You’ve lived in your house a long time. You’ve accumulated lots of “stuff”. Are you at that stage in your life where you are thinking about downsizing? Are your parents or friends at that stage in their lives where they may be thinking about downsizing as well? No matter how big your family is, you’re finally considering moving into something smaller because 1) you know it will be easier to maintain and 2) you’ll have more time to do the things you want to do.
Step I: To begin the overall process, you may want to ask yourself what your ultimate goal is. Where, meaning location, do you want to live? Once you’ve decided on that, you’ll want to consider whether:
- You want to have everything on one floor.
- You want to move into a smaller, single family home (in a 55+ plus community or not).
- You want a condo where certain things are taken care of for you (e.g., lawn maintenance, snow removal).
- You’ll feel safer if you were in an independent or assisted living environment.
- You want to rent.
Step II: Now is the time to figure out what you are going to keep and take with you and what you are going to donate or sell. This is very hard because there are a lot of emotions attached to things. However, the process of making these decisions can even be started before you pick your new location. By not waiting until the last minute, you can reduce your stress level as you can take your time making these choices.
Step III: Once you’ve decided where you are going to live, what you are taking with you to your new home, it’s time to pack, move, and unpack. If you need help with any of your downsizing needs, please visit www.theupsidetodownsizing.com, the primary resource in assisting Baby Boomers and Seniors for all their downsizing needs. Remember – LESS REALLY IS MORE!
The second article will be about getting started and eliminating the excess. Stay tuned!
BB’s Clutter Solutions is located in Cherry Hill, NJ and serves New Jersey (north and south), Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburbs, and New York City. Contact information: www.bb-clutter-solutions.com, info@bb-clutter-solutions.com, 856-912-0077.
