We are all different,
and we all need different things.
The offerings below can be customized for your convenience and comfort.
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Swedish Death Cleaning or döstädning has been a part of Swedish and Scandanavian cultures for some time, but has risen in popularity since the concept was presented globally by Margareta Magnusson, author of the book “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” (2017).
It is not about dusting or mopping, but rather an act of decluttering your home and getting rid of belongings you no longer need. It is an act of self-love and love for those who will remain and be responsible for our belongings after you pass. Death Cleaning is an act of lightening our burden, and allowing what really matters to come to the surface. It is in essence, making room for more aliveness.
Death Cleaning is for everyone, you don’t need to wait until you’re “old” before you start doing it. You can do it any day, because none of us know when we will pass on. What most struggle about with death is the lack of control any of us have over when and how. What we *do have control over is how we live and what we pass on. This is an opportunity to engage with control where we can, and make decisions for ourselves and our loved ones and all of our treasured belongings.
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Our homes and our belongings hold our stories. These spaces and the stories they hold shape our lives and dictate how move through the world. In a culture full of presumed rights and wrongs, shame can be a major player in dictating how we see ourselves and our lives.
My approach is not rooted in cleanliness as moral superiority, rather it is about getting ourselves free from the objects and the thoughts that don’t serve us in our aliveness.
If shame or overwhelm exist between you and piles in your home, you don’t have to face it alone! Believe it or not, we can make it fun, or at the very least tolerable, and on other side there is literally so much more room for joy and ease and engagement.
So often, we hold onto things out of obligation, or what if’s, and meanwhile those things sit without being purposed. This is less about taking something away and more about creating space and ease. This is not only an act of self-care, but it is an act of communal generosity - as I have brought countless loads of treasures to Experienced Goods, where these objects can find new life and use - all the while funding the Brattleboro Hospice. There is also the opportunity for resale, and I am happy to help orchestrate sales through marketplace and craigslist to support you in making money back on your goods! As well as dump and recycling runs, there are many ways we will go about making more space for you in your home, and it is all up to you, I am just here to support you with my experience and thoughtful care.
PROCESS:
We will begin with an initial walk-through appointment and a $250 deposit.
( made payable by cash or venmo at the initial walk through)
Our first appointment is our opportunity to assess the project, begin to build a relationship, and sign our contract.
The $250 deposit covers the 45 minute walk through, and the first four hours of our work together.
After that, the offerings begin at $50 for every subsequent hour.
Each day is to be paid in full prior to the work day, leaving our final day together pre-paid.
OFFERINGS:
Swedish Death Cleaning : preparing our belongings, preparing ourselves
After our consultation, we will devise an individual plan that suits your needs. We can work over the course of days, weeks or months, depending on preference and availability. There is no right or wrong way in this work, but there is abundant benefit in beginning the process.
My rates begin at $50 an hour.
Decluttering : getting down to it
After our consultation, we will devise an individual plan that suits your needs. If you would rather take the project of freeing up space head on, then I am happy to offer full day support beginning at $500 a day.
Decluttering : little by little
After our consultation, we will devise an individual plan that suits your needs. If you would prefer to work together on a weekly basis, I am happy to help devise a plan of action with you where we chip away, and create a sustainable plan of action to be carried out over the course of several weeks, months, etc.
My rate begins at $50 an hour.