Are You Ready To Downsize ?Empy Nesters Should You Downsize. Upsize Or Stay in The Same Square Feet?
Many couples labor over whether they should "downsize" , "upsize" or stay the same size when changing homes after the kids are grown up. To help you decide what to do I need to ask you (and others you might live with) a critical question.... Are you a hopeless collector/saver? Additonally, do you (or mate) go to Tag sales and Flea Markets regularly?
Time To Let Go And Move On...Maybe
STOP right here if you you are indeed a shopper, collector and bona fide saver. Unless you are ready to throw out your kid's report cards from kindergarten (your kids are married with children) or dump old appliance parts...you are not truly downsize ready. The leap to a truly smaller home or apartment needs to happen gradually...when you are serious!
This is not to discourage you from moving to the Condo/cottage /apartment etc of your dreams, but to realize that downsizing takes time.
Downsizing A Home Is A Process
Downsizing is a process. Stage one is to begin to de-clutter the family home you are living in while you are exploring new home options. You will never be totally ready for the move, so give up on the idea of getting the purging all done in time for a move. STUFF will come with you no matter what. Accept the fact that you will be revisiting your junk (the stuff you didnt get to) in your new place.
C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café. To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of: The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Society of Professional Journalists
Thank you for this post. We are currently semi-retired. I am looking forward to taking the 'retirement' step and getting my home back in order after many years. Downsizing is on the horizon.
ReplyDeleteI recently heard the term 'right sizing' in place of 'downsizing' which helps me stay positive about this stage of the journey ;).
I am a collector as were both my divorced parents and my aunt. There are other factors worth considering, including current age, health, etc. I was a major caretaker for my parents and aunt as they aged and their cognitive abilities and health declined. Not one of them realized when it was time to downsize or let go of some of their collection.
ReplyDeleteAs a result, downsizing was not a decision for them but became an urgent necessity when their health slipped. Guess who oversaw those collections, boxed them up, decided what to sell or donate? Guess who had a job and family at the same time?
I will not do that to my children. I delight in my collections now but am slowly paring them down, especially because my spouse has health issues and we may need to downsize quickly if medical costs become too high.
I would urge other collectors to consider their income and health when deciding what to keep as well as what to let go. Add to that the history of family longevity and health issues and factor that in.
Now add that to your decision making process and come up with a plan that maximizes the years you want to maintain and enjoy your collection and when it might be wise to start paring it down - otherwise,you may face the reality of downsizing die to a health or other crisis and your other family members may face the consequences of handling your cherished collection.
Just some food for thought.