Several years ago we started a project in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle. At one time, the owner of the home was an accomplished musician that would travel the world playing the French Horn. He had recently been moved into an assisted living community and his POA brought us to the house to discuss the project.
We literaly had to push the front door open and climb over the pile of papers. The client was a hoarder and the house was covered in about two feet of papers and such. No paths; we had to climb over debris to get from room to room. When you went into the basement the situation was pretty much the same, with the exception of the 4 inches of water that had accumulated from heavy rains and leaks in the basement. There was a "boardwalk" in place from someone placing 2x4 planks in a line to make it easier to walk about without getting soaked.
A developer had purchased the home and was going to demo it and build new. The client was given the option of just leaving everything in the home and walking away. The conundrum was the missing French Horns; apparently there were several valuable French Horns in the home. Our task was to sort the home to the point where we could locate the missing horns.
We started at the front door bagging trash so that we could walk thru the home safely. There was so much paper! As you were sifting thru the paper you wouuld find artwork, antiques, collections, mid-century furniture (we found furniture under piles of paper), documents, personal items and more. I said more than once "what a shame" because some very cool items had been damaged beyond repair. I thought I was going to burst into tears when we had to throw away a beautiful blue Danish teak sofa beause of the rat damage.
We did find some pretty amazing items that were in remarkably good condition. Rare stamp collection, vintage artist signed music venue lithographs from Cuba, some mid-century furniture suitable for restoration and a rare piece of artwork by a famous Japanese artist that had been preserved from damage because it was hidden behind an open door for many years. We also found the horns. They were scattered about the house in the upstairs rooms, one on the main level in a back bedroom and one in the basement buried under about 3 feet of news papers, magazines and old junk mail.
The instruments were disperesed per the clients wishes; to the University of Washington, family, private sale and such. We were also able to sell many of the other items we located in the home to cover the cost of cleaning out the home. This was a $20,000 clean-out. Rats hissing at us, dead ones in the debris, wet working conditions, no working bathrooms... a lot of work.
There was a hesitancy on the POA to make an investment into a clean-out to look for the horns. There was always the risk that they wouldn't be found. Remember, the developer said they could walk away and leave it "as is."
It was very rewarding to find these items for the client. Indeed, they were very valuable. It was also rewarding being able to recover many amazing items that could have been lost to the bulldozer. Not every home has this type of outcome, however, we are always looksing for ways to off-set costs and to preserve items of interest that we find in the home. Clients often say "Just throw it away, it is all trash" but we often find that is not the case.
I always suggest to people that they have someone look at the home before purging. What a family member thinks holds value may not be what people are buying. It is rarely the dining room table and china hutch but can often be the vintage music posters and rare japapnese artwork hiding behind the door.
Downsizing is a complex process filled with unique challenges and surprises. These unusual experiences remind us that each client's journey is unique, and that the process often leads to unexpected treasures, reconnections, and heartwarming moments. As we continue to help clients downsize, we look forward to the many more stories that await us, each adding a new chapter to the fascinating adventure of simplifying one’s life.
If you have a downsizing story to share or need assistance with your own journey, feel free to reach out to us. We’d love to hear from you and help make your downsizing experience as smooth and memorable as possible.