We were up at 4.30am this morning to complete boxing away all the things we will be shipping to Qatar. A large pile of boxes was collected this morning at 10am from the garage.

The garage is now completely empty. The only other time I have seen it like that was just before we moved in 25 years ago.

I am writing this sitting at a garden table in our living room, or at least what is left of our living room.The house echoes when I talk as there are no furnishings left to dampen the sound.

We’ve tidied as best we can, but not much more we can do as the vacuum cleaner is now with our other belongings with the airfreight courier.

Apart from the aforesaid garden table and its matching chairs, there are two chests of drawers and a bed and mattress, all waiting more patiently than I am, to be collected by Sue Ryder for the charity furniture store in Fareham.

There are few things to take to the tip, some bottles for recyling and the car is going back to the Citroen dealership.

Once this stuff is gone, all that is left are the three suitcases we are taking on the plane tomorrow morning.

Our children grew up here. It is full of memories. In four days someone else will be living here. Although we will own it, the house won’t be ours anymore. I am fairly certain we will never live in it again.