For heaven's sake, don't act your age! But do move on when the time is right.
One of the delicate times in a person's life is when they are beginning to consider selling "the family home." This was the place they raised their family and had back yard parties, contained the doorway with penciled heights of the kids growing up...the place that for many years has been home.
This is also likely the place with lots of stairs, laundry in the basement, big yard and gardens and lots of maintenance.
For some, the thought of moving from this family home is akin to ordering their tombstone. All downhill to the grave. I'd like to say, from my experience helping people downsize, it's really closer to returning to party days of youth. All enlivening and stimulating!
Contrary to the thought that going from a big home to a townhome or apartment is restricting it is often just the opposite. Suddenly there are lots of folks around to talk to or share card games with. Suddenly there is time to travel instead of watering gardens and time to go on long hikes instead of cleaning a large home. So much of "chore" time is freed up for play time.
Many 55+ strata developments have pools, club houses and recreational facilities. Most of the club houses can be reserved for special occasions involving larger numbers -- so you still have a place to host that family reunion! Many strata developments are gated, lending themselves well to the seasonal traveller. You can be away without a worry!
Many "retirement" apartment complexes have gorgeous dining rooms and fitness areas, bus service to town, libraries, movie rooms, salons and various other amenities! Long gone are the days of images of rows of listless and bored "inmates" of a seniors home.
A colleague here at Sutton, Michele Blais, made a wise observation when appearing in the "Sutton Scoop" the other day; de-cluttering a home for sale is a good start to the process of letting go of that chapter in your life.
Downsizing, or right sizing, not only allows you more freedom to follow your current dreams -- it frees up a new lodging for another family to create their own memories where yours left off.
Life can just keep getting better; don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
3 comments:
Why not go while you can enjoy the amenities!
Love this Beth......such great advice! I've lived in every imagineable and unimagineable environment and have really found something wonderful each time! From a 4 bedroom/ 3 bathroom home with guest house and organic gardens I tended, to one room, and guess what? At 62 I now live in 2 1/2 rooms and have NEVER been happier......It's so freeing to be more available to people and not stuff!!! And, this way I can support my local gardeners, etc. XOXO
Wonderful to hear of first hand experience, sjh! Its good to shift the thought from downsizing being sad to downsizing being freedom!
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