Beyond assisting homeowners to edit the volume of their life possessions, we also have another important job: finding secret hiding places. Many people have secret spots in their homes where they hide valuable items like money, jewelry, or important documents. Often, these spots are so private that they are overlooked and forgotten.
You would be surprised at how common this is! Every professional organizer has stories about finding valuable items stashed in interesting places. It is a frequent topic of conversation at industry conferences and meetings. At Out of Chaos, we make a special effort to thoroughly inspect possessions that might be secret hiding places when our clients move, downsize, or declutter.
Some of Our Unique Finds
- An old 1950’s tube TV cabinet housed an envelope of $20 bills. We unscrewed the back cover to find an envelope inside – the amount of money totalled $1,000.00
- Someone sewed secret pockets inside the waistbands of pants and jacket sleeve cuffs. It looked like used tissues were crammed inside, but each wad of tissue held a hefty supply of one- and two-dollar coins.
- Th return envelopes from utility companies hid brand new $20 and $100 bills. We found them stuffed into drawers, in china cabinets, and inside of books and magazines. The amount we found in one household was over $5,000.00!
When we find these treasures, the homeowners are thrilled, as you can imagine. So, it certainly pays to check hiding spots if you are downsizing or helping someone downsize! You would hate to find out that you had donated curtains to a thrift shop that contained thousands of dollars.
Our clients call us into their homes when the volume of possessions has reached a tipping point, causing more anxiety than happiness. If you need help with downsizing, read more of our downsizing tips and articles. And if you need some assistance, please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.
