Sensitively counsels readers on how to downsize a family home filled with a lifetime of memories, sharing practical recommendations for strategies based on the expertise of antiques appraisers, garage-sale gurus, professional organizers and psychologists.

This New York Times bestselling book is filled with hundreds of fun, deceptively simple, budget-friendly ideas for sprucing up your home. With two home renovations under their (tool) belts and millions of hits per month on their blog YoungHouseLove.com, Sherry and John Petersik are home-improvement enthusiasts primed to pass on a slew of projects, tricks, and techniques to do-it-yourselfers of all levels. Packed with 243 tips and ideas—both classic and unexpected—and more than 400 photographs and illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Learn to trick out a thrift-store mirror, spice up plain old roller shades, "hack" your Ikea table to create three distinct looks, and so much more.

Say goodbye to clutter, reduce stress, and live simply with this easy-to-use guide to downsizing! Whether you are selling your family home, blending households into a new home, or cleaning out your aging parents' home, sorting through a lifetime's worth of accumulated possessions can be a daunting and stressful experience. Decluttering guru Peter Walsh recently went through the process of downsizing his childhood home and dividing his late parents' family possessions. He realized that making these decisions about mementos and heirlooms creates strong emotions and can be an overwhelming chore. In Let It Go, Peter will help you turn downsizing into a rejuvenating life change with his useful tips and practical takeaways, including how to: • Understand the emotional challenges that accompany downsizing • Establish a hierarchy of mementos and collectibles • Calculate the amount of stuff you can bring into your new life • Create strategies for dividing heirlooms among family members without drama This new phase brings unexpected freedoms and opportunities, and Peter walks you through every step of the process. You’ll feel freer and happier than you ever thought possible once you Let It Go.

You can’t take it with you, but you can ensure that what you leave behind has value and meaning. Whether you want the fruits of your life’s work to benefit your family, the environment, science, human rights, the arts, your church, or another cause dear to you, one thing is certain: It won’t happen unless you plan. What to Do with Everything You Own to Leave the Legacy You Want is a step-by-step, DIY guide to turning your money and “stuff” into something meaningful that will outlast you—whether you are in the prime of life or your later years, single or partnered, have kids or not, are well-off or of modest means. With her trademark practical wisdom, downsizing expert Marni Jameson offers plenty of comfort (and even some laughs) as she guides you through the following: Identifying whom you want to benefit from your legacy Navigating wills, trusts, and other paths to your goals Heading off potential family conflicts Making the best plan for your material assets This book will encourage and inspire you through every step of your final downsizing project, helping you make a positive impact on the people and causes closest to your heart.

"The 25 small houses presented in Downsize are owned by people who have made a conscious decision to downsize from a larger home to a smaller home--or who just decided to build small in the first place. Some of the houses are new (site-built or prefab), others are remodels. All are 2,000 sq. ft. or less. The featured houses show how to use space efficiently through such strategies as: - creative storage space - multi-purpose rooms - pocket and barn doors - integrating smaller appliances"--

As life unfolds, things tend to accumulate. When older adults undergo health, residential, and marital changes, they will face a reckoning with their lifelong store of possessions—special, ordinary, and forgotten. Such a predicament now confronts tens of millions of Americans as the Baby Boom cohort passes into retirement and beyond. Despite what a thriving industry of clutter manuals tells us, for most older adults, downsizing is no simple task. Drawing on in-depth interviews with recent movers in over a hundred diverse U.S. households, David Ekerdt analyzes the downsizing process and what it says about the meaning and management of possessions. He details how households approach and accomplish downsizing, exploring the decision-making process and the effectiveness of different strategies. From an expert gerontological perspective, he considers the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social tasks that the process entails and the role of factors such as gender and class on the divestment of things. Ekerdt finds that despite the fatigue and emotional challenges people encounter, afterward they report satisfaction in having completed a downsizing and feel empowerment on the other side of the task. Offering an empathetic and practical look at one of life’s major transitions, Downsizing brings forward the voices of elders so that older adults, their families and friends, and practitioners working with older clients can understand and benefit from their experience.

*The basis for the wonderfully funny and moving TV series developed by Amy Poehler and Scout Productions* A charming, practical, and unsentimental approach to putting a home in order while reflecting on the tiny joys that make up a long life. In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming. Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you’d ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children’s art projects). Digging into her late husband’s tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go.

The immensely popular blogger behind Little House Living provides a timeless and “heartwarming guide to modern homesteading” (BookPage) that will inspire you to live your life simply and frugally—perfect for fans of The Pioneer Woman and The Hands-On Home. Shortly after getting married, Merissa Alink and her husband found themselves with nothing in their pantry but a package of spaghetti and some breadcrumbs. Their life had seemingly hit rock bottom, and it was only after a touching act of charity that they were able to get back on their feet again. Inspired by this gesture of kindness as well as the beloved Little House on the Prairie books, Merissa was determined to live an entirely made-from-scratch life, and as a result, she rescued her household budget—saving thousands of dollars a year. Now, she reveals the powerful and moving lessons she’s learned after years of homesteading, homemaking, and cooking from scratch. Filled with charm, practical advice, and gorgeous full-color photographs, Merissa shares everything from tips on budgeting to natural, easy-to-make recipes for taco seasoning mix, sunscreen, lemon poppy hand scrub, furniture polish, and much more. Inviting and charming, Little House Living is the epitome of heartland warmth and prairie inspiration.

It’s a rite of passage almost no one will escape: the difficult, emotional journey of downsizing your or your aging parents' home. Here, nationally syndicated home columnist Marni Jameson sensitively guides readers through the process, from opening that first closet, to sorting through a lifetime's worth of possessions, to selling the homestead itself. Using her own personal journey as a basis, she helps you figure out a strategy and create a mindset to accomplish the task quickly, respectfully, rewardingly—and, in the best of situations, even memorably. Throughout, she combines her been-there experience with insights from national experts—antiques appraisers, garage-sale gurus, professional organizers, and psychologists—to offer practical wisdom and heartwarming advice so you know with certainty what to keep, toss or sell.

A guide to help you meet the challenge of merging households: figuring out what to keep, what to let go of and what to create together. Along the way Marni Jameson interviews psychologists, designers, and couples who've made it through the process, passing along tips, tricks, and marriage-bolstering advice.