Project Profile: Digging Out and Downsizing
Happy Earth Month! For this month’s Project Profile, we are highlighting a recent downsize and move project.
A Little Background
This particular client was a local artist that had a lot of stuff to give away and wanted to keep as much as possible out of the landfill. That is also important to our team, so we were more than happy to help out!
This was such a big job that we couldn’t do it alone with a very tight 6 week timeframe. We collaborated with Sift Organizing and all got to work on downsizing this client from her 3,400 square foot home of 14 years in Weston to a 1,700 square foot apartment in Cambridge.
Sorting
We started by sorting items into different categories to streamline the downsizing process and ensure that each item was handled appropriately. We offered clarity and structure during the sorting and purging process by categorizing items into “keep,” “storage,” “consignment,” “donations,” “recycling” and "trash.” We tried to keep that last category as small as possible. We also created a color coding system for this client so that she could see where all of her items were going at a glance.
This method allows you to sort and prioritize items based on their immediate necessity, sentimental value, potential resale value, and viability for donation or recycling. It also helped our client visualize what she needed to bring with her to the new rental, what could be safely stored in a storage unit for future use, what could be sold for potential profit, what could be generously donated to those in need, and what could be responsibly recycled.
By organizing the items in this way, we not only facilitated the downsizing process but also empowered our client to make informed decisions about her belongings. This level of organization is essential for ensuring a smooth and efficient transition to a smaller living space.
Dispersing
We spent lots of time with our client making sure that we could get all of these items to their rightful homes. We worked with local consignment shops to do pick up’s for high-value furniture and art, coordinated donations to local charities like Vietnam Veterans of America and the Cambridge Women's Center, we gave away lots of items for free on Facebook Marketplace, and diverted items that could be considered trash by some to local organizations that will give them a new life like Make & Mend and The Byte Shop. When we had most of it pared down, we were happy to give Clean Out Your House a call to clear out the rest before the big move.
We were especially grateful to Make & Mend, a secondhand art and craft supply shop in Union Square in Somerville, for taking a huge volume of art supplies that will now be able to be used by other artists!
Moving On
We packed up the entire contents of our clients home, labeled every single box to make sure it all ended up in the right place, scheduled the movers and managed the move day for her. We couldn’t have done it without Gentle Giant’s help!
We can’t promise that your move won’t have stressful moments, but knowing that your items are being shared or disposed of in a careful and thoughtful way can provide a lot of peace of mind for a socially conscious individual.
