Making the Downsizing Process Easier

For older homeowners, a hot real estate market is often enough of a motivator to put the family house up for sale. While landing a good price for your property is a great reason to move on, so too is finding a place that’s smaller, simpler, and easier to maintain. That being said, the tough and tedious process of sorting through belongings, selling furniture, and parting with sentimental items is a lot to bear. Here are a few tips to begin the process. 

Start Now

Even if you’re not yet ready to downsize, it’s a good idea to begin organizing yourself early. Seasonal changes are a fantastic time to start getting rid of clothing and equipment that never make it out of the closet. Pretty soon it will be spring, so take stock of what you didn’t use in the winter. Facebook Marketplace is a great way to make a few extra dollars on gently used goods or consider your local shelter or Salvation Army for donations. Many towns also have a spring “bulk pickup” for larger items. 

Take Photos

Leaving a house can be difficult, especially if it’s one that you’ve raised your family in. Be sure to take photos and videos of the various places where memories were made and invite family and friends over for intimate gatherings. After the house is gone, you’ll appreciate reminiscing and remembering the good times through pictures. A video diary is a fun thing to share with the kids and grandkids too. 

Choose Your Favorites

Collections are always very hard to part with so pick a few favorites and let the rest go. Some collections, such as glasswear, have plenty of sentimentalities but not much monetary value. Other collections can be worth a pretty penny once you’re ready to move them on. Either way, downsizing into a smaller space is the perfect time to get rid of some of the things you’ve been holding onto for a long time. 

Paperwork Purge

This is one of the worst tasks but it’s a must for many downsizers. So many of us hold onto paperwork for too long, only to get completely overwhelmed and bogged down with it years later. Things that might seem worth keeping such as tax returns only need to be filed for seven years, if that. Most of our accounts and records are kept online anyway, so there is really little need to have hard copies of anything. Invest in a good shredder and start pushing that paper.

Get Help

Downsizing is tough to do alone, so enlist your children to help with the sorting and organizing. If you’re the sentimental type, it’s also a good opportunity to pass treasures onto family members. Kids and grandkids will enjoy having special momentos that mean something to both you and them and it will feel wonderful passing on those treasures. While it can all seem overwhelming at first, the process will actually become freeing as you move into a new phase of your life.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.