DECLUTTERING 

One of the main obstacles that prevent most seniors from moving is that they have so much stuff, not only do they not know where to start, but they also don't know what to do with it. 

There are several options. To begin it is a good idea to go through everything and label the items that are to be kept, given to family members or charity, sold or is junk.  Once this is completed then it is just a case of how to dispose of the items that you are not keeping or giving to family members.  Blake can help you with this process.

                                                  Some of the available options are;

• Having a company appraise anything that you think has value, they may choose to buy it, or sell it for you.  This may include porcelyn items such as Royal Doulton, dinner settings, silverware, etc., or any type of regular or antique furniture;

• Having an online auction, which has proven to be quite successful for other clients;

• Have a junk removal company remove your junk;

• Donate items to different charities, some of them will pick up your items;

• Hire a transition company to look after all of the details for disposing of your items;

Free Your Space and Free Yourself

People tend to hold onto their clutter because of the emotional attachment that they may have, and they don’t want to make a mistake and later regret getting rid of something.

Give Yourself Time;  The more time you have to organize before you move, the less stressful the process will be.

Whether smartsizing your home is imminent or a "some-day" thing, de-cluttering is one of the first steps. Everyone holds onto clothes, furniture, and household items “just in case” they might need them someday, not to mention any items that you might have inherited, such as other people’s or the kids stuff. 

Check withyour Family; Let your family know that you are de-cluttering, they might want some of your items.

Prioritize;  List your most valuable items that you can't live without to identify what to keep and what to let go of.

Sell or Donate;  Blake dealswith auction houses, dealers and consignment shops to identify what can be sold, and what items should be donated to charities.

Pitch It, Keep It Or Give It Away; Do one room at a time. Have three boxes marked “Give Away/Charity”, “Pitch It” and “Keep It”.

In the “Pitch It” box throw out anything that is broken or not worth fixing, and old paperwork. Clear out and dispose of anything of no value, either at the curb or to charity.  Blake can help you arrange either.

The “Keep It” box is for items that you want to keep. Some people will keep their family heirlooms so that they can be sure that the right people get the treasures, but also to have the joy of giving them to their loved ones personally.

When organizing the “Keep It” box, be strict and ask yourself “Have I used this item during the past year, or if I know someone else who can use this item, could I give it away?”

In the “Give Away” Boxand Charity the items should be in good shape. When giving to charities, ask for a tax receipt for the donated items.

Have a Sale

If you have sufficient items of value, an auctioneer can be arranged to come in and hold an estate sale of the larger items, or an online auction can be arranged.

A garage sale is an easy way to dispose of your “Give Away” items and earn some extra cash. If you don’t want to organize the garage sale on your own, you can ask a family member or friend for help in return for part of the proceeds, or a consignment store may take some of the items.  For your antiques and specialty items either contact a local antique dealer, or Blake can put you in touch with the right people.

Family Photographs

You can start by discarding duplicates, out of focus, and irrelevant photos, then sort the rest by the year, event or group them by family member. You can scan and store them on to your computer which saves space, or you can use a digital photo frame, a great place for your favourite ones.

Books

Hold onto the books you really love, the rest can be donated to your local library, charity, retirement residence or sold to a second hand bookstore or as part of your garage sale.

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