Downsizing: do it yourself?

Are you or someone you know considering an environmental change that involves relocation? People are living longer, healthier, and more active lives than any generation in history, and this gracefully aging group faces different problems associated with change than were realized by generations past. Longer and more active lives, fewer children, and greater mobility mean that the extended family you depended on in the past may not be available to provide the personal training necessary to sort a collection of treasures for life. How do you begin to identify what to keep and what to throw away, what to donate, and what to give away when considering furniture, souvenirs, antiques, and personal items? As someone once said, “Over the years, life is tough. By inches, it’s a piece of cake.” The same advice applied here. Start by dividing this monumental work into doable tasks.

First identify what your sorting options are for unloading things: donation, passed on to a relative, yard sale, consignment shop, antique dealer, and throw away. As you sort, list each item on a 3 x 5 card and group the cards into the appropriate categories.

Next, consider all the furniture you own. Ask yourself? “Does this have functional value, sentimental value, or aesthetic value?” Set a standard that you will live by. If you like being surrounded by items that have meaning to you, determine how you will choose what goes and what stays. Does it have to be functional and sentimental? Does it need to be just functional? Is it possible that you have two pieces that have the same function, allowing you to separate from them? Is resale value important to you? If so, consider how much money each piece could bring in and compare it to its current value to you. The answer to these questions will be different for everyone. It is important that you establish measurement tools that you are comfortable with.

After the furniture, tackle the appliances and assign each one to its appropriate batch. Appliances generally have a more practical than sentimental value and are easier to determine what to store or leave, depending on what you will need in your new location. Once you decide that an item won’t be needed, you just have to decide whether it will fall into the donate, sell, or throw away category.

Now that the important things have been allocated, you need to put all your other possessions in order. That included plates, clothing, utensils, collectibles, decorative items, and an endless list of things that once seemed necessary. Each of these items can be considered in light of the amount of space in your new location, the amount of furniture you have retained, and other storage parameters.

Your last task will be to physically relocate these items, call a home sales company, make arrangements with a consignment store, or deliver the parts to your chosen people. Some or all of these tasks may be easier to handle by hiring a professional who can function as a “surrogate” family member and is experienced in guiding you through the practical parameters of a relocation decision.