The Easiest Ways To Downsize for Senior Living

Are you wondering if it’s time for a change?

If you’ve decided you want to make the move to senior living, odds are you’ll need to do a bit of organizing. But contrary to popular opinion, a move to independent living doesn’t always mean moving into a smaller home.

Decluttering, cleaning, donating … These are all ways you can scale back the amount of space you’ll need in the future. But there’s a bit more to preparing for a move than you might think, especially after a lifetime of experiences.

Keep reading to learn about paring down your possessions for a move to senior living. We’ll share downsizing tips, questions to ask yourself, and insight into the downsizing process.

Why Should You Downsize?

In many situations, seniors move before they are ready. Part of this is due to the surprise felt by many older adults when they must suddenly leave their homes for reasons relating to care.

First, you need to decide if the time is really right. In many situations, seniors downsize because it just makes sense.

Here’s a short list of questions to help you decide if it’s time to relocate to a senior living community:

• Do you ever feel like you have too many things?
• Do you ever feel isolated or disconnected?
• Has your yardwork gotten a little out of hand?
• Do you have rooms that are unused?
• Do you have rooms that are overfull?
• Is your home suited for you to age in place?

Rightsizing and smart sizing are two conceptual cousins of downsizing. They’re key techniques when it comes time to put your family home in order. Packing and moving with the help of friends and family is great but usually one of the last parts of the process.

Before you get to that stage, there are a few ways to prepare yourself for the shift to a retirement community.

The Simplest Ways To Downsize for Senior Living

So, you’ve decided you need to move to senior living and that you’re ready for a wonderful new lifestyle. It’s now time to begin the actual process of downsizing for the move to senior living.

Remember the purpose of downsizing: to cut costs and simplify your daily life. Incidental expenses could arise at any time, especially related to health care. Even if you do have to move suddenly, the fewer items in your possession, the easier that move will be.

You can boil down the best methods for downsizing to four simple rules.

1. Start As Early as Possible
   Inviting your family members over to help pack reduces the amount of work and getting the enterprise off to a good start. Moving gets more difficult with age, so it’s best to begin years ahead of schedule if possible.
2. Start with the Smallest Items
   Begin your decluttering with the smallest items in your home. Order, sort and label them if necessary, and put aside any you plan to get rid of.
3. Target One Room at a Time
   For the best and quickest results, focus on one room at a time. If you need, give yourself a time limit. It’s easy to get wrapped up in old photo albums or heirlooms, so it’s best to set a schedule and stick to it as closely as possible.
4. Sell, Gift or Donate Unwanted Items
   Finally, gather the items that haven’t made the downsizing cut and make preparations to sell, gift or donate them.

If this all seems overwhelming, the great news is that The Terraces at Bonita Springs offers a downsizing and packing program. Call 239-208-6963 to learn more!

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