Pitch, pile or file?Article By: Jennifer Walker
Your guide to downsizing your home: Where to start, what to do and who to call.
You've done the reality check. You've taken stock and come to terms with it -- you have to downsize. Maybe it's to a one-bedroom condo in the city or a bungalow that's retrofitted so you can age in place or to a retirement residence where you'll have a single room. It doesn't matter where you're going -- it's going to be a momentous job to whittle down the contents of your home into a manageable and moveable collection of your most prized possessions. And anyone who has moved would probably agree that it's fraught with emotions and financial stressors and takes a physical toll on even the toughest bodies. But if you haven't moved in a while and you've got a house full of things you've collected over a lifetime, even the idea of going through your "stuff" or "treasures" -- depending on how you view it -- can send you right over the edge. The greatest journey begins with a single shelf For many people, the hardest part about downsizing is just getting started. "Start small. Pick a drawer. Clear off a shelf," advises Karen Shinn, The Downsizing Diva and a professional organizer in Etobicoke, Ont. And whether it's you that's moving or you're helping a parent, schedule the purging sessions in two- to three-hour blocks. "Two hours is enough but three is more productive," says Gail Shields, a professional move organizer in Toronto who specializes in moving seniors. "Anything over that, and you are a blithering idiot having made decisions for three hours." Start in the corner of a room and work clockwise. That way you know where you left off at the end of the day and you can pick up exactly where you left off when you start again. Here are some of Shields' and Shinn's expert tips to get you started. • Collect three bins before you start and label them Give Away, Throw Away and Keep (but not in this space). • Throw out anything that is broken and not worth fixing. If you wouldn't go to Goodwill and pay $2 for it, chances are neither will anyone else. If you have lots of trash and you're willing to spend the money to get rid of it, hire a company to come in and take it. It will cost you though. To fill a whole truck is about $500. • Items to give away should never be taken to the Goodwill or Salvation Army depots or outlets if they are dirty, broken or in very shabby condition. "I will not take things in green garbage bags," says Shinn. "It's like saying it's garbage." • Invest in clear bags for recycling items, orange bags for donations and green bags for garbage. At the end of the day, there is no confusion about what is being pitched and what is being given away. • Canadian Diabetes Association will pick up your donations, which go to Value Village stores. If you live in rural areas, Goodwill and the Salvation Army will often pick up, but if you live in a city, call for the closest box or centre to drop off your items.
Copyright © 2008 CARP Magazine
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Children, grandchildren, friends, spouses, singles, caretakers, couples --almost everyone can relate.