The Urge to Purge

Do you find yourself surrounded by stacks of stuff and overfilled cabinets and closets.  We are all victims of clutter and we often blame our housemates for not throwing anything away.  My husband often says to me that if there is a surface I fill it.  In truth his office looks like a fire hazard with piles of paper.

We get so much unnecessary mail and it is easy to put it in a "todo" pile to look at later.     This can create extra work in the long run.  A few times I have been caught missing a bill or getting a second notice to sign up for something when if I had paid attention in the first place, one piece of correspondance would have been enough.    It is very important to periodically go through and clear the desk.

As I go through my closet and my kids rooms noting disarray it is apparent that we all have too many clothing and accessories items.  I have things I haven't worn for years but somehow can't give up.  Of late I have been trying to wear things I forgot about hidden in my back drawers.  It is fun to rediscover things in your own closet.  I recently found a suit I bought 8 years ago for my nieces Bat Mitzvah that I had dry cleaned and hadn't worn since.  I have more than enough clothing and really don't need more although I admit I do like to shop.  Ok I love shoes, scarves and jewelry but I now ask myself if I really need something before I make a purchase.  I think about if it is for a one time outfit or if it will be a staple to wear as part of my working wardrobe.

Christy Farr's new book Is Your Home a Happy Place confronts the issue of the "unruly woman" and looks at techniques to make your home a happy place free of stress and clutter.   With the holidays coming it is a good time to organize your home for company and ease of the season.   http://theweeklybookscan.blogs.realtor.org/2016/10/04/recognizing-clutter-for-what-it-is/

As a realtor I often confront people saying they would love to downsize but can't think about it until they clean up and get rid of their accumulations.  A daunting task of which I am quite familiar as I had the pleasure of helping my in-laws downsize and move to assisted living 3 years ago.  The process was grueling and difficult as we had to work within a tight time frame to purge and move 50 years worth of things.  It would have been so much more helpful if my in-laws had periodically gone through and gotten rid of things that they no longer needed or used.  I do now know what it takes to declutter and have a good rolodex of helpful resources to help my clients do the same.

I have since inherited my parents condo in Florida and it is also filled with 50 plus years of too much.  In order to sell the condo it first needs to be emptied and cleaned.  The task of cleaning, sorting and emptying its contents is much more difficult since it is out of state.  After a year on this project we are now ready to run an estate sale to help get rid of items that are impractical to keep or transport up north.  There are companies out there but you need to do research to find a reputable one.

After months of cleaning and sorting I made a promise to myself that I would never leave this type of situation for my kids.  I have since been much more diligent with purging and cleaning.  Although a lot of work it is something that needs to be done regularly.  I now feel much better when I address clutter before it gets out of hand.  Now if I can convince my other family members to follow my lead.

Wendy recently joined Coldwell Banker Needham.  She has been a realtor for over 8 years and knowing the area quite well can share a hands on local perspective.  She has also recently earned the SRES  designation and looks forward to helping other baby boomers as they approach their next transitions.  Feel free to contact her directly or click here http://www.wendybcb.com if you would like to learn more.