LESS IS MORE! The lowdown on downsizing

WHEN YOU HAVE LESS STUFF, YOU’LL HAVE THE SPACE TO DO MORE LIVING

The children have long gone and the once-bustling family home now seems just too big to manage. Closing the door on decades of life at an address that’s meant so much can be one of the more daunting decisions to face in later life.

For some, the thought of shifting is so overwhelming it never happens. But Be Organised’s Natalie Jane says this is not something to be feared, but a good opportunity to enjoy a fresh start and better quality of life that comes with owning less.

“Downsizing can be a positive experience because the less stuff you have, the less there is to maintain, think about, worry about, store, clean, tidy and put away,” she explains.

“You’ll know where things are, so you won’t get stressed by them, leaving more time to do the things that matter rather than being weighed down by your stuff.”

She adds, “Your home should be your haven that re ects who you are now and makes you feel calm, relaxed and happy.”

It’s something real estate agent Jean Smith has seen as people downsize to more manageable-sized properties once their families have own the coop.

“I sold a property many years ago, a beautiful big property in Epsom. That couple then moved into a brick and tile home in Blockhouse Bay and they loved it. They could walk to the supermarket and there was a health centre nearby. They put all their roses in their front garden and never looked back. It’s about nding out what you need to be comfortable.”

The Barfoot & Thompson agent says many people reach a stage in their life around retirement where they question if living in the family home is the best option for their later years.

“It could be health, or nancial or too much maintenance needed on the grounds or house, or sometimes they just want to travel more while they’re still healthy.”

She says retirement homes were once considered ‘the last stop’. “But now there’s such a variety of villages and many are staged with different levels of care.

They’re gated communities, they’re safe and if residents need to go into another level of care later in their life, it’s there for them.”

Those wanting to travel often wanted a smaller property that they could lock up and leave. “Sometimes the higher density properties with a unit title and a body corporate with a manager means they can jump on a plane and know that a manager’s there making sure everything is ne.”

Judy says sometimes just the thought of downsizing a lifetime’s worth of items

can be so daunting that many people opt to stay put in their home.

“A lot of the time when people are downsizing, they’re having to face a lot of memories from the past. If you haven’t decluttered regularly and allowed things to pile up, they’re almost paralysed.

“If you’ve been in a family home of 40 years, there’s a lifetime of memories. It can be overwhelming to think, ‘Where am I going to start?’”

Judy says it’s helpful to get someone objective to go through possessions with you, but imperative you still make the nal decisions yourself without feeling pressured about what you should do.

“It’s really important when you’re making these huge emotional decisions to downsize from a family home to have things that are most important to you.”

Natalie adds, “Ask for help. One of the hardest things people struggle with is letting go of loved possessions.”

She says it’s useful to have a printed out footprint of your new home on hand to work out if treasured larger items are likely to t.

“Make an inventory of the items you would love to take with you, then draw a little plan to see whether they will t into the new space,” tells Natalie.

She says it’s vital that you pare down possessions well in advance of any move to give yourself plenty of time.

“I received a call from a person recently who said, ‘I’m moving on the weekend.

Can you help me?’ I asked if they’d started sorting and packing items into boxes. It was just three days away and she hadn’t started. It was clear she didn’t realise just how long it would take.

“It always takes a lot longer than you think it will to go through everything. This is a lifetime of possessions that you’re dealing with here, so you have got to give yourself plenty of time to review everything before you move.”

Adds Jean, “If you think in a year’s time you’re going to downsize, then the time is now to start looking at the contents and reducing them. It saves you money in the end because you won’t have to put the stuff into storage. It saves time moving too.”

‘One of the hardest things people struggle with is letting go of loved possessions’