The nest is quiet… too quiet
Have you reached a point in your life where you are shouting in your home and instead of a witty response from your beloved kids all you hear is echo’s?
Then perhaps you have considered downsizing, and you’ve come to the right place. As a matter of fact our team has helped over /link40 families move this year alone!/link
Downsizing is a process that takes a bit of time, and as the old saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, so better now than ever!
The first thing to consider is why you’re downsizing, are you downsizing because the kids moved out, have you gone through a recent life change, or to save money on utilities and maintenance?
Once you have figured out the why, its time to consider the how. How much smaller do you want your next home to be? Do you want a traditional home or a co-op/condo? How do these properties compare? That’s where our team comes in.
We can sit down with you and consider your options, compare prices on homes sold nearby, and plan where you want to go next, if it’s down the street or down on the Bayou, we will work with you to make sure you receive the best service possible.
After deciding where you want to go next, it’s time to take care of the stuff inside! This is generally considered the “hard part” of downsizing. But it can also be one of the most heartwarming. Some of the most common methods of getting rid of the extras are as follows
Give it away: This is especially true for family heirlooms, or if you have a large and bulky piece such as a piano it is possible to give it away to a school or church. Just make sure to call and ask!
Yard/Estate/Moving/Garage Sale: Don’t let the word “Estate” scare you off, you don’t have to be dead to have one! Just make sure that when you are selling that valuables you want to keep are securely locked away or removed from the location entirely, and if possible to have some family come and help with staffing the event to make sure no one walks off with any items unpaid, and reward them with some food and drink afterwards!
Donate it: Lots of organizations take donations and often will have large trucks to pickup the items no one buys, so if that China Cabinet wont budge, someone will take it!
After the stuff has been accounted for its time to coordinate moving the stuff you want to keep, bear in mind that measuring your current items is essential, as with downsizing you are moving to a smaller space, a California-King probably wont fit well in a 800 square foot house, for example. Keep this in mind as you look at new homes with smaller doorways and rooms.
Finally, once your downsized nest has been selected, you can begin moving in and making it feel like home with some of the old items you kept and begin to enjoy the low-to-no maintenance of your new home and the beginning of your golden years!
Article by Noah Bailey