Retirement is the light at the end of the tunnel for most of us isn’t it? Finally, it’s time to take that extended vacation, never sit in traffic again, and spoiling the grand kids becomes your top priority. It also means you no longer need the big house, time to down size which for many will mean time to say hello to a condo about one third the size of their home for the past 10 to 20 years. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working with clients who are going through this very change in their lives.
They know it’s the right thing to do, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Once they’ve accepted that a cozy condo is in their near future, the next question is what to do with all that furniture. Much of if is too big for any area of the upcoming condo. Despite the age of the furniture, or the fact that it doesn’t conform to the current contemporary style furnishing condos today, you still love it. Perhaps It’s out datedness brings back to another time, and of course you’ve got your precious memories. This can be a delicate issue when it comes to downsizing, so here are my suggestions of what to do, and feel great about the new home you’ve found for your old furniture.
Donate it
Someone once told me, that a true donation is not just giving away things like shoes or clothes that have no use for you anymore, although this is still much better then just tossing them in the garbage. True donation, is when you’ve given something away that still has value for you. So make a true donation, appreciate the memories that the furniture has brought you, and now give the opportunity to someone less fortunate to create their own memories. There are a lot of great charitable organizations that you can find in your community that would love to help you with this.
Here are some that will come to your place and pick the furniture up:
- Canadian Diabetes Association
- Furniture Bank
- Red Door Family Shelter
Look Within the Family
Got any kids within the extended family in college or on their way to higher learning? From experience, I can tell you that the last thing a university student wants to spend money on is furniture. The condition doesn’t matter, even if a few springs are popping out of the sofa, it still beats the floor…you’ve got yourself one happy customer. Just don’t ask for it back, it’s probably best you don’t see it ever again.
Sell it!!!
Of course I didn’t forget this option. Selling furniture today as never been easier, with all the free marketing services available to you on the internet. Sites like Kijiji.ca, and Craigslist.com have made it very easy to see what you can get for your old furniture and anything else you don’t want to take with you. If you’ve got a bit of money to spend, and an entrepreneurial spirit, eBay is also another great option. If you’ve got a Facebook account, make use of their free marketplace service. Try these free services, and perhaps you can make a few bucks. If not, then you’ve still got the donating option in your back pocket.
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