Downsizing helps you prepare for moving on to exciting new adventures in retirement. By downsizing what you own, you can take advantage of the services and amenities offered at Hickory Villa in Omaha. It also helps you feel more organized and makes life more relaxing when you don't have to take care of as much stuff. As you get rid of your belongings, you might run into these common dilemmas. Being prepared can help you keep moving.
After years of accruing belongings, you're faced with the big task of going through it all. For some people, it can be a challenge to know where to start. You might delay the project if you feel overwhelmed by the size of the job.
Here are some ways to deal with this downsizing dilemma:
As you're sorting through your belongings, you have to decide what to do with them. Options include:
Within each of those options, there could be more choices. For instance, you could have multiple places to donate things. If you're selling items, you could sell them at a garage sale, an auction, an online selling platform or a local secondhand shop. Having too many options can make it difficult to choose.
Limit the options and make some of the decisions before you start sorting. You might decide to take all donations to your local church resale shop, for example. You've made the decision before you even begin.
You can also start with one option. If you plan to give items to family members, go through your home and pull out all those belongings first. Pass them out to the recipients to get those things out of the way. Then, you can move on to other options.
Well-intentioned family members can sometimes add stress to the downsizing process. They might try to encourage you to speed up the process or part with items you want to keep.
Family relationships can be delicate, but open communication often helps. Express how you're feeling about downsizing and moving. Let them know you understand their intentions are good, but give them alternative ways they can be supportive that make things easier for you.
If you're moving soon, you could be on a time crunch to complete your downsizing project. That doesn't give you as much time to be intentional with your decisions, and you could feel rushed.
Start by determining exactly how much time you have left. This helps you develop a reasonable timeline to keep your downsizing activities on track. If you can't get done in time by yourself, consider moving items to shortage temporarily to give yourself more time to sort through your belongings. You could also ask family members to help or hire a professional downsizing company to speed up the process.
Being unclear on your goals and needs can make downsizing more difficult. To combat this, research your new home to know how much space you'll have and how the rooms are arranged. This helps you choose which furniture and decorations you should hold onto that will fit the new space well. Set goals and decide how much you can keep before you start downsizing to give yourself guidance as you work.
You become used to seeing your belongings in their spots over the years. Many of those items could have strong sentimental value. Getting rid of them isn't easy when you feel a strong emotional attachment to them.
When going through your belongings, decide which items are too meaningful to part with. Consider passing on family heirlooms to other family members. Maybe you've already planned to pass down the family cedar chest to your granddaughter. Giving it to her early frees up space as you downsize while ensuring the keepsake stays in the family.
You might also put some items into a storage unit for now. That way, you still have them, but they don't take up space in your new, smaller home. After some time apart, you might realize some things aren't as important to you as you thought.
