Simplifying the Transition to a New Home for Seniors

October 19, 2020October 19, 2020 ~ Linda Leier Thomason ~ Leave a comment

Decluttering & Downsizing

Have all of your children left the family home?

Are healthcare issues preventing you from keeping up your house and yard?

Do you want to spend more time relaxing?

Do you require some care as you age?

Has your spouse passed away?

If so, it might be time to downsize from your existing home to your next home.

Here are some tried and true tips to make this process smoother and less painful.

Craft LifeStyle Management has been helping clients transition from one home to another for over 30 years.

Please let us know how we can help you.

Where is Your Next Home?

In a perfect world, you know where you are moving to and answers to these questions are a great way to begin downsizing and decluttering:

What is the floor plan?
How much space will you have?
How many closets? What size?
What is the square footage of the living space and the bedroom?
Is there a garage? Are there shelves in it?
Are there rules for what items you can bring into your next home?
Will your furniture fit the living space? Measure everything with a tape measure. Avoid eyeballing and estimating.
Does your furniture fit through the doorways?
Is the kitchen much smaller? How many cabinets are there and how many drawers?

Sentimental Items

Try to appreciate the sentimental value of items as you sort. For example, fondly recall the memories of your wedding dress and/or your military uniform. Ask yourself if you can release these items now.

Can you take a photo of them as a keepsake memory? If so, upload photos, videos and irreplaceable mementos to a hard drive or cloud storage.

Seriously ask yourself what your children will do with these sentimental items after you are gone? Keep in mind what is sentimental to you may not be to them.

It’s okay to be disappointed if they do not want your “treasures.” However, try not to let this disappointment affect your relationship with them, adding stress to an already challenging time.

HINT: The more sentimental an item is to you, the higher value you will place on it.

Sorting

Here’s an idea that makes sorting and downsizing less painful.

Take a video or photo of each room in your home before you start. This way you have a record of everything, especially anything you have a tough time releasing.

Sorting takes time. It can take countless hours to thoughtfully go through items you’ve been accumulating for decades.

Pace yourself.

Start early.

Enlist help, if needed. Keep in mind family will often suggest ‘you don’t need this’ or ‘throw that in the trash.’

HINT: Do not ask the family or friends whom you know will give their thoughts before you have your own moment to decide.

Know what you value and stand your ground. If you truly treasure something, keep it.

By room, place items one-by-one into one of five piles:

1. Keep-take to my next home. A good rule of thumb is one of each item. This rule is especially helpful when sorting a kitchen. For instance, one water pitcher, one cake knife and server, one corkscrew, etc.

HINT: Craft LifeStyle Management places emphasis on the “Keep.” This will be opposite of many helpers, including family.

We believe focusing on the Keep will help you quickly see what’s important to you-what you value.

HINT: Bulk items like laundry detergent and shampoo may no longer be a good fit for your smaller, downsized space.

2. Donate to one of many local charities happy to pick up your items. Or, ask family members if they need an extra bedroom set or kitchen appliance. Again, try not to be upset if they are not interested in your ‘discards.’

Do you have a collection of, for example, musical instruments or books? Find an organization that will make good use of these items. It makes the releasing less painful knowing your items will be deeply appreciated.

HINT: Over time, Craft LifeStyle Management has developed many creative ways to release to organizations. Let us share those with you.

3. Trash. Craft LifeStyle Management can recommend ways to downsize and prepare for a move without the obvious driveway dumpster.

4. Sell. Some items, including vintage clothing, might be worthy of selling online. Also consider selling items at a local consignment or antique shop.

HINT: We suggest “testing the market.” If your children, extended family, friends and neighbors are not interested in the items you are not taking to your next home, then it’s not likely they are worth the time it takes to try to sell them. Instead, donate or discard the items.

5. Maybe. If the “Maybe” pile is almost everything, then it is time to enlist professionals to help you walk through this challenging journey. Finding out “why” you are not releasing items will help you get going again.

Comfortable Peace

Downsizing involves making tough decisions. Each item goes into one of these five piles.

The goal is to touch each item only once as you place it into one of these categories and then release it.

If you can see the things you want right in front of you and feel at peace, then you are on the right track.

Craft LifeStyle Management likes to call it “comfortable peace.”

If, instead, you are anxious or feeling upset, it is time to ask for a little help. Craft LifeStyle Management is glad to work through this process with you.

HINT: Plan to take breaks. Downsizing can be emotionally and physically overwhelming. If your ‘helpers’ are planning to show up early and stay late, this may not be the most productive plan for you. Once we are tired, we can’t make clear choices. You don’t want to regret a release because ‘you couldn’t think straight any longer that day.’

Craft LifeStyle Management can help guide you during this process and ensure you aren’t throwing away or donating valuables and that you are at peace with all of your transitioning decisions.

Paper & Storage Units

You may have storage tubs or file cabinets in your home full of paper. Paper like utility bills, bank statements and/or tax filings from decades ago.

You don’t need to move all of this to your next home.

Before you shred everything, reach out to an accountant or financial advisor and ask how long you are required to keep certain documents.

Keep those and shred all others.

HINT: Today most statements can be found online, making the accumulation of paper unnecessary.

If you have “treasures” in a storage unit. Go through these items as you would the possessions in your home. Keep, Donate, Trash or Sell.

How Can We Help You?

Transitioning to your next home requires decluttering and downsizing.

Yes, it can be difficult. It is also exciting.

Let us know how we can help you as you prepare for this transition.

Written by Linda Leier Thomason for Craft LifeStyle Management.

© October 2020. Craft LifeStyle Management. All Rights Reserved.
Denise Craft founded Craft Lifestyle Management in 1988 to ease the burden for families of aging, veterans, special needs adults and those in rehab during times of transition. She understands what’s involved in transitioning any individual from their personal home to their next home and to end of life. Her seasoned knowledge of available placement services, housing options, eligible benefits and payor sources, and community resources is endless.

Become a Consignment Shopping Beast

August 31, 2016August 31, 2016 ~ Linda Leier Thomason ~ 2 Comments

8 Tips: Furniture Consignment Shopping + 1 Superstar Shopper

Here’s a true story. One of a “senior citizen” with more courage, determination and smarts than most decades younger than her.

In September 2016 Brenda relocated from upstate Maine to Des Moines, Iowa. That in itself deserves applause, regardless of age. Similar climates. Similar people. Yet, major geographical change.

All last summer, together with her retired sister and brother-in-law, they sorted, donated and sold not only her accumulated items but also those of her parents whose house she was living in after her father’s recent death. [Years before, when Brenda’s husband died, she sold their Louisville, Kentucky home. Then, she moved herself to Maine to care for her aging parents. Care-taking became her life. So had becoming self-sufficient.]

After sorting and selling the Maine house, the trio loaded a moving trailer. They hitched it to a pick-up truck and caravanned three vehicles half-way across the country. All were relieved when they arrived.

Brenda purchased a condo prior to the move. Therefore, she had a sense of what would travel to Iowa with her. Yet, letting go of decades-old heirlooms is not easy. Some were taken by a brother remaining in Maine, making the letting go less painful. Others she photographed as a way to remember.

Mom’s Got Decorating Style + Smarts

What she did when she got to Iowa surprised all, mostly her children and grandson. She expertly and smartly furnished her “new pad,” combining items that made the trip with pieces purchased at a high-end consignment store. The first time her daughter saw her mom’s newly furnished home she exclaimed, “Mom, I just never expected you to furnish and decorate your place like this.” Well, she did. She used the opportunity to smart-size (a trendy word for downsize) and to create a space that fit who she saw herself as today.

For the first time in decades, she had no one to care for but herself. It was time to start over. She deserved a place she was proud to call “home.”

Tips for Furniture Consignment Shopping

Keep photos of room layouts and measurements on your phone. They’ll be handy for quick purchases. Most consignment stores have a no-return policy.
Find a consignment store that chooses well-cared-for pieces, timeless or trendy. Buying secondhand and re-purposing are now trendy. However, you’re not looking for torn or smelly upholstery or rotted wood. There are some outstanding furniture consignment stores. Find them and patronize them.
Get to know the consignment store staff. Make sure they have your contact information and know your style and vision. Have them contact you when a piece comes in they think is an ideal fit for your space.
Visit your favorite consignment store often. Inventory turns quickly. Know if the store accepts cash only,or if you can use a debit or credit card.
Do your own price research. Comparison shop online to guarantee you’re getting a great price at the consignment store.
Understand that some pieces require a bit of work. Did you find a well constructed, designer brand dresser or sofa? Be willing to upholster or refinish the piece. Make sure neither costs more than purchasing new.
Have any of the pieces been recalled? Do they have lead paint? Ask. Work with a reputable consignment store that doesn’t sell dangerous items.
Visit the store with a vehicle large enough to haul away your purchases. Some stores charge a holding fee.

Brenda purchased a new sofa and two side chairs, but nearly everything else, including wall hangings, came from consignment stores.

Take a look. Would you know the difference?

She did an outstanding job!

Leave your comments and questions below.

All but glasses from consignment shop — All but glasses from consignment store

Table, chairs and centerpiece from consignment shop — Table, chairs and centerpiece from consignment store

Vase adorns fireplace ledge. It from consignment shop. — Vase adorns fireplace ledge. It’s from consignment store.

Wall hanging, lamp and chest, which doubles as file cabinet..from consignment shop — Wall hanging, lamp and chest, which doubles as file cabinet..from consignment store.

Consignment shop chairs — Consignment store chairs

Flower vase from consignment shop — Flower vase from consignment store.

Plant from consignment shop — Plant from consignment store.

Is it time for you to down or smart-size? Check out tips for doing this successfully on the “Real Estate” tab above. And, good luck with the move.

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The Fine Art of Moving

June 5, 2015April 21, 2016 ~ Linda Leier Thomason ~ 5 Comments

Ken & I at Vermillion, SD truck stop on May 2015 moving day

Decades ago while dating I recall being told the best way to determine long-term compatibility is to take a trip together. Ken and I traveled often and are celebrating 23 years of marriage in June 2015. I’d say that was timeless, sage advice.

Now I feel it’s my turn to offer some words of wisdom. If one wants to find out what character his/her partner is made of…MOVE. Move often. Who each is prior to sorting, selling, boxing, loading, driving and then unloading and unboxing remains through the entire process. I know this. We’ve moved seven times during our married life and each time the roles we play remain the same…in other words…we do not change much, despite our changing surroundings.

I am the planner, producer, facilitator and director. You get it…the boss…the leader. Ken, my husband, to use a good ole’ Southern phrase, “God bless his soul,” abides by my directives and does the heavy lifting and stacking. He hires the truck and labor. Apparently, time has taught him not to question or second guess my prep work and research. Alex, our son, the college dude, seeks to refine my directives with the precision of a logistics engineer, completely finding unnecessary my need for sentiment and time to pause and recall memories associated with items he considers ‘things.’

His goal is to get to the location and unpack, touching each item once while packing, once while loading and once while unloading. He fusses and hurries me along as I share legends of items stored away in cedar chests and cardboard boxes. I wonder if he thoughtfully considers his response when I ask, “Will you use or appreciate this one day?”

There is a fine art to moving. I equate it to a great symphony piece. First, I gather items by theme-kitchen cookware, flatware, linens, decorative items, etc. and sort. It sounds so cerebral, but in reality, it never gets easier, though with each move we downsize. What goes to a consignment shop? What will I attempt to sell? What is donated? What do I want to pass on to Alex? What can’t I part with just yet?

Actions ensue. I box and cart items to each destination. Ahhh. The house feels lighter. I feel good. I gather empty boxes we’ve saved from previous moves and do my best to pack alike items in a logical fashion. I bubble wrap breakables and touch each saved item with care, recalling how it came into our lives. I like doing this in solitude without the rush of deadlines and the push toward the end goal–boxing and moving on. I’m goal oriented, but not without nostalgia.

I call charitable organizations and schedule pick up times. During the recent move, we donated to the Furniture Mission in Sioux Falls, SD. They were gracious and expedient in their pick up. I watched them load items once considered valuable possessions but knew would not last through yet another move. I felt a loss of the material goods but joy at helping another family furnish a house. After they clear the garage, the items that escaped another cut and were boxed are moved to the garage awaiting the moving truck and the loaders. If these items had feelings, they’d be celebrating. They made the cut! They are prized and belong to the family.

Made the cut-boxed and in the garage awaiting truck.

I hesitantly sell items through the Internet, but never unless Alex or Ken is there with me when a potential buyer arrives. I’m 100 percent in my sales. Perhaps I missed my calling. I sell at list price and often the buyer leaves with more items than he came to get. Am I that good, or does the sentiment attached to the items I’m hawking come through so loudly that the buyer is purchasing that intangible as well? Either way. Ca..ching. Another item gone. One less thing to load on the moving truck.

All these actions happen virtually at the same time-list, respond to inquiries, arrange visits to see the items, greet potential buyers, sell, pull more items out of cupboards and cabinets, decide what goes and what stays, bubble wrap, touch each item, recall its’ origin, cart off to a donation site, wait on charitable organizations to arrive, box, move boxes to garage, on and on and on. If done well, the symphony of moving results in a feeling of relief, joy and peacefulness. If not, it’s utter chaos with shrieking and leaving in protest.

We’ve moved seven times. We each understand our role in the process and play our part. It requires practice but our individual character remains. As with musicians, each of us has learned a specialization in the process and sticks to it to make the overall piece and process flow smoothly and flawlessly.

We sorted. We donated. We sold. We packed. We loaded. We moved. We arrived safely. We can each say we enjoyed the fine art of moving in May 2015. We remember moving is like a symphony-each has a specific role to play for it to be a memorable production.

Sonata!

Jubilant moving producer arrives at destination.

Decluttering & Downsizing

Where is Your Next Home?

Sentimental Items

Sorting

Comfortable Peace

Paper & Storage Units

How Can We Help You?

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