Cleaning Tips

TIPS FOR DOWNSIZING A HOME

Whether you are voluntarily moving to smaller quarters or helping an elderly loved one with the painful process of letting go of a home due to health issues, here are some ways to ease the transition.

1. Take video or photos before you begin the downsizing process. Having the memories of an existing home intact with all its furnishings and décor can be a wonderful memento to have once the adjustment to new living quarters has been made. Photos of individual rooms or special features like a garden can also be a jumping off point for stories down the line, keeping family history intact for future generations.
   
   
2. Hire a professional or use the services provided by a facility to choose which pieces to move to your new home. Relocation and downsizing professionals specialize in helping create a beautiful new environment using beloved objects and furniture that fit appropriately in smaller scale spaces.
   
   
3. Use the occasion to gift loved ones with treasured heirlooms. You needn’t have valuable antiques or expensive objects to give someone a priceless gift from your home that will forever remind them of you and the home you enjoyed together.  Perhaps each child and grandchild will receive a Christmas tree ornament chosen just for them. A granddaughter about to move into her own apartment might love the extra set of dishes you no longer need. The smallest items—a sewing kit, a cookie jar, a well used garden spade--can evoke the strongest memories. Once you have decided upon which things will be needed, cherish the opportunity to choose gifts for family members, or invite them to choose for themselves.
   
   
4. If your energy or health is on the downswing, go easy on yourself. You have enough to do simply by adjusting to life in a new environment. Hosting your own tag sale after living in the same home for years can be overwhelming for anyone. If you are struggling emotionally or physically during this transition, it might be well worth the relatively small cost of hiring a company to sort, stage and sell your home goods. Ask around for reputable firms; they generally charge only a percentage of the proceeds.
   
   
5. If at all possible, start the process while the decisions are in your hands. Look at your life situation realistically and assume a proactive stance, so you will have the time and emotional wherewithal to research the best possible options for your lifestyle and future. Begin the process of thinning out your unwanted possessions early on. Visit friends who have downsized and ask them what they like and don’t like about their new location. It can be painful to leave a home place you’ve loved and nurtured over many years. Try to remember that home really is where the heart is. It travels with you. And if you have children, you will spare them the excruciating process of making decisions they know you would have preferred to make yourself.