Are you considering a move? Downsizing is becoming a popular choice for people of all ages. You may be looking for ways to simplify your life by reducing your expenses, your clutter, and your stress. Let’s talk about the ways that downsizing can be an upgrade for you and the steps you can take to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Let’s start with some questions you may want to ask yourself to determine whether this is the right time to make a move:
How would your quality of life change if you were to downsize? Would reducing your monthly expenses help your financial circumstances? What does your ideal home look like?
These are great things to consider, along with these practical questions:
Do you currently have unused space in your home? Is your yard easy to maintain? Do you have too much stuff to manage? Do you have equity in your current home?
You feel that you are ready to downsize, what’s next?
Give yourself enough time to make a plan. Think about where you want to be and what will work for you for years to come. The earlier you start the more time you will have to make the transition as smooth as possible.
It is also a good idea to start looking through your home and taking time to go through each room individually. You don’t have to do everything at once, you can start with a simple “keep, toss or donate” system and carefully edit the items in your home into things you want to keep and things that you are ready to re-home.
Here are some tips for downsizing your treasures:
- Take time to go through your treasured items and enjoy the memories associated with them.
- Gift items early. If you have items that you would like to pass on to family or friends, gift them early.
- Digitize memorabilia like photos, letters and children’s artwork. These can be added to a digital picture frame, or scrapbook that you can plug in and enjoy anytime. Check out these great options: Aura frames or Shutterfly Photo Books
Once you have started to go through the items in your home and you are ready to downsize and declutter your items, it can be a satisfying and rewarding process. Just remember to take it slow and ask for help.
This is a good time to talk to your real estate agent to start looking at what neighbourhoods and homes would be best for you. We are here to help guide you through the process and can help you find the perfect home.
Consider your home style options, like bungalows, 2 bedroom stacked condos, or single level condos. Each home will have benefits and features to meet your unique needs. For example, condos will have a monthly condo fee that will minimize time and effort on upkeep and maintenance. Bungalows offer plenty of storage space and usually have a yard to maintain. A tiny home may even be an option if accessibility is not an issue (you would need to be okay with stairs or ladders).
You will also want to think about the neighbourhood that you will live in. What amenities will you need? Within walking distance or short driving distance of grocery stores and public transit? Underground parking? Would you prefer a quieter, smaller neighborhood? You may want to look at small towns, as they may have more options and are often more affordable.
The good news is that we are here to help you through this journey, so let us know when you are ready to make your next move!
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