickup days can cost €750 to €3,000 in fines.

So I opened Givore and started posting.

The list of what I’m giving away

When I made the list of what I couldn’t take with me, I realized: it’s basically everything. Here’s what I’ve been posting:

  • 3-seater sofa
  • Dining table + 4 chairs
  • Double bed with headboard
  • 2 bookshelves
  • Desk
  • Floor lamps and table lamps
  • Full dinnerware set for 8
  • Pots, pans, small appliances (coffee maker, toaster, blender)
  • Plants (I’m going to miss them)
  • Books (entire boxes)
  • Winter clothes I won’t need
  • Decor: art, mirrors, rugs

How it’s going

Faster than I expected. In the first few days, neighbors I didn’t even know came by. A couple took the table, a student the desk, a mom with two kids took the bookshelves. Each pickup is 10 minutes of conversation with someone new, and the feeling that the furniture isn’t ending its story: it’s starting another one.

What I’m learning

Emptying an apartment could have been stressful. It’s been the opposite. Each thing that leaves means less to think about and, at the same time, more connection with the neighborhood where I’ve lived these years. It’s a beautiful goodbye.

Givore works everywhere in the world, so when I arrive in France I already know what I’ll do: open the app, set my new location, and start asking. Table, chairs, a coffee maker. Starting my French life with things that already had a story before me.

Tip for anyone else moving

If you have to empty your apartment for a move, start two months ahead. Post the big things first (sofa, table, bed). The small things fly. And prepare to meet more neighbors in one week than in the last five years.

Oh, and if you’re going to France: they say the bakeries open at 7. I’ve already set my alarm.