Look who I met...
This week I had the pleasure of attending a presentation here in Annapolis by Matt Paxton — yes, that Matt Paxton, from the popular TV show Hoarders. (You must check out his other shows: Legacy List & Filthy Fortunes.) He is a recognized expert in extreme clutter, downsizing, and estate clean-outs.
Afterwards, I had the pleasure of sitting down with him to chat, and we connected on many levels - how brilliant our clients are, attending Mary Washington College, our admiration of Peter Walsh, and more. I'm likely going to join him and his team for a day on a local project this month! They say don't meet your heroes, but I'm so glad I did. The world is a better place with him in it.
He spoke to a room full of seniors who will be moving into a new senior community that is under construction, and his topic was downsizing. My mom will be one of those new residents and I was her guest. If you've seen him on TV, Matt was as entertaining as you would expect. He had the room howling with laughter as he opened their eyes to the challenges and rewards that face them in the next year as they empty their homes and choose what to bring.
I took notes, and I wanted to share some of his best downsizing tips and resources with you:
Post your "why."
Matt suggests writing down your personal reason for decluttering and downsizing on a PostIt note and placing it on a wall in every room of the house. When the process gets hard, that reminder keeps you grounded.
Record the story of your stuff with artifcts.com
Matt recommends this tool for using photos and video to capture the meaning of an object before you pass it along to the thrift store or a loved-one.
Sell items through ebth.com. It stands for Everything But The House, and is exactly what it says - a place for your to post EBTH to sell. One word of warning from Matt - do not go on there as a shopper. It's too tempting. Use it only if you have something to sell.
Use Coin Cowboy to sell coins.
It's run by a man who simply gives you a price, and then you send your coins off to him. Simple as that. Here is the link I found. You'll want to dig a little deeper for the best way to contact him.
There is no money to be made in you formal dining room set.
Matt emphasized more than once that dark wood formal furniture sets are a thing of the past. Nobody wants them, thus, they are very difficult to sell. His advice: post it for free on Facebook Marketplace. That way you save the cost of hiring haulers to come remove it (and other low-value outdated furniture).
Tools, on the other hand, sell quickly! That one surprised me too. Start by posting them locally on Facebook Marketplace, or take the extra step to find someone local and new to a trade who can give them a second, long life.
Matt also has a book I'd highly recommend picking up: Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff. He has a full list of resources like these in the back. It sounds like the perfect companion for anyone navigating this season of life.
And, if you have not yet had a chance, be sure to grab my free 5-day Crash Course and please take my Inspired Office Roadmap assessment!
