The organizational benefits of downsizing can be very rewarding. You can save time, restore order, relieve stress, free up space and, perhaps most importantly, save money.
While the process may seem overwhelming to your clients, sharing the following tips will help them accomplish the task.
1. Try not to focus on the entire house at once. Take on one project at a time and don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed. If the room itself is too much to take on, focus on one area at a time.
2. Evaluate what you have. If you haven’t used or thought about something in over a year, it’s probably safe to get rid of it. Craigslist and eBay are great online tools that will help you cash in on things that you don’t need anymore. Or donate items you no longer need.
3. Properly store irreplaceable items. Meaningful items such as old photos, yearbooks, wedding dresses, and christening gowns should be properly stored in sealed containers. You may even want to go one step further with old photos and convert them to a digital format to ensure that they will always be safe.
4. Stay positive. Getting rid of items that remind you of your past can be an emotional process. At first it might seem difficult to part with certain things. Concentrate on what’s important to you and visualize what your home will look like when you have de-cluttered and re-imagined your space.
Promote yourself as a REALTOR® who specializes in working with downsizers. Downsizing requires a unique set of skills and a great deal of planning and patience. Clients might find themselves needing the services of others, such as stagers, de-clutterers and junk removers, as well as a storage plan for the things they want to keep safe. With the right connections, you can help homeowners find someone who is familiar with the situation and can assure that the process moves smoothly.
