I recently read a “downsizing” article from
GoodCall®, a company whose mission is to give the reader the knowledge, tips and tools
to make “good calls”. There are as many lists on" Tips to Downsize" as there are
seniors looking to downsize! Although
most articles offer the same basic advice, I always find it interesting to read
the different perspectives from which they are written.
The article acknowledges that most seniors
know there will come a day when they’ll have to downsize, either to
simplify their lifestyle, cut costs, be closer to children and grandchildren,
or to address medical needs. Following are their tips to make downsizing
easier.
1. Start early. Give yourself plenty of time for this
process, because it will inevitably take longer than you expect. Take your
time, and don’t try to sort through your entire house in one day or weekend. A
couple of weeks to a month is a more realistic timeline. Take it one room at a
time, and take breaks throughout.
“Go
through each item one by one,” says Alison Kero, CEO of ACK Organizing in
Brooklyn. “It’s important to give everything you own your attention for at
least a second or two. It will also help you develop a great decision
making system because you’re learning how to focus and then choose, if even for
a second or two.” If you aren’t rushed,
you’ll find downsizing to be much less stressful.
2. Start small. You probably
already have a couple of things in mind to toss out in the kitchen or garage,
but avoid diving into such a big room at the very beginning. You have years and
years of things to sort through. Start in an area with little emotional
attachment. The laundry room or linen closet are good options. Understand your
needs. If you’re moving into a two-bedroom house, four sets of sheets should be
plenty. The rest can go.
“Garages/attics/basements
are notorious for being the hardest rooms to tackle,” says Debra Blue,
co-founder and CEO of Blue Moon Estate Sales. “These rooms tend to accumulate
all the old hobbies, boxes, old holiday decorations, and clutter. They’re also
known to be rather uncomfortable spaces. In the summer it’s too hot, winter
it’s too cold, and in the springtime it can be too humid.”
3. Eliminate rooms you won’t have in
your new home. If you’re moving to an apartment or townhome, you might
not have a garage or office space. Nearly everything in those spaces will need
to be sold, donated, tossed, or relocated to other rooms. These areas might
also be good items for consignment or Craigslist sales; nice office furniture
and outdoor tools are more valuable than old sofas or mattresses. “Organize backwards,” suggests Jamie Novak,
author of ‘Keep This Toss That.’ “A common suggestion is to pick out the stuff
you don’t want and pack the rest. Try the opposite – pack the keepers. What’s
left can be looked at and most can be shared or donated.”
4. Get rid of duplicates. You’ll
find this is especially true in your kitchen. You have two or three spatulas
and ladles; a couple of oversized stock pots; four different sized cookie
sheets; a blender, a food processor, a coffee grinder, and a nut chopper. Now’s
the time to reduce the clutter. If you’re feeling wary of handing off that
second roasting pan because you use it every Christmas (but at no other time
during the year), consider giving it to a child or grandchild who can bring it
over for the holiday and take it home when they leave.
5. Only make Yes or No piles – no
Maybes. When you’re going through years of belongings, some things are
going to tug at your heartstrings, and you’ll be tempted to make a third pile
of things to keep if you have space. Don’t fall for it. You’ll end up with a
Maybe pile that’s bigger than either of the other two, and you haven’t really
made any progress in sorting, just moved it across the room. Take a hard look
at every item you pick up. If you use it regularly or expect to in your new
home, keep it. If it’s been sitting in a closet or on a shelf for a year or
more, it’s time to let it go.
“If you already weren’t using it, or didn’t
like it, why on earth would you want to pack it up and schlep it to your next
house?” says Hazel Thornton, of New Mexico-based Organized for Life. “I know it
sounds silly, but people do it all the time. Moving isn’t cheap, either; do you
really want to pay extra to move stuff you don’t even want? Don’t delude
yourself by telling yourself you’ll deal with it at your next destination. No,
you won’t.”
6. Reduce collections creatively. It
can be hard to let go of a lifetime collection of porcelain dolls or snow
globes from all your vacations, but they will eat up a lot of space or else end
up stored in a box where you’ll never see them. Instead, pick a couple to keep
and take high-resolution photos of the rest, then have them made into a photo
book that can sit on your coffee table or mantle. You and guests will be able
to enjoy them without the clutter. There are also tech tools or websites such
as Fotobridge.com that will convert those boxes of photo negatives to
digital.
“This is a great way to thin out big
collections and focus on the one that really brings joy. When it comes to the
rest of your collections or newer ephemera, take pictures with your smartphone!
You’ll enjoy it more when it comes up in your digital photos than it being
stashed in a drawer or box. The memories will continue to live on through
photos and conversations with loved ones.”
7. Don’t be afraid to sell things
yourself. With Craigslist, Ebay, numerous smartphone apps, yard sales,
and an abundance of consignment shops, selling your belongings has never been
easier. You probably won’t make a ton of money on most items, so consider how
much time you want to invest. Yard sales are usually faster, but items won’t
sell for as much. Craigslist has its drawbacks, but you’ll have a much wider
audience and can probably get more for your stuff. Consignment is a good option
for high-end furniture, handbags and other accessories; prices are reasonable,
and they’ll sometimes pick up heavy furniture for you. If you aren’t handy with
a computer, your grandchildren can probably help. But if that all sounds like
more than you care to deal with, hiring a firm to run an estate sale might be
your best bet.
8. Consider legacy gifts early. Is
there an antique clock in your foyer that you plan to one day leave to your
son? Maybe a china collection your granddaughter adores? If there are certain
heirlooms or pieces you plan to leave to your family in your will, consider
instead giving those gifts now. This has two benefits: you’ll get the items out
of our way, and you’ll be able to enjoy the feeling of giving those items to
your loved ones now. While you’re at it, find out if there are any items your
children want that you don’t know about – you might find an easy way to make
them happy and lighten your load.
9. Allow some time to reminisce. While you’re cleaning and sorting, there
will be some days when you want to stop emptying the kids’ bedrooms and just
look through the kindergarten drawings, soccer trophies, and once-prized
stuffed animals. It’s OK to pause and let the nostalgia take over for a bit.
Cry if you need to, or move on to another room and come back. This is why you
started early – just don’t let it prevent you from eventually getting the job
done.
“I always ask my clients how the item at
hand makes them feel,” says Morgan Ovens, of Haven Home in Los Angeles. “If it
brings up any negative feelings, let it go. If it brings happiness of course it
stays! The idea here is to only be surrounded by things you absolutely love.
Isn’t that a great goal?”
10. Use this as a chance to bond. Invite
the kids and grandkids over for the weekend. Talk to the young ones about where
you bought your favorite trinkets. Tell them about your family’s heirlooms. Let
them help pack, ask questions, and spend time with you. Get help posting items
for sale online. It can be one more moment your family shares together in the
house you’ve loved – before you start making those memories together in your
next home. Remember that it’s your family that’s important for the memories you
cherish, not the stuff around you.
