Sorry to hear about your divorce.
From my time in an active support group for people trying to save their marriages, and given the typical stories I've heard:
- spouses who leave due to affairs or Midlife Crisis of some sort tend to leave all their stuff behind, then show up 2-3 years later angry that their stuff has been disposed of. I think you're a little too early in this process to be quite sure what you will or won't want (and once you DO get a place it can really add up buying furniture and other misc household items). If you have things of real value (tools, for instance) ask your ex if they would be willing to store them for you temporarily, and go box them all up neatly with your name on them. Take things of sentimental value EVEN if you don't think you'll want them - you may feel differently in a year or two.
But DON'T get sucked into renting storage unless you believe it will be very short-term and the items you are storing are valuable.
That being said, when my ex and I split (due to HIS midlife crisis and affairs) we quickly sold our house and I moved in with my mom in a very small house. I I left behind most of the artwork (because I didn't want to look at them in a new house and be reminded of my ex - most were things we had acquired together that were meaningful to us - I still don't regret that decision, I definitely wouldn't want to be reminded of my ex on a daily basis). I didn't take any furniture except for a table and chairs and a carved wooden chest that I loved - but most of our furniture was ratty and child-worn by that time so I didn't much mind that. I did take most of the kitchen items and have used them in my new house (which I bought 2 years later).
I like the idea of taking things that are clearly yours, and selling the excess in a garage sale or on eBay - just make sure you aren't selling items that your ex could debate belonged to them.
