1. < Aging Well
Profile picture for Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor
Mentor

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

Posted by Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor @rosemarya, Apr 12, 2020

At some point as we age, we will have to make a decision about leaving our homes and downsizing. Maybe in our own town or to another town. Maybe to smaller home, condo, apartment, or assisted living/senior community.

When the time comes to downsize, seniors can struggle with a multitude of emotional, physical, and financial challenges.

How do you make an informed decision about when to downsize?
What tips do you have to share?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Aging Well Support Group.

Profile picture for carolee888
carolee888 | @carolee888 | Oct 19, 2022
In reply to @carolee888 "Please let us how Sun City AZ works out. We are still evacuated and want to..." + (show)
Profile picture for carolee888 @carolee888

Please let us how Sun City AZ works out. We are still evacuated and want to move to Tucson. Will witte our stuff down quite a bit. Will let go of all furniture but want to hang on to the chairs. We should get an update on how much longer we have to stay in a motel tomottow afternoon. Motel living is the pits.

Jump to this post

One of my close friends is moving there too!

REPLY
Profile picture for larryg333
larryg333 | @larryg333 | Oct 19, 2022
In reply to @mercuryrose "The decision to move and down size is huge…we postponed it too long..but somewhere I got..." + (show)
Profile picture for mercuryrose @mercuryrose

The decision to move and down size is huge…we postponed it too long..but somewhere I got the clarity one morning awakening about a year ago. I realized that it should of been done before I was 77 years old..My husband would of stayed and complained for the rest of his life.. Our house was too big and had two many steps and we never did like the City where we had been living 22 years. And I had been flying back and forth to Mayo Clinic in Phoenix for my health care. So I bought a house in Sun City AZ first and then we started packing before we put our house on the Market for sale. Why? Because we had so much stuff to get rid of and to just go through it all, it was overwhelming… It took both of us working almost daily for two months! And we were so physically tired.. But today we are both so much happier and function better in our one level, smaller house.. I have more Friends here in Arizona then where I lived previously for 22 years..
My only regret is that we didn’t do it about 5 years earlier…

Jump to this post

Wow, Rose... what a fab post!

So happy for you two... and with more friends in your life now... fantastic!

/LarryG

REPLY
Profile picture for Deb
Deb | @dg0797 | Oct 20, 2022

I became a widow last year and our oldest daughter has been pushing me to move the nearly 1200 miles near her. Our youngest daughter lives near me, but I seldom see her due to our work hours conflicting. I am hoping to get a fully remote position with my current employer so I can make this move and keep my future pension benefit. Positions are hard to come by so I know there will be a lot of competition for remote positions. With a move I will downsize. I love the suggestion to sell the house furnished. I may just do that! Hopefully our youngest daughter moves with me; then the whole family will only be three hours away from each other.

REPLY
Profile picture for mercerspring
mercerspring | @mercerspring | Oct 20, 2022

My husband passed six years ago and since then I have moved 4 times - each time lightening my load. The first move I was upset when items were damaged during the move - but now I’m down to 10% of what I owned six years ago and realize … you can’t take it with you , so why haul it all around?!?! It’s been a challenge, I will give you that - but it gets easier AND I know I’m NOT leaving my kids the task. Not sure where I will live full time…. yet ! (Near kids, near friends? For the weather? … so many decisions and yet - how amazing to have options). The focus now ? trying to enjoy each day along the way. I wish you all the same.

REPLY
2 replies
Profile picture for annecmvneg
annecmvneg | @annecmvneg | Oct 20, 2022
In reply to @mercerspring "My husband passed six years ago and since then I have moved 4 times - each..." + (show)
Profile picture for mercerspring @mercerspring

My husband passed six years ago and since then I have moved 4 times - each time lightening my load. The first move I was upset when items were damaged during the move - but now I’m down to 10% of what I owned six years ago and realize … you can’t take it with you , so why haul it all around?!?! It’s been a challenge, I will give you that - but it gets easier AND I know I’m NOT leaving my kids the task. Not sure where I will live full time…. yet ! (Near kids, near friends? For the weather? … so many decisions and yet - how amazing to have options). The focus now ? trying to enjoy each day along the way. I wish you all the same.

Jump to this post

Same here. I sold my house in 2017 and since then have moved 4 times. I'm now in a 530 sq ft senior apartment and still ruthlessly downsizing. It's very hard to get rid of the last holdouts with their memories and traditions attached, but my kids don't want them and I'm a different person now. One by one, I put them out where I can see them and remember all the good things about them, then when I'm ready, I thank them for their use and the pleasure they gave me, and sometimes I take a photo. Then I donate them so they can serve someone else. The very few things that represent people or events that mean something only to me are put into a small box. My intention is to leave the bare minimum for my kids to deal with when I'm gone.

REPLY
Profile picture for larryg333
larryg333 | @larryg333 | Oct 21, 2022
In reply to @mercerspring "My husband passed six years ago and since then I have moved 4 times - each..." + (show)
Profile picture for mercerspring @mercerspring

My husband passed six years ago and since then I have moved 4 times - each time lightening my load. The first move I was upset when items were damaged during the move - but now I’m down to 10% of what I owned six years ago and realize … you can’t take it with you , so why haul it all around?!?! It’s been a challenge, I will give you that - but it gets easier AND I know I’m NOT leaving my kids the task. Not sure where I will live full time…. yet ! (Near kids, near friends? For the weather? … so many decisions and yet - how amazing to have options). The focus now ? trying to enjoy each day along the way. I wish you all the same.

Jump to this post

Good luck with everything, Mercer!

You're asking the right questions.

/LarryG

REPLY
Profile picture for pmcgrady626
pmcgrady626 | @pmcgrady626 | Dec 8, 2022

Downsizing was the best thing we've ever done. I down sized all my "stuff". Ir is freeing not to have so much stuff to take care of. Go for it!

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for Sue, Volunteer Mentor
Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Dec 8, 2022
In reply to @pmcgrady626 "Downsizing was the best thing we've ever done. I down sized all my "stuff". Ir is..." + (show)
Profile picture for pmcgrady626 @pmcgrady626

Downsizing was the best thing we've ever done. I down sized all my "stuff". Ir is freeing not to have so much stuff to take care of. Go for it!

Jump to this post

Oh, yes definitely true. I spend my winters in a community of part-time and full-time wanderers and nomads, as well as people who move seasonally between RV's/tiny homes and other homes. They have encouraged me to shed "stuff" in favor of friends and experiences. It has been freeing and almost exhiliarating.

We are beginning to really assess each possession and acquisition. Every cupboard, shelf and box I empty frees me. Whenever we replace a possession, we give away or donate the item (and try to throw in a bit more!)

Today we visited an art fair, where many things caught our attention, but left with only greeting cards and tiny hand painted note pads to give as gifts.

When we give gifts to our kids/grands we focus on services they cannot afford or experiences. State park memberships, a housecleaner for a busy young family, trips to plays or concerts... This helps to avoid accumulation in their lives.
Sue

REPLY
2 replies
Profile picture for pmcgrady626
pmcgrady626 | @pmcgrady626 | Dec 9, 2022
In reply to @sueinmn "Oh, yes definitely true. I spend my winters in a community of part-time and full-time wanderers..." + (show)
Profile picture for Sue, Volunteer Mentor @sueinmn

Oh, yes definitely true. I spend my winters in a community of part-time and full-time wanderers and nomads, as well as people who move seasonally between RV's/tiny homes and other homes. They have encouraged me to shed "stuff" in favor of friends and experiences. It has been freeing and almost exhiliarating.

We are beginning to really assess each possession and acquisition. Every cupboard, shelf and box I empty frees me. Whenever we replace a possession, we give away or donate the item (and try to throw in a bit more!)

Today we visited an art fair, where many things caught our attention, but left with only greeting cards and tiny hand painted note pads to give as gifts.

When we give gifts to our kids/grands we focus on services they cannot afford or experiences. State park memberships, a housecleaner for a busy young family, trips to plays or concerts... This helps to avoid accumulation in their lives.
Sue

Jump to this post

We downsized from 2800 square foot house to a 1300 square cabin on the lake. My mantra became, if there is not a place for it and a purpose for it, it has to go. But everytime I drive up to this cute little house I fall in love with it all over again. It truly is not stuff that makes you happy.

REPLY
Profile picture for Ginger, Volunteer Mentor
Mentor
Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Dec 9, 2022
In reply to @sueinmn "Oh, yes definitely true. I spend my winters in a community of part-time and full-time wanderers..." + (show)
Profile picture for Sue, Volunteer Mentor @sueinmn

Oh, yes definitely true. I spend my winters in a community of part-time and full-time wanderers and nomads, as well as people who move seasonally between RV's/tiny homes and other homes. They have encouraged me to shed "stuff" in favor of friends and experiences. It has been freeing and almost exhiliarating.

We are beginning to really assess each possession and acquisition. Every cupboard, shelf and box I empty frees me. Whenever we replace a possession, we give away or donate the item (and try to throw in a bit more!)

Today we visited an art fair, where many things caught our attention, but left with only greeting cards and tiny hand painted note pads to give as gifts.

When we give gifts to our kids/grands we focus on services they cannot afford or experiences. State park memberships, a housecleaner for a busy young family, trips to plays or concerts... This helps to avoid accumulation in their lives.
Sue

Jump to this post

@sueinmn Like you, i have been downsizing possessions whenever possible. My neighbor seems to be just the opposite, bringing more and more things home. I do not access her home very often, but it is probably not my imagination it is full of "stuff". Last time it seemed full to me, and she has brought home at least two more china cabinets, and bought more purple glass!

Your idea of gifting services is great, and I bet much appreciated.
Ginger

REPLY
1 reply
Please sign in or register to post a reply.