In times of transition, such as divorce, children moving out or moving into a new home (especially a smaller home), emotional attachments to possessions can cause people to hold onto clutter that only complicates life.

“I see people whose possessions are out of control. The majority have things that have happened in their life that have thrown them out of balance—illness, divorce, death, and so on,” says Maggie Rogers, organizational specialist and owner of Amazing Spaces. 

But it doesn’t take a tragedy for a person to accumulate things, whether it’s books, collectibles, clothes or just the general detritus that tends to collect in closets, basements and garages. It happens to the best of us with the regular busy pace of life.  For homeowners moving into less square footage, suddenly the collected items thus far come to the forefront, and they must determine which items they should keep and which they should let go, holding onto the memories instead.

As Matt Arnold, sales associate with Streetside Development Corporation relates, it is not enough to calculate the percentage of space difference between the old, bigger home and the new, smaller home. 

“Spaces aren’t the same size as they used to be,” he explains. “The spaces are proportioned differently, so (their old things from the old house) don’t fit right.” 

Arnold advises any buyer make sure he or she sees a show suite before purchasing, revealing that even as a salesperson in the industry he has a hard time visualizing a finished space from a two-dimensional floor plan. 

One specific problem he sees the older generation of buyers running into is the fact that many of them own, and are very attached to, large bedroom and dining room suites which are just not suited to most modern condos.  

As Kathy Roberts, organizational specialist and owner of Clutter Busters explains, the amount someone spent on an object, as well as its perceived value (which is sometimes out of whack with reality), holds much sway in the degree of attachment to that item.

Also, says Roberts, “there are some people who didn’t have anything growing up, so they say, ‘If I have it now, I’m going to hold onto it.’”

When Anne and Alan Young moved from a 1,076-square-foot house with a basement in a small northern Alberta town to an 868-square-foot apartment-style condo in southwest Calgary earlier this year, they were thankful for the wait time between purchasing and moving into their new home. 

“It was hard to get rid of things, but we had time to think about it,” says Anne. “With a few things, we couldn’t decide, so we made a maybe pile and decided later.”

Like many homeowners faced with the prospect of paring down their belongings, the Youngs chose to pass some of their family heirlooms to their daughter. 

Arnold relates that many people in the same situation try to pass their most valued possessions to family, an act which both Roberts and Rogers acknowledge as a good first option for people who are having a hard time letting go.

Rogers recommends taking a photo of any such items and e-mailing it to friends and family who may be interested. If no one wants it, it is time to find another home for it, whether it is with charity or in a yard sale. Using this method, one can be sure that an object won’t simply sit in their home until a certain relative comes to visit.

Other such obstacles that can pop up include having a sale but holding onto items that don’t sell, being unable to decide on certain things, and being reluctant to sell something for lower than a certain price.

Realistically, says Roberts, “the walls are only so big. You have to envision what you want your home to look like when you walk in and work to achieve that.”

It is all too easy to just take the clutter to the new home, as Arnold has seen many times in townhome or bungalow condo projects. “Most buyers want a two-car garage for their cars, but then they fill it with their stuff and the cars are parked in front.”

If you find you just can’t sort through the stuff on your own, enlist a friend for help or hire an expert—an objective second set of eyes can make all the difference. 

Luckily, in the end, it is worth it. 

“It does feel good to have less stuff; I don’t care for clutter,” says Anne Young. “Even here I go through things once in a while and get rid of things.” CL

Cut the clutter before moving

• First, says Roberts, admit how too much stuff is affecting on your life—is it stopping you from having people over?  Are you always buying new things because you can’t find the things you already have? Are you unhappy with the way your home looks?

• Start early, advises Roberts. If you’re moving, start to get rid of things as soon as you know you plan to move.

• Be realistic about the size of space you’re moving into.

• Reassess your priorities and be realistic about your current lifestyle, suggests Rogers.

• Find a friend or expert to help with the purge.

• Ask yourself, “Do I need this? Do I want this? When was the last time I used it? Why am I keeping it?” and be honest with yourself, advises Rogers.

• Sort things into piles: “I Want It” and “I Don’t Want It.” Don’t think about where the things will go or how much you can get for them. Sort them into piles and worry about that later, says Roberts.

• Once you are semi-organized, you can go through things again and are sure to find more items you don’t need, says Rogers. Repeat as necessary.

• Create a journal or scrapbook where you can keep photos, swatches and stories to hold the memories from items you get rid of but still love, suggests Rogers.

• Donate any items possible to a good cause, says Rogers—it leaves you feeling good.

• If you are really attached to something, just keep it, says Rogers. 

• If you must put items in storage, do so with a commitment to revisit in a specific amount of time (think six months or a year), advises Rogers.