One of the very best parts of working with our senior downsizing clients is getting to know them on a personal level and learning more about their families, world travels, incredible career accomplishments and other rich life experiences. In this new series of posts, we are privileged to share some of these fascinating stories. We’ll not only learn a little bit about their lives, we’ll also discuss the highs and lows of their downsizing experience.  

To kick it off, I’d love to introduce you to Sue and Chris Cherney.   

Sue and Chris first met as students...

It’s no secret that everyone decorates and lives a little differently than their neighbors or friends. Everyone has their own distinct style and decorative taste, as well as, their own personal ideas of what looks “nice.”  

Growing up, my parents had loads of eclectic art and unique ceiling lines which I grew to love. Today, I tend to decorate with a lot of family photos. Meanwhile, my two young boys like to "decorate" the house with lego-creations and science experiments.

I learn a lot about our clients from the selected furniture and decor in their favorite spaces. The variety of styles is as unique as each personality. While some seniors surround...

We recently had a client in her mid-eighties experience a rapid health decline. She had to move to an assisted living community and sell her condo immediately. While we packed her boxes during her move, she said “I see you packing my belongings and I think to myself, I’ve lived a good life.” Following the move, she called to inform me that she had additional health issues and only a few months left to live. She justified her decision to no longer seek treatment with this logic: “When I can’t do my three absolute favorite things anymore, I think I need to be thankful for the life I lived and accept this path, instead of prolonging my life without my passions.” With no family and only a handful of caring...

It’s no secret that we’re a small downsizing business. We are committed to our work because of how important we think it is, rather than how much money it makes us. But, what I never realized is that the donations and connections we’ve made to give back to people who really need it has given us more than we ever could’ve imagined in return, in the shape of gratitude.  

One of the things I knew I wanted to do as soon as we started assisting clients in clearing out their estates was to give as many items as possible a second life: meaning, only trash things when absolutely necessary....

One of the things we consistently run into with our downsizing clients is appropriately managing the concept of “sentimental value.” I do fully understand that it’s challenging to let go of anything strongly associated with our loved ones and memories. However, for some families, this “catch phrase” becomes a “catch all” mindset that causes people to hold on to everything that’s been stored in the basement or attic for decades. Let’s take a moment and revisit the true definition of the term, and then try to understand the power of an alternative concept that I coined: “SELECTIVE sentimental value.” 

“Sentimental value” is defined as “the value of...

Are you short on closet space because you're storing a large collection of shoes that you've just never found a way (or time) to downsize?

In this short video, we walk through the process we used to help our client identify the wearables and pass on the rest. Watch to discover the easy (and super quick) steps you can take to reduce your own pile of shoes!

If you found these tips helpful, we've got lots more on the way! This video is actually a clip from our upcoming 3-part video series on downsizing closets, basements, and additional storage spaces. If you need to declutter these spaces in your home, or are helping a loved one with a downsizing transition, then this series will be a great way to get...

When we told friends in 2019 that we were downsizing, they gave us that slightly confused puppy dog head tilt as if to say: Why?!  

It was a little crazy. We had just remodeled our beautiful 1959 ranch and installed the kitchen of my dreams, but then quickly realized that an acre with a dog and a few ducks, a home to clean, and two young, highly-active boys and a growing business were too much to take care of. Songbird had seen enough growth over three years that my husband needed to leave his IT job to help run the business. So, it made the most sense for us to go from our 2800 square foot home with one acre to an 1100 square foot home in the woods (no lawn )!  

Most importantly, it was a perfect...

Our client had already sold her 5 bed/3 bath, 4300 square foot home, and the timeline for closing and removing all of the house’s furnishings was tight. Our biggest challenge was that her belongings needed to go to four different locations around the country. This was more than just a move; it was also an empty-nester’s estate dispersal. She was dividing furnishings between her daughters in Boston and Denver, and others were bound for the new home in Chicago and a summer cottage in Michigan. Our client wasn’t sure how she was going to manage the whole house and the complicated moving process. 

Understandably, “estate dispersals” can feel overwhelming to families because they think: “What on earth...

One of the biggest things that I’ve noticed after completing 100 moves is the degree to which our clients accumulate objects that evoke important memories from their lives. I feel like this differs from people in my own generation, who seem to prioritize “collecting” memories through experiences, rather than collecting things. 

Personally, I associate a big portion of who I am with where I’ve been or what I’ve accomplished up to this point in my life. I worked in television broadcasting as a feature reporter for a sports network and as an assistant Director of Broadcasting in professional baseball for the Toledo Mud Hens (made world-famous by Jamie Farr in the show M.A.S.H. during the 70s and...

In my last post, I shared my experience of downsizing my parents. Even though I didn't realize it at the time, it was the first step toward a career in helping others manage their downsizing transitions. I wanted to know what my dad thought about this process and asked him to share what he remembered feeling at the time. He graciously agreed, and I've shared it below. 

Every person who goes through the downsizing process is different, of course, but I think my dad touches on many of the feelings and thoughts that clients have shared with us. If you're helping a loved one downsize, it's a good reminder to stay compassionate. And, if YOU are going through this transition, try to be kind to yourself. It can be a...