So You're Thinking About Downsizing

Are you getting tired of cutting the grass and shoveling snow? Are you uncomfortable lugging laundry baskets and groceries up and down stairs? Perhaps the thought of moving sounds good, but the thought of selling your home and moving to a smaller place overwhelms you. If so, you are not alone!

Making the decision to move to a smaller place is extremely difficult for many older adults. If you’ve lived in your home for several decades, then leaving it may feel like an enormous loss. If your children have moved on, it may feel like your house is all you have left. You may think that your house keeps you connected to those happy memories of years past.

But none of that matters if your house is no longer safe for you.

It is estimated that it takes a minimum of 80 hours to completely sort and pack an average home. This is an enormous task.

It will be easier if you break the tasks of downsizing into small segments, which may begin with 15 minute sessions a couple of times throughout the day. The key is to take small steps, one drawer at a time, one box at a time. Share with your family and friends cherished items and heirlooms and take comfort in knowing that these possessions will be appreciated.

If the prospect of tackling this on your own is just too much, you can hire a relocation company.

When it comes to hiring a relocation specialist or moving yourself, deciding which is better is different for everyone. Usually the first factor is cost. But you must also factor in your time, the difficulty or complexity of the move, your ability, the distance, and who you have in your life to help you.

Is time an issue? Do you have people in your life to help you? Can you organize all the packing materials, utility transfer, moving truck? The headaches of packing and moving everything yourself can be hugely reduced by hiring a relocation service.

A relocation company can also work with your floor plans, to help you decide what will fit. They will help with downsizing and disposing of unwanted items, and create a plan of action and co-ordinate the whole move from start to finish. Have you all unpacked and moved in by suppertime.

Making later life moves are never easy, but if you downsize to a smaller home before you need to make a move to a retirement community or care home, that move will be easier. The hardest move for most people is the break from the long-time family home, because of all the memories.

Moving is a great time for personal growth and healing: when a person settles into their new home, they can have sense of satisfaction about the past and hope for the future.

Contact Delaney Relocation Services today to learn about how we make downsizing easy.