Time to Upsize

For two years, John tried to get his father’s condo ready to sell.  He had made progress, but hated going there, and found numerous ways to avoid it. His father had been very neat and kept meticulous financial records. Even though there was no mortgage, John was still paying condo fees and felt “he had let his dad down” because of the mess and fiscal waste.

What remained were family photos and memorabilia and “endless” financial records. After learning about my services from a colleague, he fortunately took advantage of my free ½ hour phone consultation, and got unstuck. 

I showed John how to think about his clutter so that he could feel better while we did the physical work. The emotions that naturally come up when clearing loosened their hold as he learned how to make good decisions – decisions without regret.

In three clearing sessions, we were done. He still needed to shred papers and put remaining photos in acid-free boxes, but the condo was ready for a realtor. What a relief. 

We continued in his clean, well-appointed condo down the street. His den was crammed with books, magazines, and music, and his office was piled high with papers. I showed him what he could safely trash, shred or recycle, and how to comfortably decide what belongings to let go, and what to keep. He no longer had to hold onto everything “just in case.”

His condo looked and felt much better, but his home was absolutely full, even after organizing. John worried about the future, saying “What am I going to do? I feel trapped by it all.”   

I said, “You don’t really have a lot of belongings. I suspect you still feel trapped even with the clutter gone because you are trying to cram your multiple interests and full life into too small a container. I think you need a bigger home.”

Contrary to how he felt, his finances were in pretty good order with a reasonable amount of debt. Now with two mortgage-free condos, I encouraged him to go to his financial planner to find out what he could afford.

Already feeling better with the possibilities, John continued, “I could put both condos on the market.  I’m glad I called you when I did. Clearing out ‘my crap’ now will make a spring move much easier and cheaper.”

“Wow,” John said, “What a great idea to ‘upsize.’”

I laughed, having never heard the term before, knowing it was right for him.