What I Learned about Downsizing

Carla Christian

50plus Magazine

Do you ever think about downsizing and feel a sense of dread or overwhelm as you wonder: what will I do with all my stuff? Or, do you worry about the lifetime stash family or friends will face when you’re gone? If so, you’re not alone.

This challenge became real for me recently, when my parents moved from their home of 35 years. Here they had emptied their nest, lost parents, and dived deep into retirement activities. Each transition left stuff in its wake.

Though I never lived in this house, its basement harbored my hermetically-sealed (first) wedding dress, a Barbie suitcase, and the matchbox car I made in summer camp. These were stored along with generations of heirlooms my mom clung to after she lost her parents. There were many, as mine is a family of farmers who survived the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression by passing along pie pans, quilts and barn lanterns. 

And the hobbies! My folks were makers before anyone coined the term. My mom’s quilt projects inhabited every room, and special dishes filled four china hutches. My dad’s lifelong woodworking filled a tool-stuffed garage. 

Downsizing to a two-bedroom senior apartment was a minefield of memories, both joyful and sad. They’d begun“simplifying” several years ahead, but come moving day there was still a crush of decisions to be made. 

Following are tips they (and I) learned about downsizing. I hope they might be helpful should you decide to simplify or downsize — or help a dear one with the task.

 Rehome items with sentimental or historical value

As the eldest daughter, I was a logical heir. But I’d flown 2000 miles, so I limited my haul home to the two-bag limit. When proffered the family bounty, my Millennial daughter told me bluntly that keeping heirlooms ends with me.  Most relics found homes with extended kin. The rest they let go, imagining the new story they would begin.

Dispose of items with no value

Yardwork jeans and childhood artwork were tossed. Lidless and repurposed food containers filled trash and recycle bags, as did outdated pantry foods.

Move what you’ll keep and leave the rest behind. Yes, just walk away. This leads to the next step. . .

Hire an estate sale service

This took a little convincing for my folks. A friend told Dad that he’d gotten only 10 cents on the dollar for his stuff and would never do it again, so Dad was firmly against the idea. 

But Mom’s quilting friend worked for an estate sale service that other friends spoke highly of. That put us back on track for a sale. 

Letting the experts handle it was the best decision we could have made. They had no attachment to lifelong possessions, they knew the value of unique items, and they had a strong following of shoppers. 

Estate companies sell everything; even ragged towels and half-empty cleaning products fly out the door. Our two-day sale ended with just a few pieces of furniture and household items remaining. The professionals invited a refugee aid group to take the remains for free, leaving a scant dozen boxes that went to the local thrift store.

Finally, the house was empty.

My parents received far more money than they could have made by selling items individually. More importantly, we were saved a herculean task as they focused on settling into their new home and the life that lay ahead.