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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 joanland
joanland | @joanland | 4 days ago
In reply to @katgob "@joanland Sticky notes for many families with many items went on the back or the bottom..." + (show)
Profile picture for katgob @katgob

@joanland
Sticky notes for many families with many items went on the back or the bottom of the item. They also make labels that do not leave a residue. Sticky notes worked for most. Some families did it right before people move, but others did it well before. Our company had a magnetic board with furniture pieces. We fit all furniture items they wanted to take with them. This allowed all furniture and the collectables that would not fit, paintings with no place to hang on the wall, stuff in cabinets. When the parents allowed, family could pick items they treasured.
We came to find people have way too many things that they stopped using or seeing for 15 years or more. Some were lucky enough to have family who treasured items their parent no longer needed.

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@katgob
Please explain more about the magnetic board with furniture pieces. What did you do with the magnetic board? I;m not able to visualize how your system worked. I'd appreciate some more explanation. Thanks much.

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wdytys | @wdytys | 1 day ago
In reply to @wmehan "@thisismarilynb Sounds like a good plan. Husband took a turn in his health & everyone was..." + (show)
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@thisismarilynb
Sounds like a good plan. Husband took a turn in his health & everyone was convincing me to move closer to them. Now I am wondering if this is a good idea. Still trying to figure it out. Good luck! What ever you choose to do it is yours. You can always change your mind.

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@wmehan Changing your mind can be expensive.

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katgob | @katgob | 1 day ago
In reply to @joanland "@katgob Please explain more about the magnetic board with furniture pieces. What did you do with..." + (show)
Profile picture for joanland @joanland

@katgob
Please explain more about the magnetic board with furniture pieces. What did you do with the magnetic board? I;m not able to visualize how your system worked. I'd appreciate some more explanation. Thanks much.

Jump to this post

@joanland
Our company had a board that had furniture pieces. I turned the board in when i left, but amazon sells ones like it.
We had the room size where the senior was moving, and we placed all furniture in using this scaled down model. We had to make sure a wheelchair could turn around in the spot, so in the end the BEST pieces the senior had, and their favorites went to their new home. All the paintings and small favorites went, and we found places once we got there. The joy when we put everything away and hung the pictures, mostly in one day, was priceless. Keeping all but what you love when you move works at any age.

Room furniture and magnet layout.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=furniture+placement+planning&crid=C8LXZ0G4VTGI&sprefix=funiture+placement+%2Caps%2C207&ref=nb_sb_ss_p13n-expert-pd-ops-ranker_1_19

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Profile picture for joanland
joanland | @joanland | 1 day ago
In reply to @katgob "@joanland Our company had a board that had furniture pieces. I turned the board in when..." + (show)
Profile picture for katgob @katgob

@joanland
Our company had a board that had furniture pieces. I turned the board in when i left, but amazon sells ones like it.
We had the room size where the senior was moving, and we placed all furniture in using this scaled down model. We had to make sure a wheelchair could turn around in the spot, so in the end the BEST pieces the senior had, and their favorites went to their new home. All the paintings and small favorites went, and we found places once we got there. The joy when we put everything away and hung the pictures, mostly in one day, was priceless. Keeping all but what you love when you move works at any age.

Room furniture and magnet layout.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=furniture+placement+planning&crid=C8LXZ0G4VTGI&sprefix=funiture+placement+%2Caps%2C207&ref=nb_sb_ss_p13n-expert-pd-ops-ranker_1_19

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@katgob I would never have even imagined such a useful tool would be available so readily and so reasonably. Back when I was doing such things, it was all done by hand drawing measuring everything to scale. What a chore! Thanks for clarifying. You've made a future move much more easily accomplished.

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sed05 | @sed05 | 13 hours ago

We decided to downsize-2 story 4 BR 3 bath,3 living room areas,kitchen DR to a 1 Level- 2 BR 2 bath, living room, large sunroom, kitchen dining room 1 level Townhome. We wanted to make the decision ourselves when we were still able & healthy enough. My husband was working full time & myself part time. We are so happy with our decision because the next year I was diagnosed with Breast cancer & my husband had some health issues that affects his walking. No lawn to mow or shoveling! It’s just simplified our lives. We have several friends who are now faced with they are now in an assisted living/or need more help & haven’t downsized, so their adult children are having to be involved quite a bit. Our children are so grateful now we had made this decision!

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