Downsizing Made Easy

If your lifestyle has changed with time and you’re ready to ditch the big house for a smaller, more manageable home, it might be time to downsize.

Deciding to shift to a more care-free dwelling is easy – determining where to begin is much harder. The accumulation of decades of living can feel overwhelming; taking the moving step by step will help you break it down into manageable stages. Before you do anything else, do your research and find the right location for your new home. Explore all different communities around Tavira and learn the pros and cons of each. Many seniors enjoy living close to the amenities of the city centre. Others prefer to live still in the countryside but in smaller houses or with less land. Once you determine the new location, it’s time to sell your current home. 

Don’t let your accumulated “stuff” deter you. Clean out and utilize storage facilities for precious items you need to keep. Hire a professional moving company to pack up and move you to the new home (or ask your younger family members to help…make it payback for the times you helped your children move in and out of college dorms or apartments!). 

A downsizing checklist:

• Consider your reasons for downsizing? Is it necessary, are you happy about it, or is there another solution?
• If you’re excited to downsize, consider where you want to live. Do you want to stay in the same area, move to the seaside, or buy a luxurious flat in the centre of town?
• Look at the type of properties that would work for you, and whether you can afford them. Will you have to make a compromise or is there a lot for you to choose from?
• Consider whether you want to pay off your mortgage fully before you sell the property.
• Start throwing things away – donate, give items to family members and separate out the items that you really love and feel strongly about from those you don’t really need. It’s an opportunity to clear everything and save yourself money when you pay for removals.
• Prepare your home for selling – and give me a call for more advices on this matter.
• Start viewing properties and check some alternatives that fits your criteria.

Make it easy on yourself! Moving out of a cherished family home can be an emotional decision, but…

the benefits of a low- or no-maintenance lifestyle can free up your time and energy so you have time to travel or just enjoy each day without the stress of managing a big home and yard.

From the chance to save on bills, make household tasks more manageable to the new décor and opportunities of a new area, downsizing can be incredibly exciting. And if you buy a cheaper property than the one you sold, that extra money can go a long way to helping you enjoy life in your new home!

The less stuff you have in your life, the less stress you feel. And ultimately, I’ve found that the less I live with, the less I want to spend and let any new things into my life.

All of that forms a virtuous cycle of consuming less, saving more, and living happier. How much smaller are you thinking about downsizing? What do you plan to get rid of to make it work, and what challenges are you facing?

Call me whenever you feel ready for a change.

Isabel Romano