Four Reasons to Hire a “downsizing Consultant”
Downsizing means different things to different people. For some people, it’s about retiring and moving to a smaller, more comfortable home. For others, it’s about taking control of their lives. And for some, it is simply a cleansing ritual, washing away the accumulated debris of a busy life.
Whatever your reasons for downsizing, one thing is universal: it’s not easy. People have adopted many different strategies to organize their lives and clear out their overcrowded homes, but for everyone who emerges from the downsizing movement with a clear, new minimalist life, there is someone else who is overwhelmed and giving up. If this is you, then there is another step you should consider: hiring a downsizing consultant.
A downsizing consultant is a professional organizer who helps you organize and implement a plan to declutter and take over your space or move to a smaller home (consultants who specialize in helping seniors move to smaller homes or even assisted living facilities , called “relocation managers”). ). The process is quite simple and usually involves:
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Initial consultation and step-by-step guidance, separating items into what can be thrown away , what can be donated, and what needs to be kept.
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Coordinating with vendors to remove items for donation or recycling.
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Cleaning and organizing your current home or a new, smaller space.
In addition to the logistical support that a downsizing consultant provides to your efforts to downsize your life, they also offer emotional support, taking the burden of decision-making off your shoulders. Letting an objective professional make decisions about your overcrowded garage or overflowing closets can save you a lot of stress.
Here’s how to know if you need a professional to help you downsize.
A Professional Can Help If You’re Overwhelmed
Moving to a smaller home is often seen from a financial perspective: you’ll get equity from your larger home, and you’ll have lower taxes and maintenance costs. But this doesn’t take into account the fact that you’ve been living a certain lifestyle for years or even decades, and having less space means learning a whole new way of organizing your life. Every aspect of your lifestyle, from the placement of appliances to how you navigate the kitchen, will be different in some way.
If you’re immediately overwhelmed by a long list of tasks —if the sheer number of decisions makes you panic, or you don’t even know what your first step should be—a downsizing consultant can help you create a plan.
You may need a professional if the voltage is high.
If you’re arguing with family and friends about what to get rid of and who gets what, a downsizing consultant can be an impartial judge without the same emotional baggage. They can act as a buffer between all parties involved, keeping the lines of communication open and offering a much-needed perspective that can lower the emotional temperature around the distribution of materials.
Consider professional help if time is of the essence.
Sometimes the reduction needs to happen immediately . A new job that starts right away in another city, a home sale that’s completed much faster than expected, a sudden change in health that requires a move to a more manageable home—sometimes you need to declutter and reorganize right away. In situations like this, handing over the keys to your home to a downsizing consultant and letting them manage the process on your behalf can mean that everything gets done as quickly and efficiently as possible.
See a professional if you have tried downsizing before.
If you’ve tried to downsize and declutter your life before but haven’t gotten very far, a professional can be the extra resource you need to make it happen. This is because they will treat the project as their job and not as a vague goal. Plus, they won’t be distracted by busy days or tempted to put off digging in the closet, so the project will stay on schedule even if you’re busy and distracted.
How to find professional help
You can find relocation managers who can help seniors trying to downsize by contacting the National Association of Senior and Specialized Relocation Managers (NASMM). If you just need help decluttering and downsizing, your best bet is to look for a professional organizer in your area who offers downsizing services.