Downsizing Your Home for Retirement

Senior Living | 10/18/19

Residents at The Moorings at Lewes make the decision to move to the community for a variety of reasons. For Richard and Jean Woolley, health concerns were the primary motive for the move, choosing the community for the full continuum of care offered. They also share that, “We did not want to deal with steps in our home anymore and it was becoming more difficult and tiresome to do things around the house like raking leaves and shoveling snow.”

Whatever your motivation and reason to move to a senior living community may be, the actual physical move can take time, energy and plenty of planning. That’s where our Move Ahead program comes in. Experts work alongside incoming residents and their families throughout the whole process, from finding the best living space for your needs to helping you set up your new home.

Our certified downsizers start by helping you sort your items and declutter your belongings, organize an estate sale, packing and more. We will also work with your realtor to evaluate your home, make recommendations for small repairs and help to stage it for better sales appeal. Not only will the team help you in preparing for the transition, but our Move-In-Coordinator will be onsite the day of your move.

We understand the difficulties of this transition and are here to assist with insights from our personal experiences. To get started, we’ve pulled together a few helpful downsizing tips.

Senior Living Downsizing Tips

• Keep Only What is Most Important – When going through your belongings, keep asking yourself, “What is most important to me?” By asking this question, you’re able to narrow down your possessions to those that have the most meaning and remove clutter. Your new home will be filled with only your most beloved items.
• Mark All Items – Make piles and determine those items you want to keep, sell, donate or discard. And, once you start packing boxes, clearly label each one. This way, when you are moving into your new residence, you’ll know exactly the contents of each box and what room it should go in. Those that are helping you move will know exactly where to unload, and you won’t need to sit and direct traffic all day.
• Set a Goal – Keep focus through the downsizing process with a goal in mind. Whether it be finishing a room or just making that one phone call to a donation center, accomplishing tasks and checking off a list keeps you motivated. While you may experience a few frustrating moments, with outside support from loved ones and experts at The Moorings at Lewes, the positives will shine through as you take on this new adventure.

Learn More About Senior Downsizing Services at The Moorings at Lewes

At The Moorings at Lewes, we help to make your downsizing undertaking easier and less stressful. An oft-repeated phrase among current residents is, “I wish I would have made the move sooner.” From sorting your items to setting up the new floor plan, we’re with you every step of the way. Contact us today to learn more and start the process of creating your new home.