Ask Maeve: How to Downsize with Ease
Maeve helps a couple get ready for their upcoming empty-nester downsize.
My husband and I are facing a move. Our new home is small, and we can only take half our stuff. We raised two kids in this house. There’s so much stuff, and I can’t face the loss. What can we do? - Kathy in Vermont
Dear Kathy,
I hear you. Leaving a family home is a significant transition for anyone, and on top of that you need to #downsize, so you have to face some tough choices about what stays, and what goes.
Believe it or not, this process will be easier than you think. The loss you feel comes from the fear that to fit one home into another, you’ll have to let go of half your stuff. This would overwhelm anyone, as it represents loss that is far too great, and of many treasured family memories.
The reality is, over the years all family homes accumulate items that have outreached their usefulness, and even their status as #memorabilia. If we separate out these items from the meaningful ones, then we have much less to lose. The process of downsizing becomes manageable, even a bit exciting! And no longer something to dread.
If we separate out these items from the meaningful ones, then we have much less to lose.
Take a Tour
Let’s identify what might be easier to let go of than you think. For example, your kids are grown, but I’m guessing you may still have games, #toys and perhaps #clothing tucked away somewhere in your home from when they were growing up? You may also have old sports equipment, worn or ill-fitting costumes, fad books, broken electronics, or broken furniture, things that once played an active role in your family’s life but have long been out of circulation.
Take a tour of your home. I call this a Home IQ. Keep a keen eye out as you walk for items that have long been out of use. Look in the #garage or #attic, on #shelving, and deep in the back of #cabinets and #closets. Do this with your husband, if you can, and share openly as you go. Start a list, or begin to gather up obsolete items as you go and move them to a temporary storage spot, a staging area if you will. Your goal is to look for what you can easily let go. #homeIQ
In my experience, those who take a tour like this before they downsize can easily identify ten to twenty percent, if not more, of total possessions as things that really are not worthy of a move.
So start here, pull out the low hanging fruit, and see how you feel after this step. Saying goodbye is never easy, but the amazing news is that if you approach packing this way, you can significantly reduce your move footprint. And don’t discount the small things! Whether it’s one tiny item (an old toy), or an entire closet full of things that you let go (camping equipment you'll never use again), each and every item adds up. #releaseandletgo
Whether it’s one tiny item, or an entire closet full of things you can let go, each and every item adds up.
Best of luck, and remember, transition is tough, but in the end, change always does us good. And the best news of all, if you embrace downsizing with a focus on the future, the experience becomes brighter.
And don't forget! Sometimes when we give things to others, it helps to ease the change. So, consider a tag sale, or just a generous donation to a local charity. Knowing something you once used and loved is going to a good home, can sometimes make all the difference. #donate
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