Melinda Bartling is a Realtor, Home Staging Stylist, Downsizing Expert, and a Baby Boomer! She received her real estate license in 1987, and in 2006 she flew to Chicago and learned the art of home staging from the lady that created the concept in 1973. Since 2010, Melinda has assisted hundreds of baby boomers declutter their lives and downsize their homes.
After personally downsizing twice, the first time in 2010, from a 3,500 square foot home where she lived by herself in a home she finally discovered she no longer loved and was full of stuff she no longer cared anything about. She says it was similar to realizing a long-term relationship was over and it was time for it to come to an end. (there were no tears)
After decluttering my life and downsizing my home, I felt the huge relief and freedom that came from moving out of a home I no longer loved and getting rid of stuff that no longer nurtured me. By no means, was I erasing my past, I was actually creating a pretty awesome future.
That entire process allowed me to create and live my best years ahead of me, the way I wanted, being surrounded with only the things I loved and in a space, I could grow old in. The best part is I did it while I still could, on my terms, not someone else’s.
Melinda Bartling
The Hardship on Your Family
Melinda knew from 30+ years of selling real estate what a hardship it was on families when people don’t take charge of their future and decide instead to “leave it for the kids” to handle when the time comes. There have been dozens of situations she was involved in as the real estate agent where the kids were trying to help mom after she waited too long.
“Dad just passed away and mom is traumatized not only by his passing and planning his services but also how to live life without him and in a home loaded with a lifetime of their stuff.” She is so overwhelmed!
At that point, the kids jump in, one usually more than the other(s) and as time goes on, a wedge is driven through all the sibling relationships. “My brother has done absolutely nothing to help out. He lives out of town and says he can’t just drop everything on his plate to help out – like I don’t have a life of my own???”
These are stories Melinda hears over and over again. Dozens of close family relationships would fall apart when it was time to “downsize mom.” And for heaven’s sake, should mom pass without downsizing first, the kids always talk about “how could she do this to us?” versus remembering everything great about mom.
You are creating your own legacy when you don’t take care of decluttering your life and downsizing your home.
How The Home Declutter to Downsize System Helps
The Home Declutter to Downsize System has been a passion project of Melinda’s for a very long time. Do you want to “age in place” or live your life?
“There are so many baby boomers that are stuck in a home they no longer love, babysitting things they no longer care about…and yet they are so stuck and overwhelmed they do nothing.
Why would anyone choose to age in place if they don’t have to?”
Melinda is on a mission to help other baby boomers live the best years that they have left, by living large in a smaller space that supports them, fulfilling their wildest dreams, embracing new adventures, and creating long-lasting memories.
In late 2020, she designed the Home Declutter to Downsize System after going through the experience herself and working with hundreds of baby boomers over the last 30+ years in real estate that were often stuck and overwhelmed.
What she discovered was that most baby boomers were waiting until they were ready to sell to get started on an overwhelming project that would typically take them 5 years to accomplish.
Instead of living their 5 best years, they traded them for staying where they were and missing out. They waited too long to start on a project they didn’t want to do. As time went on, they felt less motivated to do anything, not to mention their health and physical condition weren’t usually helping matters.
So by creating The Home Declutter to Downsize System to get through decluttering their life and downsizing their home faster, easier, more efficiently than they could do on their own, Melinda helped them see the light at the end of the tunnel. It gave them hope to be able to live their best years by getting through their stuff faster and get on with a simpler life that they so much deserved.
Is This For You?
This system is for you baby boomers who want to live your best years to the fullest and are willing to do the work to make it happen.
It’s not for those who want to continue babysitting your stuff in a home that no longer serves you and wants your kids or loved ones to bail you out when that time comes.
The system takes you from feeling stuck and overwhelmed and not knowing where to start into a system of specific activities that will get you faster results than you can get by doing it on your own.
How the Process will Transform Your Life
The Home Declutter and Downsize System gets you the results you need and takes you from where you are now to where you want to be…living a simpler life that you dream of experiencing on a daily basis.
If you want to be free of your stuff, the fastest way possible so you can start living your best years that are flying by, I can help.
Check out the different options available to you and start living large in a smaller space!
Meet Melinda
How Melinda Lives Large in the 3rd Chapter of Her Life
Melinda currently lives life large with her black Lab/Boxer rescue, Bella, and her cousin Bailey, in an 800 square foot home in Prairie Village, KS (a Kansas City suburb) that’s full of repurposed vintage finds and other favorite fun things. Living in a small space with only the things she loves gives her time to do what’s important to her in her 3rd chapter.
Her office is at Shed Chic Studios, a totally tricked-out 88 square foot storage shed behind her house where she also hosts Happy Hours for Women Who Wine (currently on hiatus due to Covid-19).
In her spare time, she loves vintage shopping, decorating, cooking, working out, and hanging out with her grandchildren – especially her favorite granddaughter, Brooklyn.
Melinda looks forward to helping you move into your 3rd act so you can enjoy the freedom it will bring to your life!
