Downsizing your home and lifestyle  

You have made the decision that it is time to downsize for one reason or another. . This can be a very emotional time for you and your family. Take your time, and make sure you are ready for this life altering change. The thought, the idea, the wrench of leaving, the excitement of a new beginning.  Moving to a smaller home does have its benefits, and there can be many reasons for the downsize

 

1. You have become an empty-nester, the children have left home and you no longer need that large home.
2. You are tired of the upkeep, housework just doesn’t have the thrill it once did, and well yard work, that is for the younger generation.
3. You want to reduce your living expenses; smaller home equals fewer utilities, and hopefully less mortgage, or no mortgage.
4. You are ready to travel, you are retired, and now you want to put your time and energy into your dreams of traveling to all those exotic places and for longer periods at a time. You have desired to go to and never had the time or money, and now you can do that and not have to worry about your home and all the chores that need to get done on a daily or weekly basis. You want to be free.
5. Your health just doesn’t let you do what you used to; you need to downsize to keep your health in check.

There can be many reasons to downsizing, and each individual has their own. Whatever your reasons may be for downsizing your home, like most life transitions, has its emotional ups and downs. You have many decisions to make, you are eager to get started and eager for your next journey. Downsizing means leaving your home of many years and many of those treasures, your neighbors and friends. You now have the task of decluttering and deciding on what you can live without and what goes with you to your new home.  What kind of home are your downsizing to, a smaller home, a condo whether it is a townhouse or apartment condo. How big will your new home be?  Bottom line, what stays and what goes with you. I suggest you start off with  taking 2 rooms in your present home, and set them up with tables and shelves.

•  Room #1 goes with you to your new home.
•  Room #2 is all the stuff you have collected over the years and you can live without.

Throughout your day as you sort through your possessions start distributing items to either of these rooms. By putting something in Room #2, you haven’t gotten rid of it yet, but you have made the decision you can live without this item. If you never use it, then you definitely can live without it. Do the same with Room #1, put the item in this room, then as you go to the room and see what is there you can decide if you actually need to have that item, memento or souvenir. Just remember you are downsizing, so you do need to limit what makes the move with you to your new home.  This is only the first step to downsizing to a smaller home.

Thinking of downsizing? Need to know what your options are…give me a call and we’ll get you headed in the right direction!