Tips For Downsizing

Are You a Senior Looking to Downsize? These Tips Should Help

Your current home has served you well thus far, but as you enter your golden years, your home might not meet your needs anymore. Maybe you have too much space after the children have moved out, there is too much house to clean, or the mortgage is too high. All these factors and more likely played into your decision to downsize, and these next few tips will help you make that decision a reality.

Is a House Right For You?

Although you might want to continue living at home, it might be safer to move into an independent living community or assisted living facility. The two are very different, so educate yourself on what each entails. Independent living communities offer housing to give you autonomy, while also providing common areas and amenities such as housekeeping and yard maintenance. Assisted living takes things a step further by helping you with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and medications. This guide from AgingCare can help you determine if you are able to continue aging in place.

Work with a Reputable Realtor

As you begin the downsizing process, having a realtor on your team is a must. An agent understands the entire buying and selling process, and does much more than simply show you homes. A realtor draws up the offer, makes the negotiations (including the inspection), and helps you through the closing process and even post-closing process. They also often have plenty of experience working with seniors, and can help you find the home that meets your needs and expectations now and down the road.

Be Picky with the Location

As you look at homes, pay close attention to the nearby amenities including hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores, transportation, food, and entertainment. With each city or county you look at, check out a home affordability map to look at the average cost of housing so you know what to expect. For example, Redfin notes that over the last month in Naples, homes sold on average for $333,000. If that’s out of your price range, you may need to look at other neighborhoods

And if you find an area you really like but want to make sure it’s a good fit, test it out with a local vacation rental. With sandy beaches, turquoise water, and great dining options, Naples is an ideal spot for seniors. Whether you’re looking for a home on the beach or near 5th Avenue or Gallery Row, spend some time in the area you are considering before you pull the trigger to ensure you like the community, weather, transportation options, amenities, and people.

Downsize Your Stuff

A smaller home means less room for your stuff, so take your time purging your items. Start by calculating the space in your new home, and keep that in mind as you get rid of things. Focus on storage areas first such as closets, attics, basements, and garages, as this is where you’ll likely find a majority of the items you forgot you had or that you rarely use. Go room by room, and be honest about what you really need. Use the four-box method to make sorting easier – just label four boxes as keep, donate/sell, storage, and toss. Take breaks often as you sort, and recruit family members and friends for emotional support.

Get Extra Help by Hiring Movers

Finding a home, downsizing your stuff, and packing is exhausting, so let movers handle the rest to give you peace of mind that your items will be delivered to your new home safe and sound (the average cost of hiring movers in Naples is $748). Letting a professional with a high customer rating handle all the lifting ensures you don’t get injured and saves you the time of having to make multiple trips. Hiring movers gives you the freedom to focus on other moving day tasks such as turning on utilities or cleaning the new home. You may prefer to have someone else supervise your moving team so you don’t have to watch the house become empty.

If the idea of downsizing has crossed your mind, chances are it’s the right step for you. It can be a stressful process at times, so just keep reminding yourself of your end goal. When you’re settled in and relaxing with your feet up, you’ll be glad you made the decision to downsize.