With property values at record highs, Baby Boomers aren’t the only ones looking to cash out of their larger homes and downsize. Many of our clients are embarking on new chapters and looking to right-size their homes.
While some clients are shifting to smaller homes in the area, other clients are downsizing to more affordable parts of the country. The ripples of the pandemic are still generating lots of transition.
While downsizing is great once it is done, getting to the other side of the process can be daunting. Downsizing not only means a smaller footprint, but it also means creating a lifestyle that revolves less around stuff and more around meaning. Your new space should be filled with all the things you love the most — but how do you sort it all out?
Here are a few tips to consider if you are downsizing or just want to create more meaning in your
current home:
- Start with this exercise: If you only had 15 minutes to leave your house forever, which treasures would you take with you? Which things are on the top of the list and why? Pack those items first because those are your musts. Once they are out of the way, there will be less emotion in the rooms and it will be easier to sort everything else.
- Next, think about how you want to live your daily life so you can allocate space for the life you want in your next chapter. Your current house may have a dedicated office with built-in bookshelves, but do you still use an office? Do you pay bills using a desktop computer or do you find yourself just using your iPad on the couch? Do you re-read books or just dust them? Maybe you don’t need an office but just need a small desk in the family room. Whether moving or not, take the time to evaluate how you use your spaces and things to get the most out of your square footage. This will help you figure out which items will move with you.
- Pack a box a day and donate a bag a day. Avoid the desire to shove everything into storage only to be dealt with later. Sorting through your storage unit and unpacking forgotten boxes three years from now will be far more difficult than choosing what to keep when it is in front of you today.
- Part with anything that causes you to say, “Well, maybe I will need this one day,” or “I don’t really like it but so-and-so gave it to me,” or “That was expensive, so I have to keep it.” Let Sunshine Acres turn that item into money for their children’s home. That’s a win-win!
- Pack using file boxes with lids (also known as Bankers Boxes). These are our favorite boxes for moving because they are sturdy, have handles that make them easy to carry, can be easily labeled and stacked, are easy to set on a table or chair for packing and unpacking, don’t require tape, and fit easily into a car or truck.
- Always tackle the cleanest space with the fewest decisions first. Once you get some sorting practice under your belt, you will be ready for that junk drawer or storage closet.
- Get inspired by watching Sparking Joy by Marie Kondo, The Home Edit, or Legacy List with Matt Paxton.
- Know that in the end, all the work will be worth it!
From the real estate side, limited inventory has made downsizing a little trickier than it might have been in previous markets, but we have great ideas and insights to help make your move smooth and successful. We are here to be a sounding board and to help you on your right-sizing journey. Give us a call today for your complimentary consultation.
John and Natascha Karadsheh are co-owners of KOR Properties, a boutique real estate brokerage serving the Valley of the Sun, and the creators and founding sponsors of Mesa Food Truck Fridays.
John has been a Multi-Million Dollar producing agent for over 20 years and is an Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR) and Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), a member of the Arizona Regional MLS Rules & Policies Committee & Appeals Committee, and the West and Southeast Realtors of the Valley Professional Standards Committee.
Natascha is an Associate Broker, a Multi-Million Dollar Producer, Founder of Mesa Food Truck Fridays, and Member, and Past-Chair of the City of Mesa Economic Development Advisory Board and serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. You can reach John at (602) 615-0843 and Natascha at (602) 909-4995, or visit their website: KORProperties.com.