Are you looking ahead to the time when you need or want to move? Whether you’re downsizing or right-sizing, the process can be made simpler with advance planning. Here are 5 things to consider when making the transition.

Be realistic about what you can keep

Here’s a rule of thumb: If your new place is 25% the size of the old place, 75% of what you have needs to go. Get a floor plan for your new place. With measurements of your current furniture and the future space, draw in where the different pieces will go. It’s important to not let sentiment be your guide.

Visualize your end goal to sustain motivation

Focus on what you’re moving toward, remember the peace of mind and community you’ll be gaining by making your move. Think of those special items you’ll bring with you and how you’ll distill the best of your home into a more compact space.

Start early

If there isn’t a drastic situation forcing a timeline, starting to downsize before you have to move can really help. Planning ahead will help you minimize both the volume of work at move time and the overwhelm that comes from addressing a lifetime of accumulation.

Manage your adult children’s participation

Your family can be both a valuable source of support and a source of added complexity – especially if there isn’t consensus about how to go about the downsizing. Communicate clearly and don’t be afraid to assign roles based on their abilities.

Decide on disbursal

Decide on your process for getting rid of the things you’re not taking with you. There are quite a few options: give to family members, host your own garage sale, bring in an estate seller, sell online, donate to charity. Very often more than one method is used to clear a home.

Downsizing a lifetime in a family home can be overwhelming and stressful. Enlisting the help of a professional organizer or a Senior Move Manager® can ease the transition. Their objective support can keep the process moving along, provide boundaries with family and help you make those tough decisions about what you want to bring with you. Making this transition well can bring relief and peace of mind.