Let It Go - Peter Walsh Page 0,51
apartment with very limited space, then you probably should leave them behind. (I’ll help you figure out the limitations of the space in your new home in the next step.)
Here are some common unconvincing justifications that people use for keeping items that aren’t really worthy.
“This is worthy because it was expensive.” The price you paid for an object should not determine its importance in your new space. I often tell people that if a low price is the only reason that you want to buy an item, you shouldn’t buy it. When it comes to downsizing, you can turn that advice on its head: If a high price is the only reason why you want to keep an item, you shouldn’t keep it.
Instead, a worthy item’s significance comes from whether:
It will help you create the home and the life you want
It’s something you’ll use regularly and enjoy
It fits into the space you’ve allocated for it in your new home
“This is worthy because it’ll be a good backup.” A downsized home leaves little, if any, room for duplicates. If you anticipate that one item might break down, why not have a backup for all the items you own? It won’t work. You simply can’t downsize while awaiting a bunch of worst-case scenarios.
Bring what you know you’ll need when you arrive, and don’t worry so much about making contingency plans that require you to hold extra items on standby.
“This is worthy because I might need it sometime.” This is similar to the “backup” criteria above—and it’s also a nonstarter. Please do prepare for potentially serious events that could reasonably happen. That’s why people keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and a blanket in the car trunk.
But don’t overstock in anticipation of every unlikely situation that might create a minor inconvenience. Instead, make sensible choices that fit within your new home’s space and will support the day-to-day life you’ll be living.
If you’re selling your car to live in a walking-friendly retirement community with a shuttle service, you don’t need to keep your jumper cables.
“This is worthy because someone gave it to me as a gift.” If it’s a gift that you love, use, and have space to keep, then take it with you. If it’s a gift that you only want to take in case Aunt Lucy stops by and asks where the hand-carved back scratcher went, then don’t keep it. It’s time to step up and create the home you want, not a home filled with guilt or emotional drama.
“This is worthy because it looks terrific in my home.” Remember that you’re not going to be living in this home much longer. Will this piece of decor truly match the design of your new place? If you already know that it won’t, there’s no need to take it with you just to prove later that you were right.
“This is worthy because I don’t feel like going through this stuff and evaluating all of it.” Items go into the “worthy” category because they’re useful and functional—and determining these qualities sometimes takes effort. You may have to put batteries in a gadget to see if it still works, inflate the air mattresses to make sure they don’t leak, and try on clothes to see if they fit.
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Would You Pay for This Old Item Again?
If you’re paying for movers, always think about the cost of each do-I-keep-this-or-let-it-go decision.
I have heard many times from moving professionals that the cost of relocating items is often far greater than their actual value. If someone took your old loveseat, faded rug, or forgotten box in your basement and told you that you’d have to pay cash to get it back, would you pay the ransom?
If not, why would you pay to move these things to your new home?
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Yes, this takes time. But it also takes time to load and unload these things, it costs money to move them, and it requires effort to try them out in your new home and toss them when they don’t meet your needs. Just take the moment to check them now.
“This is worthy because my adult kids might need it.” My suggestion is to offer this item to your kids, instead of making assumptions about what they need. (And consider letting them “shop” around your house and request items you didn’t realize they needed.)
Your home is not a storage facility. Nor are you a porter carrying supplies for a mountain expedition. If your grown kids don’t need it