The vicissitudes of life sometimes lead us to leave cramped accommodation for a large home, but also to perform the opposite operation, a situation with which our elders in particular must deal. But there is no magic, only a tautology: if it doesn’t fit… it doesn’t fit. How to organize yourself well to make the transition less painful? A guide signed by a professional experienced in putting the big dishes in the small ones could enlighten you.
Jocelyne Jolicœur Raymond lived for more than 50 years in her family home in Coteau-du-Lac. According to these 5000 ft2 spread over three levels, space for storing furniture and objects has never been lacking. “We always had room to add more, with ‘just in case’ that accumulated,” says the lady with 79 springs. Unfortunately, with her husband’s hospitalization, the upkeep of such a large home had become unmanageable. Mme Jolicœur Raymond has resigned herself to selling the residence to move into a 4 and a half rental, located on the ground floor of a house in Saint-Zotique. Although the rooms are spacious and she has access to a full basement, the change in scale forced her to make sacrifices.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Jocelyne Jolicœur Raymond has moved into a 4 and a half rental, located on the ground floor of a house in Saint-Zotique.
“I had lots and lots of equipment at home. My children ordered a container and we threw away a lot. It sure does a little something,” she recalls. The lady, who managed to save (in part) the furniture, still managed this difficult transition at the cost of continuous efforts for herself and her loved ones. Because moving to a smaller place is no small feat…
The support of relatives
Cases like that of M.me Jolicoeur Raymond, Marie-Christine Fortin sees whole boxes of it all year round. This certified movable property appraiser and founder of Evolia Transition, a company that helps manage this type of move, recently recorded her valuable experience in a guide, Move into smaller without worry.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Marie-Christine Fortin, Chartered Appraiser
In a very concrete way, Mr.me Fortin explains where to start, how to carry out the sometimes daunting task of sorting, what to do with the surplus or the best way to plan the transition. For a single person living in an average-sized house, the professional estimates that some 200 hours are needed to complete everything. His first piece of advice: do it as soon as possible. “When the date is already determined, some will need to write everything down and rationalize to see it clearly. If there is no time constraint, but we know that the transition will eventually take hold, we can go about it by objectives, for example taking care of the small room under the stairs”, she advises.
His book insists on the trying conditions in which this ordeal can occur: death of a spouse, placement in an institution, illness, financial problems, etc.
If it is an obligation imposed by life, it is certain that it can be much more difficult to put yourself in a good mood. Deep psychological work must be undertaken, with outside help, family members or friends. Being well surrounded plays a big role.
Marie-Christine Fortin, certified appraiser in movable property and founder of Evolia Transition
A triage of the heart
Nerve of the war, sorting can grind your mind, which is why it occupies a place of choice in the book of the evaluator. She recommends proceeding in small sessions, piece by piece, choosing the time of day when you are most effective. Not easy, because the sentimental value confuses the tracks and leads us to want to keep everything, which is impossible. “When we have doubts, we can drop a shelf or a drawer that discourages us, or do two or three sortings of this space. If our intuition tells us to keep the object for now, then we could pack it up and move it, even if it means redoing the sorting quietly once installed and the pressure has passed,” she says.
Jocelyne Jolicoeur Raymond can testify to this, she who had to put in a dumpster some belongings that were dear to her. “When you have been in a place for a long time, it is very difficult to mourn. I had three big beautiful photos of me that I had to get rid of, it tore my heart, ”she laments.
For furniture, taking measurements and drawing plans to scale will increase the chances of succeeding in this game of Tetris. Mme Jolicoeur Raymond did well, but had to say goodbye to the furniture in her children’s rooms and resell several leather armchairs. “The trap, especially in inheritance cases, is that all family heirlooms will speak to us. When it’s a full house, you have to set limits, like allowing yourself three boxes of souvenirs, no more. You also have to know how to listen to your feelings”, tag Mme Fort.
Technology can also help in some cases, with the digitization of photo albums and slides, or the use of an e-reader or tablet to unclog your library to keep only essential physical books.
PHOTO STURTI, GETTY IMAGES
Divesting certain assets to move into a smaller one is not always an easy task.
You are poorer than you think
Other chapters of the book discuss outlets for getting rid of overflow, a thorny aspect. You can certainly transfer the property to your family, but the evaluator notes that in 90% of situations, the children are already provided with furniture and do not want it. We must therefore think of a plan B, such as a charity organization, schools, donations on the internet, landfill… “It has become a real headache, and there is no solution easy,” laments M.me Fort.
Regarding resale, the professional does not have good news: we tend to overestimate our accumulated goods, making it difficult to distinguish between sentimental value and market value. This is particularly true for antiques, which have lost 90 to 95% of their rating over the past two years. There may be nuggets in the lot, but in most cases, even if some items were a significant investment at the time, their value has plummeted. “If it is not a piece of furniture that is sought after or up to date, reselling it will be difficult”, warns Mme Fort.
Mme Jolicoeur Raymond unfortunately had to face this reality, obtaining “only crumbs” for his paintings and works of art. But what concerns her most is knowing that she will have to repeat the general skimming exercise, already thinking about her next move, where she will have to “say ciao to [son] piano”. “I think about it constantly, I don’t feel like going into the chicken coop of an RPA [résidence privée pour aînés]. When we have to leave our big houses, the choices are not attractive, we would like to have small bungalows, not glued condos, ”she says in a cry from the heart.
Move into smaller without worry
editions of man
280 pages