Are you an adult child who needs to help your parents downsize and move or are you someone who needs to move from your large home to a smaller home? Is it overwhelming to think about starting this process of downsizing and relocating? Would it be easier for you just to toss it all out in the trash and start over again? Many seniors and their adult children are faced with the task of downsizing and relocating to a smaller home, apartment, or retirement community. They can become overwhelmed with the idea of thinking about what furniture to bring and all the details associated with a move. Instead of throwing your memories in the trash, make a plan to start this process.
You have lived in your home for the last 20, 30, 40, or 50 years and your home use to be filled with growing children, the neighborhood kids, and now it is empty. All the kids are grown and they have lives of their own. You have fond memories of happy times and memories of some sad times. At some point in your life, you were able to race up the stairs in your home. Now the staircase has become difficult to manage. Your adult children worry about your safety. You might miss a step and fall and not be able to get to the phone for help. The house is too big and requires too much work for you and or your spouse. You both want more time to relax and have a simpler lifestyle. Between the cleaning, house maintenance, snow shoveling, and lawn mowing, you find no time to do the things you really want to do. Perhaps it is time to move to a smaller home.
Making the decision to downsize and move to a smaller home or retirement community can be very difficult. Once you have come to that decision, you need to make a plan. What should you do with all your belongings? Many seniors have a 2 story, 5 bedroom home with 50 years worth of dishes, furniture, slides, collections, and adult children’s past term papers and toys. You realize that all of these things are not going to fit in your new home. How do you start the process of dealing with all of this?
If have several years of accumulation, it can be emotionally and physically overwhelming. An attic, garage, or basement that has not been emptied for decades can be a daunting task. It is an issue facing many seniors, baby boomers, and healthcare providers. Adult children may be geographically distant or part of the sandwich generation that are overwhelmed with trying to manage their own lives while raising children and managing careers. As much as they would like to help their parents, they may not able to.
Consider these points when starting the process of downsizing and moving on.
• A good way to start is to get someone to help you through the downsizing process because it can be overwhelming. You need help and support.
• Think about starting now, even if you don’t plan on moving for awhile. It can take some time to sort things out in your attic, basement, garage, and the rest of the house.
• Consider the amount of space you will have in your new home. This will help to eliminate moving items that will not physically fit.
• Remember, moving can be expensive. Eliminating some weight and bulk can help reduce moving costs. That box of canned goods may not be worth moving. It may cost you more to move it than to replace it. Consider donating it to your local food pantry.
• Get the floor plan of the place you are moving into, including locations of doorways, windows, phone and cable jacks.
• Begin with a room that you do not utilize in your existing home and use it as storage to pack up the items you decide to bring to your new home.
• Think about what you are really need. Will you need place settings for 12 or will 6 maybe work? Do you really need three turkey roasters? When is the last time you made Thanksgiving dinner or do you always go to your son’s home for Thanksgiving?
• Consider donations to social services agencies. You may be able to use the donation as a tax deduction and you are helping someone else in need.
• Why not give pieces of furniture or other possessions to family members or friends that have admired them for years? If your granddaughter has loved your china hutch for years, why not give to her now and see the joy and happiness that it brings her today?
• Adult children need to pick up their stuff out of your attic or spare bedroom! Unless you have decided to go into the rental storage business, adult children need to get their stuff out of your home.
• Measure the furniture you want to take with you and compare it to the floor plan of your new home to see if it will fit.
• Do not overwhelm yourself. Start with baby steps. Work a little each day on a section of your home: a drawer, or a closet shelf.
• If you feel overwhelmed looking at a pile of papers that you need to sort through, start with just 15 minutes. Set an egg timer for 15 minutes, sort through the pile and then stop working when the timer goes off. You will make some progress and can start again the next day. Before you know it, you will have sorted through dresser drawers.
• Remember every item you own requires your time, energy, maintenance, and money. Decide if the item is worth keeping.
While downsizing can be an emotionally and physically overwhelming process, it can be achieved through planning and organization. Taking it one step at a time with some assistance can make the downsizing process and move to your new home a little easier.©
Vickie Dellaquila is a Certified Professional Organizer and owner of Organization Rules, Inc, located in Pittsburgh, PA. Her company provides senior downsizing, relocation and residential organizing services. She is also the author of the book, Don’t Toss My Memories in the Trash-A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Seniors Downsize, Organize, and Move. For more information, visit
http://www.organizationrules.com/ or call 412-913-0554.
Thank you Vickie - I know this will help a lot of people out there who are faced with this growing issue (like I was). It is truly a wealth of information!
