I'm in the spring edition 2018 Connections magazine: an Athens Georgia magazine.

The above article is about Rightsizing. Downsizing is all the rage but what everyone should think about is: what is right for your particular situation. This article is thought provoking; it really made me think about my own situation. My husband, Karl, and I have 2 children: our daughter is 22 living in New York City and our son is 15 in 9th grade and has 3 more years of High School. Karl and I are already looking at smaller homes online and talking about our future living situation. After reading this article I am going to rethink everything.

I want to have room for my children to visit and be comfortable when they visit. I love my children and want to spend as much time with them as possible. Our families do not live near us and we enjoy hosting them when they visit from California and Iowa. If we downsize they would have to stay in a hotel. Many of you may prefer family to stay in a hotel….

Things to consider: Grandchildren, extended family, Property Taxes, size of home, upkeep of home, stairs, proximity to grocery stores, location location location, proximity to friends and activities you enjoy, your age and health. You don’t have to downsize unless you want to. However, getting rid of clutter and items that you never use is always a good idea. Rightsizing is what’s right for you.

Our best friends recently sold their beautiful home off of Timothy and moved into a much smaller home in 5 Points. They always wanted to live in 5 Points. They have 3 children in school so the thought of downsizing was a difficult decision. They moved and they are so happy. They can walk everywhere; best of all UGA Football games.

The more I ponder about downsizing the more I think the size of my home is right for us and probably will be for many years. Our home is 3,400 square feet including a 1,000 square foot finished basement with private access that we rent out on Airbnb. It’s not a huge source of revenue nor is Watkinsville a huge tourist attraction but we do rent out for all the UGA Football home games. Having a private space with a bedroom, bathroom, and living room is great for out-of-town family and friends. So, maybe we won’t want to sell in 3 years when our son graduates High School...but we still might want to. Don’t hold me to it.

Adele Tusson-Gross
Chief Executive Organizer

​The Harsh Reality of Getting Rid of Stuff is that it is increasingly getting harder and harder to find someone to sell, give, or donate to. You may have to pay someone to take your stuff away. Yes, you read that correctly and it is difficult to digest. All of my clients struggle with letting go of items. Now the task is even more arduous because some non-profits have stopped accepting donations; they are completely full. Most people believe their possessions are very valuable. They may have been at one time but our items are only worth what the current market is willing to pay.

The October meeting of NAPO GA, National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals, discussed the topic of how to get rid of stuff for our clients. I was really surprised to hear that many donation centers are completely full and not accepting donations in Atlanta. WOW, you can’t even give your stuff away! Luckily, I have not experienced this problem in Athens, Georgia. There are many more options available which can make this process confusing; I’ll share some with you.
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• Garage Sale
• Estate Sale
• Online Estate Sale (check out MaxSold)
• Consignment
• Online Consignment & Thrift (check out PoshMark and ThreadUp)
• Online Auction (MaxSold, Ebay)
• Online Stores (bonanza, Amazon, Craigslist, LetGo and more)
• Donate
• Storage Unit

Baby Boomers are donating items in droves. According to an article in the October AARP Bulletin entitled, I’ve Got The Old Piano Blues, “Pianos often have a substantial amount of emotional value to their owners, so it can be difficult to accept that many pianos do not have meaningful value on the open market.” “Used pianos have flooded the market.” This is true for most items not just pianos. It’s not just the amount of pianos in the secondhand market. People are purchasing less expensive digital pianos. The article describes what so many people go through when they attempt to find a good home to donate their items. They called churches, schools, friends, and charities with no luck. They eventually did find a friend to take the piano. Otherwise, they were going to have to pay $300 to have it disposed of. Everyone I work with wants their items to be used again; someone has to want it, right?   

There are collections of items that are very valuable. Here are a few popular resale items according to “Got Stuff, See Resale Value of Used Items from Your Apt”: Comic Books, Toys, Vinyl, Vintage Books and Magazines and some Collections. Not sure if your items are valuable or not, do some research on sites like bonanza and/or ebay to find out. You can also hire a Professional Appraiser.
While listening to NPR, National Public Radio, Marketplace Show on October 17, 2017 there was a story entitled China’s Done Doing Our Recycling.  Guess what? It’s likely to end up in storage until the United States can find something else to do with it.  Imagine that our recycling going to storage….

Storage units are a growing business and I wish I had invested years ago. So many people have storage units. I always ask my clients, WHY are you considering a storage unit? If they answer with, “these items belonged to my Great Grandmother, I have to keep them,” I tell them “No, you do not have to keep them.” Do you really want to pay $150 a month for the rest of your life? If you do not have a solid plan to use the items going into storage within 6 months to a year then try to sell or giveaway the items.

Are you Downsizing anytime soon? Simple Solution Organizing LLC can help. Give us a call.

Adele Gross
Chief Executive Organizer
706-714-1314
Simplesolutionorganizing.com

I help clients find homes for all of their stuff. For some people, creating or finding homes for items is innate; but for others it’s a daunting overwhelming task. The more stuff you own, the more places you have to create.

I recently met with a client that wanted her basement decluttered. However, she and her husband enjoy collecting things. It’s fine to collect things when you have room for them and it does not take over your space. It’s easy for me to say this and live this principle because I hate clutter. When you are a person that loves finding deals, frequenting Garage and Estate Sales, and collecting items it is extremely difficult to stop the hunt.

Do you love collectibles more than your space? There comes a point when 'collectors' have to decide what is more important. A life they envision: a decluttered beautiful home where they entertain friends and family, or a home filled with collections that prohibit them from enjoying their lives to the fullest. 

When it comes to living a clutter-free life; you are in charge.  However, your decisions have a profound impact on your family.  I have many clients that hire me with children who tell me “I do not want my kids to grow up and live the way I do.” I often see children’s rooms emulating the rest of their house.

I am writing about 2 very different things: 1 finding a home for all of your stuff (reasonable amount that fits in your home) and/or 2 determining and accepting the hard truth that you have too much stuff and it has taken over your home or is in process. In the next few months I will share several options for 'homes' for all of your stuff in my future blogs.

I would like to help you find a home for all of your stuff. Call or email me today.

Would you like a little inspiration? Check out the photos of my basement below.

Happy Organizing,
Adele Tusson-Gross