As briefly mentioned in recent blogs, my husband and I are in a transition phase – moving and downsizing. The last time we moved it was halfway across the country which brings its own challenges. What’s different this time is the number of people we’ve needed to help us, the number of new resources we’ve learned about through networking, and the focus on downsizing which means finding places where we can donate or sell stuff.

I’ve learned a lot the past few months and found some great resources. It’s no surprise to my regular readers that I’m willing to share some tips and resources. Here goes:

Finding trusted helpers – Our realtor lives in the neighborhood and has people he regularly uses and refers. Taking his recommendations, we used a handyman on some small projects and a few strong young men willing to move boxes and heavy items. This was all part of getting the house ready for photos, the listing, and open houses.

Sourcing local resources for small jobs – From our realtor I also learned about Surv, a company founded with community in mind that operates in eight states. CEO Pat Brown believes that Surv has the power to bridge social gaps, elevate young adults, and meet a community’s needs. Their mission is to build stronger communities through service. As they say on their website, “it’s more than an odd-job. By connecting Neighbors with hardworking Local Workers, we build lasting relationships that can uplift a community.”

Finding specialized services – Disassembling a very large free standing custom closet to move and reassemble at our new place became the biggest challenge for a few days after we accepted a very attractive offer. Our buyers said they didn’t want it because they planned to build a walk-in closet. We inherited the custom closet when we moved in so building a walk-in closet was something we too had considered but dismissed. If we were going to move it, I wanted someone who had some experience with custom closets. With a little research I landed on Home Depot and their Pro Referral service. Independent contractors fully vetted in terms of any criminal record, liability insurance, and licensed if needed. It took one call then I received an online link to a project request form and was matched with a few possible contractors.

Finding where to donate – Before we listed, we took several loads of donations to Savers. When it came to my business books and professional clothes, I wanted to find a more targeted place to donate. My husband is a retired minister and has 10 times as many books as me. Finding places to donate these items became a challenge. Sources I found include: Continue reading →