THE PURGE

Purging housewares and clothing that are no longer used or needed is imperative…especially if one is downsizing to a smaller home. In fact, purging a little at a time should commence as soon as you make the decision to move. Consider selling your unwanted items or donating them to a local charity. Selling unwanted furniture and housewares can help to offset the cost of the move, while local charities will accept used furniture and housewares in good condition, often issuing tax receipts for the fair market value of donated items. You may also want to allow family and friends to come “shop” through your unwanted items.

 

PLAN IN ADVANCE

Do as much as you can ahead of time. Completing seemingly unimportant tasks such as filling out change of address forms in advance of your move will make your transition to your new address smoother.

 

BREAK THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION

It is important to see beyond the emotional connection you have with items in your home. Try to hold on to the memories from certain items but let go of the physical item. Consider taking a photo of the item or holding onto a piece of it for a keepsake.

 

MEDIATION

In special circumstances, such as clearing out the estate of a loved one, it is effective to have a mediator involved. Mediators are emotionally disconnected from the situation and are impartial, resulting in tasks being completed more efficiently. Using a third party can manage the estate clearing so brothers and sisters won’t have to butt heads over each decision.

 

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL

Consider hiring a team of packers to pack and then unpack your belongings for you. They will save you hours of unnecessary stress and money. A good company will carefully and efficiently pack and label every box for you, and can often have you unpacked and set up in your new home within a day or two of moving in. This will ease the burden you face when thinking about everything that needs to be packed.

 

Mindy Applebaum is the owner and founder of Luxury Move Management, a full service move management company servicing the GTA. For more information, call 416-937-0499 or visit luxurymovemanagement.com

This is a condensed version of an article published in our Fall 2018 issue of  The Collection.