Glad You Asked!

These are frequently asked questions that I have been answering indivually but wanted to add value to a greater audience.

How and where do I start in the downsizing process?

1. start with subtraction in the rooms in your house you aren’t using…guest rooms, basements, living rooms
   
   
2. start with large items – in order to make you feel like you’re making progress…for example, identify what you will do with the furniture before you start on the knick-knacks
   
   
3. have a sorting system...sort items by using stickers, making piles and detailed lists of what you will keep….Items you absolutely want – that will fit into your new home, items you are unsure about – dependent on sq ft of new home, items to be sold – auctions, moving sale, estate sale, items to be given to family members or friends – find appropriate home for sentimental items
   
   
4. work in scheduled blocks of time…plan to sort for periods of no more than 3-4 hours at a time.  The process of revisiting memories and making decisions about items can be emotionally difficult.  You will feel less overwhelmed and make better decisions if you allow yourself time to digest what’s happening.
   
   
5. remember the goal is to simplify your life...not rob yourself of memories.  Take time to write down special memories or any family history that is connected to special items. Take pictures of items you really want to remember.
    
6. Focus on the 3 “P”s  (Pills, Pictures and Paperwork)
   
   
   • Pictures: keep only the important ones and sharing the rest with family members. Label all photos to identify the people on them, their relationship to your family member as well as the location and date of the photo. Consider scanning photographs for viewing on a computer or TV.
   • Pills: According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, almost all medicines can be thrown away in the household trash after mixing them with some unpalatable substance (e.g., coffee grounds) and sealing them in a container.
   • Paperwork: Carefully sort through all financial documents, letters and cards. Retain and discard any non-essential documents. Shred any documents with personal information, account identification and especially social security numbers. Be sure to keep a few selected letters and cards in a special “Memory Box”.
     
     
7. What to do with all the "stuff" ... Divide personal property into 5 Categories
   
   
   • Items you absolutely want – that will fit into your new home
   • Items you are unsure about – dependent on sq ft of new home
   • Items to be sold – auctions, moving sale, estate sale, e-bay
   • Items to given to family members or friends
   • Items to be donated…city mission, goodwill, the salvation army, big brothers/big sisters, Restore, Home Furnishing Program…Captain Clifton Park