Start gradually with the de-cluttering and downsizing process:

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Pick one project a week for organizing and purging, working up to bigger tasks:

  • Pantry – remove any expired food items and organize by food type

  • Junk drawer – clear out all non-essential items and organize

  • Sock and underwear drawers – toss the ripped/grungy pieces keeping only the essentials

  • Coat closet – donate those 20 year-old wool coats and hats; keep just the ones you still wear

  • Garage – organize tools – donate or give to family/friends those that you really don’t use anymore – if you have special tools consider giving to a tradesman who could use and appreciate them every day

  • Basement/Attic – pass along your children’s keepsakes to them NOW! You don’t need to be storing them any longer

  • Office – digitize important documents and photos; purge your book collection

  • Kitchen – toss chipped plates and cracked glasses; pass along everything but the essentials you need to happily function in your own house

  • Seasonal Decorations – as we cycle through the year of holidays, pare down what you have with each occasion.  Pass along some of your most meaningful decorations to your children, who likely have fond memories of them.  Donate all but the ones you still use. 

Shop within your own home for gift-giving occasions  

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Consider buying loved ones just one or two items from their wish lists and supplementing with a special item or two from the family home. Pass along legacy items – special jewelry, a painting, a china serving plate, a silver pitcher, or small furniture that won’t take up too much room in their house or leave a gaping hole in yours.  When you give those special items, include a note of why those items are meaningful to you or your recipient. 

 

Our “stuff” is so much less about “the stuff” and more about the deeper meaning or moments the “stuff” represents.  By passing along legacy pieces now, you will be able to see your loved ones enjoying these cherished items and you will be downsizing to make your next move easier.  It’s a win-win. 

Thank you again for your incredible guidance!  Without you, I would have never gone to that last community and we would have missed out on the perfect spot for our parents!! — Jennifer