Letting go of prized possessions can be tough. Let the professionals help, experts say

When Susan Masi sold her Surrey, B.C., townhouse earlier this year to move in with her son and grandchildren, she knew she’d have to get rid of some things precious to her.

Like the China cabinet her mother gave her when she got married. Or the mahogany dining table she inherited from her great-grandmother that is believed to be at least 126 years old.

Parting ways with items that hold so many memories is difficult, Masi says.

“We sat 12 people around that table. It breaks my heart to let it go, but this is the house I'm living in now. There's no way that it fits,” the 79-year old widow told The Current guest host Rebecca Zandbergen.

Masi says she had to let go of a lot of things like furniture, dinnerware and knickknacks.

“I ended up with hardly any of it. Now I’m in a modern house with two small children,” she said.

Choosing to give away something you own can be a difficult and emotional decision, says June Cotte. The Western University marketing professor says it can feel like throwing away part of your identity.

“Getting rid of a cherished object is getting rid of what someone thought defined them and was important to them,” said Cotte, who studies consumer behaviour and is a former president of the Association for Consumer Research.

Canada’s aging population means more people could find themselves in a similar position. According to a 2024 Statistics Canada report, about one in four Canadians will be 65 or older by 2030. A RE/MAX survey this spring found that among Canadian respondents aged 65 or older, 16 per cent said they plan to downsize their home within the next 10 years.

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Cotte says people usually first turn to family or friends to take their precious items, which can lead to difficult conversations.

Often people hold on to items they could give away because they haven't found a worthy recipient, Cotte says.

“They don't think that anybody will appreciate it, so they hold on and defer the decision until it's actually too late."

Cotte says some turn to agents to help them find new homes for their objects.