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It’s hard to believe but someday you will face the challenge of downsizing your home and your genealogy files. Before you begin, take time to do this one very important task that few people do but wish they had.
Stop and Take Pictures
The arrangement of the things in our homes and genealogy files provides much context. Before you begin downsizing, take a 'BIG' picture.
Step outside and photograph the home, cottage, or apartment building. Where appropriate, photograph the other buildings on a property (barn, shed, guest house, etc.).
Step back inside and photograph the rooms of a home. Take pictures of each room from multiple vantage points to truly encapsulate where you or your loved one lives.
Then, zoom in on a few key areas within each room. The pianos, the kitchen tables, the office desk, and the living room couches. Highlight the 'zones' where the activity occurred in each living space.
For genealogy papers, photograph the entire collection's organization (or lack thereof). Photograph the shelves of binders, the boxes of photos, the wall of pictures, and so on.
↪️ Are you looking for more genealogy resources?
Grab your copy of these FREE Genealogy Research Guides.
Why Photograph Before Downsizing Your Home or Genealogy Files?
After you downsize, your household goods, keepsakes, and genealogy files will never be together again in the same configuration. Photographing a home can take people back in time to family gatherings, daily living, and so much more.
Robert Zumstein family home from Gainsborough, Lincoln, Ontario, Canada. c 1981
In this photo, I can only dream of what the home was like on the inside for the Zumstein house in Ontario, Canada.
Penny Geiszler’s China Cabinet, c. 1984
These pictures take me back to my mother’s home and the treasures in every room.
Need more Downsizing Tips?
Check out our YouTube Video about Downsizing While Preserving Your Family History
Order the book Downsizing With Family History in Mind, which is available at Amazon.com.