Tips for downsizing the home

Oftentimes, senior citizens, or even younger empty nesters, find their homes have gotten too big for them and have become a genuine chore to take care of. As a result, many seniors and empty nesters decide to downsize their homes, moving into smaller homes that are more accommodating to their new lifestyles.

While this is an obvious decision for many, it isn’t always an easy one. In addition to growing attached to a home, especially one in which their children grew up, homeowners are suddenly faced with the difficult decision of what will make the trip to their new home and what won’t.

When deciding to downsize their home, homeowners might want to consider the following approach with their sudden abundance of excess possessions.

They should begin where they rarely go. Lots of homeowners have rooms in their home where they don’t spend a significant amount of time. Getting rid of excess furniture will do a great deal in lessening the moving load.

Homeowners can make their kids a part of the process. Kids often cherish things from their youth that parents might not know about, so they should be involved in the downsizing process.

Depending on how many kids are involved, it might be hard to determine who gets what. Parents can create a system before they begin downsizing and involve the kids in the creation of that system.

Later, homeowners should decide what to do with the excess. There are many ways to get rid of items they won’t be taking along. Donations are almost always accepted by thrift stores, and depending on the time of year, a garage sale might be a viable option as well.

Remember to make room for especially treasured items. If there are items that the owners genuinely cherish but think might make for a tight fit at their new home, they should do their best to make room for these items anyway. If need be, they should go back over what they’ve decided to take and reexamine if it’s worth more than other items they’ve determined are must-haves.