Downsizing, To Move or Not to Move? That is the Question

I have had another thought on this subject. Is it possible to simplify without downsizing or moving?

Some examples:
Edit possessions and give away/sell that which we no longer need.
Clear out space in the house to make it safer and easier to get around (and easier to keep up.)
Do a comprehensive safety upgrade - replace door knobs with levers & fix all sticking doors, install extra handrails, safer bathing facilities, grab bars in bath (we incorporated attractive ones in a remodel several years ago.)
Possibly alter the location of living spaces like moving a laundry to the main floor.
Replace high-maintenance gardens with more easy-care shrubs & heavy mulch.

To take it even farther, create a second living space where someone can live in exchange for yard care & household tasks.

Has anyone considered or tried these options?
Sue

I have had another thought on this subject. Is it possible to simplify without downsizing or moving?

Some examples:
Edit possessions and give away/sell that which we no longer need.
Clear out space in the house to make it safer and easier to get around (and easier to keep up.)
Do a comprehensive safety upgrade - replace door knobs with levers & fix all sticking doors, install extra handrails, safer bathing facilities, grab bars in bath (we incorporated attractive ones in a remodel several years ago.)
Possibly alter the location of living spaces like moving a laundry to the main floor.
Replace high-maintenance gardens with more easy-care shrubs & heavy mulch.

To take it even farther, create a second living space where someone can live in exchange for yard care & household tasks.

Has anyone considered or tried these options?
Sue

I have had another thought on this subject. Is it possible to simplify without downsizing or moving?

Some examples:
Edit possessions and give away/sell that which we no longer need.
Clear out space in the house to make it safer and easier to get around (and easier to keep up.)
Do a comprehensive safety upgrade - replace door knobs with levers & fix all sticking doors, install extra handrails, safer bathing facilities, grab bars in bath (we incorporated attractive ones in a remodel several years ago.)
Possibly alter the location of living spaces like moving a laundry to the main floor.
Replace high-maintenance gardens with more easy-care shrubs & heavy mulch.

To take it even farther, create a second living space where someone can live in exchange for yard care & household tasks.

Has anyone considered or tried these options?
Sue

Hi there @sueinmn, yes I have tried some of these options. And my life has certainly changed. Jay and I had been going back and forth between my mountain home in Idyllwild to Adam's Landing here in St. Cloud. Two summers ago in 2018, with the realization that my known health conditions were progressing, leaving me in greater pain and discomfort, I decided to perform a test. I flew back to the mountain with the goal of seeing if I could manage by myself for a month. Living in a valley at the top of a mountain range brings with it lots of unusual living life issues. Everything is "off the hill" especially medical facilities.

My granddaughter drove me up from San Diego and I settled in. Within a week or so the five plume fire was created by an arsonist. I was sitting playing mahjongg with friends when I got the call to evacuate.

I struggled with all of the evacuation details and found it difficult to get all the hot embers off my decks, refrigerators emptied and contents lugged to the transfer station, AKA the dump. So....we assessed our options and chose to sell my mountain home. The home we have in Minnesota lends itself to "aging in place". There is a guest suite that can be used for us when we need daily care. The main floor can accommodate the laundry in the overflow pantry. And we are planning a "kitchenette" for the guest suite.

Here's the great part.....I feel light as a feather. The house sold immediately while Jay was still doing 5 days a week of proton therapy at Mayo and we were staying at Hope Lodge. My friends face timed me and I made "stay or go" decisions remotely. We left Mayo and flew to CA with 3 days left before the close. So....not much of the sorting and decision making was left to be done. And emotionally, I held it all together.

My home was filled with art from my gallery and there was so much entertaining "stuff" because I would have 75 folks come for up close and personal evenings with my artists. I also had an office and studio for my design clients.

I gave all of it away.....to customers, friends and families of friends. There is great joy in giving. The coffee shop needed a microwave and the newspaper office needed a shredder. A newly married young couple needed furniture. Customers wanted pieces from their favorite artists. Although I think about some of the "released" items once in a while.....I am very comfortable living without the closets of objects that I had collected over the years. I have one box of keepsakes......my grandfather's pocket watch and a few envelopes with family history treasures. That's enough.

May you have happiness and the causes of happiness.
Chris

Hi sue my name Is dave and I hope I'm sending this message to right person. You stated you had some boxes that were the kids possions right? So if this is right what my mom and dad would do is everytime I would stop by as I was leaving there was 1 more thing before I left and my parents would come out with a present. The present was a box wrapped in newspaper with my stuff in it. It was not overwhelming for either of us and as they say how do you eat an elephant one bite at a time.

Hi there @sueinmn, yes I have tried some of these options. And my life has certainly changed. Jay and I had been going back and forth between my mountain home in Idyllwild to Adam's Landing here in St. Cloud. Two summers ago in 2018, with the realization that my known health conditions were progressing, leaving me in greater pain and discomfort, I decided to perform a test. I flew back to the mountain with the goal of seeing if I could manage by myself for a month. Living in a valley at the top of a mountain range brings with it lots of unusual living life issues. Everything is "off the hill" especially medical facilities.

My granddaughter drove me up from San Diego and I settled in. Within a week or so the five plume fire was created by an arsonist. I was sitting playing mahjongg with friends when I got the call to evacuate.

I struggled with all of the evacuation details and found it difficult to get all the hot embers off my decks, refrigerators emptied and contents lugged to the transfer station, AKA the dump. So....we assessed our options and chose to sell my mountain home. The home we have in Minnesota lends itself to "aging in place". There is a guest suite that can be used for us when we need daily care. The main floor can accommodate the laundry in the overflow pantry. And we are planning a "kitchenette" for the guest suite.

Here's the great part.....I feel light as a feather. The house sold immediately while Jay was still doing 5 days a week of proton therapy at Mayo and we were staying at Hope Lodge. My friends face timed me and I made "stay or go" decisions remotely. We left Mayo and flew to CA with 3 days left before the close. So....not much of the sorting and decision making was left to be done. And emotionally, I held it all together.

My home was filled with art from my gallery and there was so much entertaining "stuff" because I would have 75 folks come for up close and personal evenings with my artists. I also had an office and studio for my design clients.

I gave all of it away.....to customers, friends and families of friends. There is great joy in giving. The coffee shop needed a microwave and the newspaper office needed a shredder. A newly married young couple needed furniture. Customers wanted pieces from their favorite artists. Although I think about some of the "released" items once in a while.....I am very comfortable living without the closets of objects that I had collected over the years. I have one box of keepsakes......my grandfather's pocket watch and a few envelopes with family history treasures. That's enough.

May you have happiness and the causes of happiness.
Chris

What a great inspiration! It makes me even more determined to downsize as much as I can & try to stay here. My son-in-law feels like we can move our laundry & my (downsized) sewing space to the main floor bedroom if needed, and turn the lower level into a self-contained apartment (which it was when the house was built 50 years ago.) He even has an idea how to install an elevator from the garage to both upper & lower levels if needed.

I am determined to give away whatever I can. We are in the awesome & fortunate position of not needing the money that might be generated selling our "stuff" so I prefer to pass it on. We have accumulated way more that we need, and I have never been particularly attached to physical possessions, so I don't feel much loss in letting go. I fear that is not so for the other guy here, but he is trying. Interestingly, I just got a message from my daughter that now that she is working from home, and can see how much "stuff" is there, she is diligently clearing out as well. She invited us for supper tomorrow to see her progress.

Sue

@sueinmn When we moved up here, things came up a truck/utility trailer at a time, about every 5-6 weeks. I was thrilled when there was not much here, although it did feel a bit like camping out. But I had my crafting things, a table that doubled as dining and crafting areas, a loveseat with side table, and enough basic pots/pans/diningware to get by. As time went by, I nixed somethings to be moved, so we have a fairly open feel to this small 1200' house. There is still a certain number of things to be considered for donation, and the plan is to give it another 6-9 months, since I was here almost entirely by myself from July 2019 to June 2020. Right now it seems I am on the purging kick, while my husband is more reluctant.
Ginger

What a great inspiration! It makes me even more determined to downsize as much as I can & try to stay here. My son-in-law feels like we can move our laundry & my (downsized) sewing space to the main floor bedroom if needed, and turn the lower level into a self-contained apartment (which it was when the house was built 50 years ago.) He even has an idea how to install an elevator from the garage to both upper & lower levels if needed.

I am determined to give away whatever I can. We are in the awesome & fortunate position of not needing the money that might be generated selling our "stuff" so I prefer to pass it on. We have accumulated way more that we need, and I have never been particularly attached to physical possessions, so I don't feel much loss in letting go. I fear that is not so for the other guy here, but he is trying. Interestingly, I just got a message from my daughter that now that she is working from home, and can see how much "stuff" is there, she is diligently clearing out as well. She invited us for supper tomorrow to see her progress.

Sue