Downsizing Tips For Seniors Who Need To Make A Lifestyle Change
By: Amy Collett
Are you planning to move to a smaller home in the Tri-Cities area? Let The Shinabarger Team help! We’ll be by your side every step of the way, and can help you find the perfect new place to call home. 509-947-8076.
Downsizing is often the best option for a senior who needs to make lifestyle changes in order to stay safe and healthy, but it comes with a lot of things to think about. From planning a budget to making sure the new home is exactly what you need, you’ll have a lot on your plate even while you’re trying to minimize your responsibilities. Staying organized will help to reduce stress while you’re making this life change and will allow you to make sure your new home is exactly what you want.
Preparing for the move is often the most complicated part, so making plans for decluttering, going through your belongings to decide what to keep, and packing will be crucial. If you need help, consider asking friends or family members to help out. Not only will this allow you to get the job done quickly and efficiently, it will ensure that you have emotional support during what can be a difficult transition.
The Shinabarger Team shares a few tips on how to handle a downsize from start to finish.
Factor in modifications
The budget you put in place for your new home will depend on a number of things, including whether or not the new place will require any modifications. You might find a home that’s perfect for you in nearly every way but needs a bit of work in the kitchen or bathroom–the most common areas for renovations. In order to make sure each room will be accessible, safe and comfortable for you after retirement no matter what your health needs are, do a little research on modification costs. Keep in mind that depending on how extensive you want the modifications to be, the job can take between several months to complete, which might interfere with your schedule and require plans to stay with family or at a hotel.
Think carefully about your options
The best way to find the right Tri-Cities home for your needs is to search for specific listings with your real estate agent Dave Shinabarger to narrow down the field. For instance, you’ll probably want a home with a certain number of rooms, so start there and eliminate the homes with large lawns or the ones that are in neighborhoods you know won’t be a good fit. Don’t settle for a house without doing some research first; the end result should make you feel safe, happy, and comfortable no matter what your health needs are.
Decide what to take
Downsizing requires some difficult decisions about what to bring to the new home. If you have a lot of belongings or some large pieces of furniture, you’ll need to go through each room and do a thorough job of cleaning, decluttering, and assessing your belongings. Think of it as an opportunity to get everything in shape before the move and to get organized in order to make packing easier.
There may be items with sentimental value that you won’t have room for; these might be handed down to a family member, or you can look for ways to keep them in a different form, such as digitizing photos so the physical prints can be stored. Once you digitize your photos, you can convert those files to PDFs, which will take up less space on your computer. To make an even smaller, more organized file, use a PDF file merger to put all of your digital files into one. This might sound tricky, but free online PDF tools make this a breeze.
Make the process easy
Keeping your needs in mind when you’re preparing for the move is essential, so think about how to make sure the process goes smoothly. Staying organized will be important, so make lists of supplies you need or tasks that need to be done. For instance, your new home may need a few small tweaks for fall prevention, such as the placement of non-slip mats in the bathroom. Taking care of these details right away will give you peace of mind and will make the new home safe from the get-go.
Downsizing can be a big job, so ask for help from friends and loved ones so you won’t feel overwhelmed. Think about what your abilities are now and what they might be in the future in order to figure out what features will be most important in your new home.
