Wrestling with Rightsizing
Okay, so you’re thinking about selling your big old house stuffed with a lifetime of memories (as well as a lot of junk, probably) and moving to a more manageable address. But the task seems overwhelming. Who will help you do this? And will your favorite things fit into the new home?
“After years of calling it ‘downsizing,’ we now refer to it as ‘rightsizing,’” says Amy Rehkemper, owner of Simplify Organizing in Baltimore and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). “Think ‘keep the best and get rid of the rest.’ ’” We consulted Rehkemper and other experts on this potentially daunting life stage, including Caryl Siems, owner of Senior Move Success and a memver of the National Assocation of Senior Move Managers (NASMM); Nancy Brown, owner of Custom Moves and founding member of NASMM; Deb Clark, owner of Go to Girl Organizing Solutions and a member of NASM and NAPO. They offered these tips for rightsizing:
START EARLY: Even if you haven’t decided where you are moving, you should start rightsizing early so it isn’t such an overwhelming job when you do decide.
START SMALL: With the least nostalgic stuff (tackle your photos later).
PACKING IT IN: Find a room or a closet (an incospicuous spot) where you can put bins./boxes labeled with family members’ names as well as charity and garbage items, and start tossing stuff in. Then, invite family members over to go through their bins.
GARAGE SALE: Go through the garage and shed first, especially if you’re moving to a condo or someplace you wouldn’t have any maintenance chores. Ask friends or relatives with a house to come and see what they can use.
MAP IT OUT: Make a floor plan of your new place so you know what furniture will fit into your new space.
CALL CHARITIES: Save receipts for taxes.
REPURPOSE: The truly sentimental can take some comfort in repurposing memorabilia into creative function things- a quilt made from baby clothes or from sports t-shirts. You can also keep the memories by taking pictures of things you can’t take.
THE RIGHT GUY: Do the research to choose a mover. There are some good movers and some very bad ones.
SORTING THINGS OUT: Hire an organizer or senior move specialist if you find the task too overwhelming. Besides helping you sort, they can do floor plans and work with you to decide what furniture to bring and where it goes.
AN EXTRA HAND: If moving to a CCRC, ask what services they offer, such as supervising on moving day, helping with furniture placement, and decorating.