When aging homeowners become “empty nesters,” they often find themselves looking around their homes to find items they have not used in several years. Often times, aging men and women decide they want to downsize and declutter their lives. Downsizing and decluttering are common among aging individuals as they begin to think about retirement. Homeowners decide that they no longer need the space they did when children lived at home.
It is common for aging men and women who are thinking about retirement to want to move into a smaller, more manageable space. It is optimal for individuals to downsize into a home or condominium that requires less maintenance such as lawn maintenance or pool maintenance. Moving into smaller spaces, such as apartments, condominiums or townhomes often provide such services. While decluttering can often be stressful, it is necessary to do before a move into a smaller space and when done properly, it can lead to a more relaxing life after retirement.
The first step when thinking about moving is to take inventory on the items you no longer use. If you come upon an item you forgot you had, pull it out and see if you begin to use it again. If you do not find yourself putting the item to use, then it is one you will want to donate, sell, or discard. It is important to go through each room and make piles of things you wish to keep, donate, sell, or discard. Once the piles have been made, you can post the items you wish to sell on a classified site online or in the classified section of a newspaper ad. Items such as furniture and appliances are often very lucrative in a sell.
It is also a good idea to host a garage sell before your move. If one decides to host a garage sell, it is important to advertise it well in order to have a large turnout. You can create posters and post them in areas around town such as local restaurants, markets and gas stations. It is also important to notify the homeowner’s association, so they can spread the word throughout your neighborhood. Posters and yard signs are a great way to advertise a sell. You might even be surprised at the turnout and the things people wish to buy. Once the garage sell is over, you should post about the items you did not sell. If you do not think the items will sell it is always a good idea to either donate them to a charitable organization.
Selling items you no long use is a great way to make extra money that can be used for purchasing furniture or accessories that will fit in your new home. It is important for homeowners to go over the floor plan of their new space to see the amount of livable space they have and the amount of storage space they have. Knowing exactly how much room you have will allow you to plan and will make the moving process much more relaxing. Downsizing has become very common among older men and women as they wish to live a life of leisure after retirement. It is shown to be beneficial both financially and mentally as retirees can spend more time on recreational and leisurely activities.