Downsizing for Your Move Into an Independent Senior Living Community

Start early
Downsizing can be a time-consuming process, so it’s essential to start early. Give yourself ample time to sort through your belongings and decide what to keep, sell, donate, or throw away.

Assess your new living space
Before you start downsizing, it’s essential to understand the layout and size of your new living space. Based on this, you can determine what items you can bring and what you need to give away.

Be realistic
It can be tempting to hold onto items with sentimental value, but it’s crucial to be realistic about what you can bring with you. Ask yourself if you really need or use an item, and if not, it may be time to let it go.

Sort items by category
To simplify the downsizing process, sort your items by category (e.g. clothing, books, kitchenware, etc.) and tackle one category at a time.

Use a system
Use a system to categorize your items, such as “keep,” “sell,” “donate,” and “throw away.” This will help you stay organized and make moving forward with the downsizing process easier.

Consider digital options
Instead of keeping physical copies of documents, consider scanning and storing them digitally. This will free up physical space and make it easier to access important documents.

Involve family and friends
Downsizing can be an emotional process, so it’s important to have support. Consider involving family and friends to help you sort through your belongings and make decisions about what to keep.

Plan for the move
Planning the move is one of the most important steps after you downsize and decide which items you will bring. This may include hiring a moving company or arranging for transportation for your belongings.