The senior or “golden years” can be one of life’s most liberating, expansive and joyful periods. You have fulfilled your responsibilities of work and parenting, and the future holds opportunities for new experiences, people to meet and places to explore.
As you prepare to ‘upsize’ your future, whether that means staying in your home or transitioning to a new lifestyle, taking steps today to downsize your belongings can help you to embark on your next journey with the peace of mind you need and deserve. It’s not an easy task – but that’s where your Downsizing Diva comes in.
Amanda Ellis has dedicated her life to helping seniors and their families navigate the process of downsizing the home and preparing for a positive transition to the next chapter. “Downsizing and simplifying your belongings can be a daunting task, one that frequently gets postponed until it becomes an overwhelming burden”, Amanda explains. “That’s where I can make a difference. My role is to assist you in regaining control over this aspect of your life.”
Downsizing a lifetime of possessions is tough. Marie Kondo famously suggested that we should only keep those items the ‘spark joy’ but let’s face it, so many other factors come in to play. Most of us feel a sense of responsibility to hold on to gifts, to protect family heirlooms, to preserve memories tied to souvenirs, or we simply enjoy the comforts that come with seeing certain items in day to day life. And we are pleasantly surprised to find that even without those items at hand, our lives remain engrained with all those memories and comforts. And the joy.
Your Downsizing Checklist
Decluttering services act as a preventative measure to take command of your possessions before a situation arises where you or your family are left wondering what to do with all that ‘stuff’, but choosing which items will accompany you on your journey can be difficult to say the least. Consider these to begin your decluttering process:
- Things you thought you needed but only used a couple of times.
- Clothes that used to fit and you’re still hoping to get back into them.
- Inherited furniture and accessories that no longer fit your lifestyle.
- Multiple items you bought on sale because the price was irresistible!
- Sentimental keepsakes like your children’s baby clothes and/or artwork.
- Unpacked boxes from your last move.
- Sports equipment for sports you no longer play
Your Downsizing Diva:
Amanda Ellis leaned on the professional skills she developed through years of leadership and management, to help her parents navigate the move to a senior lifestyle residence. “I started the process to move them into senior living - from the initial consultation with senior homes, to contacting the real estate agent and getting the house up for sale, to having garage sales, you name it”, Amanda says.
That experience brought a feeling of fulfillment and a realization that this could be a new career path for Amanda. “I realized all of the skills that I have learned through my past career were instrumental in the process to get my parents into a place that they loved. I saw the opportunity with Downsizing Diva in Milton and Burlington, and the rest is history. It was love at first sight.”
“The fulfillment - seeing the faces on people when they’re walking into their apartment and the comfort that they feel – it’s a labour of love”
Amanda works primarily with the seniors and takes pride in getting to know each client on a personal level. “It’s their home and belongings and I’m here to help them transition and fulfill their wishes”, she says. “Sometimes it’s easier for that client or the adult child to discuss ideas or strategies with me, because I’m not sentimentally tied to these things. I help people get a little clarity on what to keep, what to donate, and what to sell. It goes back to being treated with dignity and respect, because I do know that sometimes these moves have to be made because there’s a medical issue. Sometimes they’re just trying to get mentally prepared for a move. And sometimes, having a person to buffer some of that stressful stuff is nice.”
Whether you are ready to embark on your next journey or are simply interested in making plans for the future, your Downsizing Diva Amanda Ellis is available for a free, in-home consultation to get to know you, assess your needs, and create a personalized plan. “Every situation is unique so I take the time to learn about them, their needs, and where they are going. I’m just a phone call away. It’s not just about e-mail and texting anymore. I still love to talk.”
To learn more or to arrange a free in-home consultation, call Amanda at 905-749-0079 or email [email protected].