Planning Your Move: Our Top Tips for Success
It may not be the same in your home anymore. The pitter-patter of little feet running up and down the stairs has long since gone and there seems to be more and more rooms that simply aren't used anymore. The children may have left the nest some time ago, and as the years have passed, you may be wondering if your home is right for your needs anymore. Moving may be a possibility for many baby boomers and seniors, which is perfectly normal at this point in life. What may have worked for a big family may just be too much for you now. Although moving can be stressful, there are ways to alleviate a lot of the stress by being prepared first. When it comes to planning your move, here are our top tips for success.
Decide What You Need
If your home is no longer suiting your needs, you'll start to recognize some signs that it's time to downsize. You may be finding it difficult to keep up with the maintenance of the home or it may be starting to get more challenging to get around in the space. These are tell-tale signs that an evaluation of your situation is needed in order to establish your next move. Our first tip is to figure out what you need in a new space. Do you wish to have a small yard or an upstairs area in your next home? Is it getting challenging to take care of yourself on your own? Depending on your individual needs, decide where you'd like to downsize to. It may be a:
Condo
Retirement community
Assisted living facility
As life unfolds, our needs evolve. The first step of the process is focusing on your needs and how you'd like your new space to work for you.
Prioritize Your Belongings
Not everything may be able to come with you when you're downsizing to a smaller space. This is something that many people struggle with, because what are they going to do with all of their stuff? Our next tip is to take inventory of your belongings and prioritize them. Decide which items will be coming with you and which items you will be leaving behind. Then, organize the items being left behind into either trash or donation. This way, every item will eventually have its assignment. You may even want to ask family members if anyone wishes to take any of the items that you're parting with, so that they can remain in the family.
Hire the Right Help
The moving process can be quite a large task to take on, which is why having the right help can do wonders in your downsizing efforts. Having extra hands to sort, pack, move and unpack is a critical step of the process to ensure that your move goes as planned. Don't make the mistake of taking on all of this on your own. It will only result in more time, energy and stress on your part. That's why it's important to ask for the help you need to ensure that your move is successful.
No, your home may not work for your needs anymore, but you sure made beautiful memories in it, which shouldn't be discounted. Focus on the future and making more wonderful memories in your new space with the people who matter most to you.