When the time comes to downsizing from your family home to a smaller townhouse or apartment, you’ll be grateful that you made some plans in advance.
Downsizing can be stressful if you try to fit all your possessions, especially large furniture, into a smaller home.
As experienced agents in the area, we’ve helped many couples create a strategy for downsizing without stress.
This goes beyond selling the family home and buying something smaller. It’s essential to be clear with your plans for the future. You must select a suitable area that will meet your lifestyle needs and go through the challenging task of purging possessions.
If you’re approaching this time of life and wondering how best to downsize, here is a list of tips to help you prepare:
- Lifestyle choice – It’s essential to know how you wish to live this next stage of your life. If you’re looking to reduce your bills and have less responsibility, don’t entertain thoughts of a property with a swimming pool, big garden and even a steep staircase.
- Stay positive – Recognise that it is emotionally tough to sell your family home, and then let go of possessions that have been part of your life. You may need some support around you.
- Engage with the family – Don’t do this in isolation. Discuss your plans with family and friends. Many will envy your choice and be a source of encouragement.
- Is employment on the agenda? – If so, then you’ll need a home with an office area. If you intend on retiring, then don’t invest in a home that offers more space than you need. Perhaps a small nook will suffice for a work area.
- Travel agenda – Many people who downsize want to travel this great country and the world. And once we’ve seen the back of Covid, it’ll be a priority for many. If this is you, then consider a property that’s easy to lock up, walk away and feel it’ll be secure in your absence.
- Make a plan – List the possessions you love and don’t want to lose. This will help when you start the task of purging the rest.
- Get the tape out – Once you’ve chosen your next home, measure the rooms and create a floorplan. This way, you’ll be able to decide in advance which furniture pieces will fit and those that’ll have to go. Oversized furniture makes a home feel cramped and uncomfortable.
- Be brutal – When it comes to sorting through your possessions, be ruthless. Make piles of items that you’ll keep, sell, give away or take to a charity shop. I recommend attacking this challenge by going from room to room. And give yourself a deadline.
- No maybes – Don’t make a “maybe” pile when deciding on the items to keep, as this adds to your workload and stress. Make a decision, and move on.
- Be storage smart – Inevitably, you’ll buy some furniture that better suits your new, smaller living space. Make storage a priority with these pieces to ensure your home stays clutter-free.