Thinking of Downsizing? Start By…….
As a Baby Boomer myself, I know I have collected quite a bit of stuff over the years. How about you? About once a year I go through my closets and donate what I haven’t used in the last year or so. Yes, I’m guilty of putting the same things back in my closet telling myself I’ll use it someday and I don’t. I still have boxes in my utility room from my last move! I guess I really don’t need what is in there.
Some have collected a sizable stash which is collecting dust in the attic, basement, or garage. We can collect things all different ways including from children who have moved out, parents or even grandparents who may have moved into assisted living or passed away. Sometimes we can have trouble parting with some of these things as guilt sets in, right?
What is the answer? You define what matters most to you. Maybe it’s things that have stories that younger generations may not know about or a special gift that you can display. Those things hidden in a box may be worth something to someone else who can display them properly.
My sister comes out a few times a year from North Carolina. Last year she decided my mothers home needed to be decluttered which honestly wasn’t really that bad in my opinion. She spent 3 days going through everything my mom owned. My mom was not ready for my sisters aggressive approach. Bags and bags of things which were mostly clothing were donated to area charities. My mom was not ready for this massive clean out and about a week after making the donations, my mom was caught by surprise by the clerk at the charity coming out of CVS wearing her favorite raincoat! When she called me crying that my sister “gave everything away she loved” my brother and I vowed to not let my sister ever do that again and one of us would be present for the next clean out. My mom still talks about it and is still fuming about the raincoat! Honestly the way she told the story from the CVS parking lot did give me a little chuckle. I didn’t tell her that though. Was it really her raincoat? I think so, as it was a vibrant color and she immediately recognized the clerk. So make sure you’re ready to part with whatever you’re considering donating as you most likely won’t get it back!
There are a lot of books out there that can help you come up with a system. My suggestion is even if you don’t plan on moving for a couple years, start now as it will be so much easier when it is time. I can’t tell you how many homes I go into that the children are selling their parents or relatives homes and they are overwhelmed with all the stuff and a good portion of it goes right to the junk people. Is that how you want your things to end up?
Even though decluttering a house for a future move is a lot of hard work you’ll love how it feels to not have so much stuff!
If you’re considering making a move and don’t know where to start, please contact me at pamcorningrealtor@gmail.com or (508) 287-8319. Together we can go over the pros and cons and you can decide if now is the right time.
