Downsizing again

Taking downsizing to a comfortable conclusion...

Downsizing can be a shock to the system. A few years ago, as I was retiring, my wife and I realized we’d need to downsize. We had raised a mixed family with four boys and were empty nesters. Our five-bedroom house was just too much. We downsized to a two-bedroom apartment while we intended to look for a smaller house.

We started the process early of selling things, holding garage sales, making donations, recycling, and sending some of it to the trash. We chipped away at it for almost a year before we sold the house.

We rented a nice apartment and moved in. The two-car garage was full to the ceiling with no room for cars, and a large storage unit jammed full.

If my life has taught me anything, it’s taught me that plans change! When the housing bubble burst and interest rates rose, buying another house was impossible. This moved us into phase two of downsizing, which puts real physical limits on the things you keep. We needed to get rid of more stuff.

Phase two: In the first phase, it was simple, get rid of stuff you don’t like. In phase two, we had to set some stricter rules for ourselves.

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Downsizing rules:

• When something comes in something has to go out. We carried it a little farther for a while and got rid of two things for every new one.

• Set aside a staging area for To Sell, To Donate, or Trash. Do NOT get rid of something your partner wants to keep. It helps to have a staging space so you can both look it over before it goes out.

• Sell it if you can, donate it, recycle it, and junk it only if you must.

• Feelings matter. Some things feel as if you’re throwing away a part of yourself. I have a soft spot for the tools my dad left me, even though I don’t use them anymore. I’m keeping a few.

  • You don’t have to get rid of everything. If an object brings back good memories, keep it. Downsizing doesn’t mean you stop living.

  • As you tackle an area, stick to a small space at a time. It’s draining to have to make a lot of decisions all at once. Instead of “clearing out the garage”, try sorting through the tools in one toolbox.

  • If you’re keeping something because you might need it, ask yourself if this thing can be rented or borrowed.

    • I had a lot of tools used only occasionally. It boosted my self-esteem to think that I could fix almost anything but…

    • I’m not doing any more remodeling, not because I can’t but because I live in an apartment. Now I realize that I’ll never lose the knowledge and I can get the tools if I need them.

• Except for foul-weather gear and emergency supplies, if you haven’t used it in a year, it goes.

• Be pretty ruthless. If you’re like me, you won’t miss something once it’s gone. We had stuff in the rental storage unit for almost a year and realized we couldn’t even remember what was in there. That made it easy to get rid of the unit and the monthly rent.

• Stay at it in a session until you can see some visual evidence of less clutter. The good feeling as we reclaimed the space for the car in the garage boosted our efforts and morale. Small successes feed on themselves.

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We had a deadline to meet with the move to our apartment. That was the easy phase.

Phase two was more difficult with tradeoffs such as missing the occasional fresh bread from the bread machine but appreciating the space it opened even more. Once you realize that the things you have don’t define you as a person, it starts to become a challenge to see what else can go next.

Now, we’re no longer specifically downsizing. We continue to declutter and get rid of excess things because it makes a nicer home. No pressure to get it done before moving day makes phase three much more comfortable.

I’m making another pass at my closet next. It’s a process.