Here’s the perfect 6-week series, Downsizing Can Be the Right Move for You — 5 Steps to Make it a Smooth Transition, to help you determine whether you’ll be ready for such a move in the near future or much later on. Plus you’ll learn what strategies can make the downsizing process less stressful and a more productive and positive experience. Your next chapter in a smaller home doesn’t have to feel like a loss — it can be a gain of more time, more opportunities, more financial freedom, and so much more.

Do you view “downsizing” as something you may be forced to do later in life? After the kids are gone or after you retire or after you can no longer handle the home you have loved and lived in for many years.

Just the word “downsizing” can bring about negative emotions and feelings, and even dread, for many homeowners when it’s viewed this way.

But it doesn’t need to be seen that way. In fact, I see downsizing differently, and so can you. 

My 6-part series will help you see downsizing differently and more positively — and it could be the right move for you sooner than you think!

You’ll also get a better understanding of the steps you should take to make sure it goes smoothly and feels less overwhelming. And it will be something you’ll be ready to embrace when the time is right.

A Conscious Choice No Matter Your Age

I see downsizing as being able to consciously choose a smaller home so that you can live a more carefree and better fitting lifestyle, no matter what stage of life you are in. 

Downsizing can be the right move for you no matter your age, no matter your life circumstances, and no matter your financial situation.

It really depends on your own needs and wants, and not someone else’s timeline.

Maybe you want to travel more. Maybe you’re tired of cleaning empty bedrooms and unused bathrooms. Maybe you want a smaller mortgage to have extra money to focus on more important or even fun things.

I believe that downsizing can actually bring about positive gains in your life, and it doesn’t have to be something you dread or delay once you know the right steps to take.

Quiz Yourself: Is Downsizing the Right Move for You?

Take some time to answer these questions below to get a better understanding if downsizing is something for you sooner than later. You’ll get a sense of where you’re at and where you’re going.

• Do you feel like your home isn’t the right fit for your current lifestyle? Or, do you feel like you don’t connect to your neighborhood anymore?

• Do you find yourself with too much space, too much stuff, and too drained to take care of it all— physically, emotionally, and financially?

• Do you want to lower your monthly expenses—whether that be mortgage payments, maintenance and upkeep, or utilities?

• Do you want to travel more but worry about your home when you are gone? 

• Are certain rooms in your home rarely, if ever, used anymore?

• Are the stairs or shoveling a steep driveway no longer something you want to deal with?

• Have family members moved away and you want to be closer to them?

• Have you experienced a life change that makes having your current home too expensive, too big, and not what you need or want anymore?

• Do you know you want to move, but feel stuck about what to do when and feel paralyzed about starting the process?

Step-by-Step — Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed

Moving from a big home you have loved to a smaller one can feel both scary and challenging at the same time. However, it can be as stress-free as possible if you know certain strategies (I’ll show you!) and you time it right!

And if you are helping a family member downsize because it’s a way to keep them safe, you don’t have to feel as overwhelmed and can see how to do it gracefully. 

In the weeks ahead, my series will cover five key steps in the downsizing process. Get ready to see how it doesn’t need to be too hard or too stressful if you follow these steps:

Step 1 — Embrace That Less Can Be More

You’ll see that downsizing (having a smaller home and less inside and outside space) can bring you more financial freedom, more time, and more opportunities. You’ll learn to focus on what you’ll gain with this move, and not on what you’ll lose.

Step 2 — Time It Right

There’s a lot to do when it comes to downsizing, and you’ll see that planning well in advance makes a big difference. That way you can time it right to sell your current home AND buy your new home — making it a smooth transition.

Step 3 — Purge & Let Stuff Go

One of the biggest obstacles when downsizing is what to do with all your extra stuff you won’t take to your new home! Here’s where you’ll learn strategies to make this process less burdensome and more effective. You’ll also understand how to deal with the emotions of letting stuff go.

Step 4 — Get the Most for Your Current Home

You’ll see why it’s important to prep your home to sell to get the best return-on-investment — and ultimately more profit. That way you’ll have the money you want for investing, retirement, downpayment on next home, travel, or whatever you decide!

Step 5 — Find Your Best Next Home

You can still “Dream Big” with a downsized home but it won’t be about the size but about the features, location, or other needs and wants you envision for yourself. You’ll know exactly what you should focus on with this move and why it’s important.

I’m Here to Help

If you are thinking of downsizing or helping a family member do so, please contact me at at beth@bethlittlehomes.com. We can schedule a time to talk through the process, and I can show you how to get started. 

Even if you are a year or two away from wanting to move, downsizing typically has a lot of moving parts, so it’s better to plan far in advance.

Look out for next week’s article, Embrace That Less Can Be More When You Downsize. It’s the first step and a very important one to help change your mindset about downsizing if you’re dreading such a move. It will get you thinking about all the good you can gain if downsizing is the right move for you!