One of the hardest things when an older person is downsizing is trying to decide what to keep and what to give away. It's a lifetime of things that have meaning and sentimental value, but often times, only to the person who owns it. As The Joy Team, my business partner Joyce Shipley, and I have helped many seniors all over Tacoma, University Place, Gig Harbor and more downsize to either a smaller home or senior living, and this is the most common hurdle that we find. In fact, I experienced this personally when my mother downsized. The reality is... Your children don't want your Hummel collection. And your grandchildren don't even know what a Hummel is. So, how do you handle this? Take it slow and start small. We had a client, Jacque, who decided to sell her condo in Gig Harbor and move into a tiny home on her daughter's property. She was excited for the move, but knew she could take only a fraction of her things to the tiny home. It was very overwhelming for her so we started small. First a closet, then a corner of the spare bedroom, etc. Eventually she worked her way through the entire condo. She separated out items and photos she felt were important to pass along to her family. Then she boxed them up and mailed them off. She did, however, find a collector who was thrilled to buy the Hummel's.For my mother, when she downsized from her Tacoma home, it was her fine China. She had five sets, three of which I don't ever remember her using. But she had a strong emotional attachment to them. The interesting part is that she had moved many times in the past so she wasn't stressed about that part. This time there was a finality behind it that this would be her last move and I think the emotions behind that manifested in her fine China collection. It took several months of preparing her home for the move, giving things away and even a junk hauler before she felt comfortable that she was ready to let the fine China go. She kept her favorite set, which she will one day give to me and rehomed the rest of it. Even though I had downsized many Seniors in the past it was an eye opening experience doing it with my mother. It reinforced that you have to take it slow. Now that she is moved she never thinks about them.If you or a family member are thinking about downsizing in Tacoma, Gig Harbor, University Place and the greater Pierce County, WA area please feel free to reach out to Joyce and I at The Joy Team. We are happy to answer any questions. We have all kinds of resources including cleaners, contractors, handy man, estate sales, junk haulers, estate planners and more. Downsizing can be a stressful time for homeowners and their families. We want to help make it easier.
