Tips on Downsizing

STAGE 1 – PLANNING & TIMELINES

Consider your lifestyle and what type of home you want to live in going forward in your Golden Years. Paint a picture in your head as to how you’d like to age at home and keep that in mind as you plan for where, when, and how. :
• Find a local Senior Move Manager, like Custom Moving & Hauling, that can assist in putting
together a timeline and plan for the downsize while keeping you on track
• Make a list of personal preferences, ie. being walking distance to a store, wanting to live near
children, having space for a craft room, etc.
• Make a list of practical and safety priorities, ie. maybe needing a single story home or having easy access from vehicle parking to the front door
• Work with a Realtor, Property Manager, or Senior Placement Advisor to find homes that meet these criterias, start doing tours and visiting properties
• Sign contract, lease, or mortgage for the new home
• Refer back to your Senior Move Manager and connect them to the appropriate contact at the new home for move-in dates, floorplanning, and resettling preferences

STAGE 2 – SORTING & REHOMING ITEMS

This is the bulk of the “downsizing” process, so allow yourself the time, space, and peace to do this so that the experience is transitional rather than cumbersome. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or hire help, it may save you a lot of heartache:
• Decide if you are going to do your own packing or if you are hiring a moving company, like
Custom Moving & Hauling, to do that part for you
• If you are hiring, be sure to do a walk-through and get an estimate on costs
• If you are doing it yourself, be sure to get commitment from friends and family that adheres to your deadlines
• Refer to your deadlines and start sorting into KEEP, DONATE, DISCARD
• Start sorting in the smaller areas like closets and guest rooms, asking yourself:
– Do I need it, or do I want it?
– Does it have sentimental value?
– Do I use it often?
– Do I have another item that performs the same function?
– Does it work still?
– Have you used/looked at it in the last year?
• Have a heart to hear with children about what items that you think they want and be sure they are in agreement with taking them into their home
• Memorialize collectibles that don’t fit in the new home, ie. photograph them, document them in inventory apps and create notes, make scrapbooks, etc. before passing them along to be donated
• Schedule a donation pick up or have an estate sale to reduce excess items
• Schedule to have items dropped off at family members homes or consignment

STAGE 3 – PACKING & MOVING

You’ve completed the hardest part, which was the sorting, now the packing is strictly logistics. Whether you do it yourself or you hire help, keep in mind…
– Remind your friends and family of your packing date
– Purchase all packing supplies and box labels
– Label each box with location and contents
– Use mostly small and medium boxes, large boxes are difficult and become too heavy
• If someone like Custom Moving & Hauling is doing your packing, schedule 1 pack day and 1 move day that stays on timeline of your move out
• Continue to set aside items to be junked or tagging them with red tape
• Is this a transitional move that requires temporary storage? If yes, be sure to schedule a POD, a storage unit near the new home, or work with someone like Custom Moving & Hauling that provides short-term storage solutions during moves

STAGE 4 – CLEAN-UP & CLEAN-OUT:

It’s completely natural and likely that you will have things that are collected and set aside from the past years that don’t make sense to take with you. For this part…:
• Have junk haulers, like Custom Moving & Hauling, to:
– Haul away piles of all items that are broken or unusable, marked with red tape
– Clean-out areas that are excessively cluttered and to be junked, like garage or sheds
• Schedule a move-out clean with professional home cleaners

STAGE 5 – SAYING GOODBYE & RESETTLING

We highly recommend that you take some time to say goodbye to your home so that you can get closure, and so that you can feel like a new chapter is being opened as you move into your new home.
• Be sure to set aside some time to do a final walkthrough and say goodbye to your home.
Meet with family there or just have a quite moment alone, whatever feels right
• Unload and unpack all your belongings according to the floorplan, or have someone like Custom Moving & Hauling do that for you
• As a priority, put out items that make the home feel like yours again as you move in.
• Look for opportunities to make the new home unique, go shopping for small items that make the move-in an exciting event that you can grow through.
• SAY HELLO TO THE GOLDEN YEARS, there’s so much to see still!

SAY HELLO TO THE GOLDEN YEARS, there’s so much to see still!