Smart Senior

Your six bedroom house was the perfect family home when you actually had a “family,” but what happens now? Are you going to dig in your heels and stay there, or are you going to pull up stakes and move?
My husband and I made the decision to move a few years ago, but the reality of all didn’t hit home until he retired. It gives one pause.
Reasons to consider downsizing and moving on:
• You are in your late sixties or older
• Your children have left home.
• Utilities and tax payments are more than you can handle, and yard/home maintenance has become a chore.
• You are only using a few rooms regularly, and making the house “senior friendly” would be a big project.
If you have lived in the same house for 30 plus years you know that downsizing is not going to be a piece of cake. It is quite a shock to realize that your “worldly possessions” are not as memorable as you might have imagined. In essence you have surrounded yourself with entirely too much “junk.”
Even if you don’t move you need to deal with the “junk thing.” You can do it now or you can saddle your kids with the job after you are “gone.” They will remember you fondly if you do it now.
You can do this:
• Start small with a dresser or a closet.
• Make 4 piles (keep, toss, give away or sell).
• Select a few choice items that you can’t live without; everything else is suspect.
The hardest part is determining whether each item you caress and love is something that you need or not. I have become quite ruthless. As I go through each drawer, closet, and room I toss everything that I haven’t worn, used, or even looked at in the last year. Unbelievable!
Granted, downsizing and moving is an emotional, stressful and time consuming experience. On the other hand change is good and a new home is a thing of beauty.