Need to Downsize? Here are a few tips for Empty Nesters

Life is a journey. Couples buy the big house when they start their families. But when their kids fly the coop, they’re stuck with a too-big house that no longer meets their needs or fits their lifestyle. Here are a few simple tips I found to help make downsizing a bit less daunting.

– No one loves your stuff as much as you do: The first three things empty-nesters do to get their home ready for market is to de-clutter.  It’s amazing how many things one can accumulate over a lifetime.  As we age, we tend to hold onto things as they connect us with our past.

– Hire a Professional:  A professional organizer can help you sort through decades of paperwork and belongings in an organized and systematic way.   A professional estate sales company can help you sort through which items have value and which do not, and then sell them for you.

– De-clutter on the front end:  If you get something new, throw something old out.  One in, one out.  If you have too much stuff, change the ratio. For example, if you buy a new shirt, get rid of two or three old ones.

– Move when you can, not when you have to. It usually takes a calamitous event — such as a tumble down a staircase, an illness or injury or financial ruin — to force the issue. If your loved ones are raising these issues with you, take them seriously and be honest with yourself.  After a certain point, being stubborn is not just about engaging in an existential conversation with your grown children, it can be downright dangerous.

– Have tough conversations while everyone is healthy.  It’s much more fun to gift special items while you’re alive and healthy, then after you’re gone.