Over the past month, I have been listening to people talk about downsizing and living the simple life. These same people are ones that have been in a great real estate market and have the finances to show for it. They can throw away and replace at their leisure.
Memory Keepers
I know staging is an important part of the selling process for a home. That becomes clearer when you enter the home of an elderly person that has their collections all over the house. It becomes a challenge to make the suggestions necessary to help them sell their home faster. So how do you do it? Very tactfully.
You should also know that you will not be able to dispose of anything without them knowing of it. Each piece has a special meaning and even though it is stuffed in a back closet, they will one day want to see their possession again.
I have not watched the tv program “hoarders” but I have seen the commercials. This is an entirely different problem that involves filth. No one should be subjected to filth.
But there is another group of people that enjoy keeping special parts of their life. They might come from a family that only had money to buy the item once, so they cherished what they had. And they keep track of it, in their own way.
You see, I am one of those people.I am a Memory Keeper. I once had a metal cup that was part of my tea set when I was very little. I only had one cup left and used it in my canister of coffee. Each time I made a cup of coffee, I saw that cup. It meant nothing to anyone but me. And then it disappeared. My husband doesn’t know what happened to it but it is gone. He had put another cup in the canister, but I missed that one. Small thing, big impact.
Remember this when you go into the homes you feel are too cramped with “junk”. It might be junk to you, but it is a memory to them. Be compassionate and help them with a guiding and loving hand.
