There are people so overwhelmed by the contents of their home, they literally pack a car and drive off, leaving the rest behind for someone else to deal with.
The reason is a variation of, “I just can’t deal with it.” The underlying condition is often a physical inability, debilitating depression, a mental/emotional issue, or all of the above.
Sometimes I work with people who are what I call “A.D.D. Warriors.” They are on the spectrum of attention deficit disorder, and battle the symptoms all day, every day. They can’t just pick up a coffee mug and decide whether they like it enough to keep it. All kinds of thoughts rush in, like “I have bigger projects to deal with than coffee mugs, which include…and I can’t do those because…so I’ll wait to sort through everything for the neighborhood garage sale next Spring, and I’ll need a space to store it until then, so I must first go through my pile in the basement, and my sister wants some of that stuff so she needs to come over and get it, plus, my kids might want some of it.”
It’s exhausting. One thought—coffee mugs—leads to a massive to-do list, and each item on that to-do list will end up creating another massive to-do list. Eventually, the energy and concentration required to make a decision about a coffee mug has been spent creating the to-do lists, which may or may not ever get done.
Having been down this road many times before, they may bypass creating the to-do list entirely, and opt to “Move on, leave the coffee mug, go do what absofreakinlutely NEEDS to be done today.” We all have a finite amount of energy and concentration. They aren’t going to waste it on a coffee mug.
It’s a radical idea, but sometimes, what absofreakinlutely needs to be done is to walk away from it all. The alternative—making a gazillion decisions for each and every item—is debilitating.
Once they realize the relief of walking away, it can become a repeatable solution because soon, their next place will be in the same condition.
For those who live for years amidst clutter, it can take its toll on health, relationships and finances. Inevitably, the condition of the home itself suffers. Maintenance and repairs don’t get made, affecting the sale price. It may actually be best to walk away—sell as-is—sooner rather than later, before the home’s condition truly suffers.
Walking away is an expensive solution. In the case of renting, deposits are forfeited. Plus, there’s the cost of re-purchasing necessities again.
If walking away appeals to you, you’re not alone. I can help plan an easy walk-away, while minimizing financial loss. Let’s chat about your needs then put together an uncomplicated plan that works for you!
You might also like my FREE download: Where I Get Stuck
Copyright © 2022 by Cynthia Gentry Black, Home Staging by Cynthia, LLC in Kansas City.
All rights reserved. No portion may be shared, reused or republished in any format without express written consent of the author.
