A big move and even bigger change:

Moving is a difficult time in many people’s lives. Imagine moving after living in a home for more than 30 years. You have deep roots in your home and within your community. Your family grew up there, and essentially you’ve built a life in your home. All of your fondest memories and special milestones were made there. Could you ever say goodbye?DSC_0980
Byron and Jo Anne lived in their family home for 38 years. After raising their two children, they decided it was time to downsize and move into a condo closer to their kids and grand kids, which was just a few hours from their long-time home. I was able to meet Byron and Jo Anne during their recent move and chat with them about their moving and downsizing experience.
After decades in one home, it’s no t uncommon to collect both investment pieces and useless clutter without even realizing it. Imagine living in a home as long as Byron and Jo Anne did. For them, the most difficult part of the move was the de-cluttering and downsizing process.
“After living in our home for so long, getting rid of items we’ve accumulated over the years was the hardest,” said Byron.
I have a feeling most people in their situation would have to agree.
Curious, I asked them if it was difficult to say goodbye to their home they lived in for so long and created so many memories in.
“The memories we made weren’t attached to the actual house.” Byron said smiling, “The memories were more about the kids, their friends, and other family members. We still have the memories – and of course lots of photos! A lot of the furniture and pictures came with us.”DSC_0982
Byron told me the most difficult part of their downsizing process was decision-making. Determining what to keep and what to get rid of is always the hardest part. Byron and Jo Anne made a good team and worked together while making decisions on what to keep and what to get rid of.
“I would say we got rid of about one third of the household-type possessions. Our kids took some of them and we donated a lot to thrift stores,” Byron said. “A majority of the stuff of which we disposed were paper products like newspapers and magazines we’ve collected over the years. Also, a lot of it was the kids’ stuff we’ve collected over the years.”
Once Byron and Jo Anne listed their house, they started de-cluttering and getting rid of small knickknacks. They did their best to donate all the items they could before throwing them into a landfill. Throughout the downsizing process they remained sensitive to the environment. They were even able to leave a few of the larger items for the young couple who bought their home.
As we know, downsizing can be a daunting and emotional process. Luckily, Byron and Jo Anne gave one crucial piece of advice for couples who are looking to downsize. Start early. Start today. Start right now.
“Once you start thinking about downsizing, start weeding things out. We’ve been downsizing for years.”DSC_0973
It’s smart to go through your home a few times a year and clean out what needs to go and make room for new items. Even if you’re not downsizing, it will save you from living in a cluttered home.
Ultimately, Byron and Jo Anne moved to be closer to their family. They have always lived on a busy street, so locating to a quieter area was on the top of their list when searching for condos. They are looking forward to seeing what the future holds for them in their new home.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Moving & Packing Supplies do We Need for Moving?

Image
Choosing the right packing supplies is essential step for a successful move.  You need to make sure you have enough moving boxes and moving supplies in order to pack your belongings properly. Your household items should arrive at your new home without a scratch, so do not underestimate the packing process.  It is a quite time consuming and annoying job, but you have to do it precisely. Starting with your packing supplies moving list you need to make sure you have all your belonging secured, especially if you are moving long distance. First of all, you have to decide if you are packing yourself, or you are using a moving company to do it for you. Every option has its pros and cons. You can start your  search for professional movers here . Where to Buy Moving Supplies There are many options. Start by checking Craigslist for used moving supplies. There are many people that give away their moving boxes for free. This way you will save money and keep the environment c...
Read more

How To Keep From Injuring Yourself During The Move:

Image
Ask any emergency room doctor, moving day (and the days building up to the move) can be dangerous. If you take the right precautions, though, you can prevent that trip to the emergency room. Save Your Back Your back is one of the most vulnerable parts of your body, and we’ve seen people tweak their backs after lifting small boxes, not just heavy furniture. Remember to always lift from the knees, not from the back. Also, it’s a good idea to use a back brace on moving day. Save Your Knees After running up and down stairs, and back and forth to and from my car, our last moving day just about killed my knees, and they take months to heal. Knee pads and knee braces can be lifesavers during a move. At the very least, invest in some sleeves to help support your knees. Save Your Ankles Ankles rarely give you any notice before you injure them, so it’s important to be very careful. Don’t move too fast. Take slow, deliberate steps when carrying things. If you are the one who gets ...
Read more

What Are the Average Hourly Moving Costs?

Image
Whether you realize it or not, the move distance plays a major role when you’re moving to a new house or apartment. In relation to the distance between the two homes, you’ve got LOCAL MOVING : moving just across the street, moving within the same town or city, or moving to another place within the same state; CROSS-COUNTRY (INTERSTATE) MOVING : moving to another town or city in a different state in the country; INTERNATIONAL MOVING : moving to another country. And while the difficulty of the relocation will increase proportionally to the move distance, so will the cost of the residential move itself. When you’re moving locally, you need to remember that the moving company you hire will charge you  by the hour . What that basically means is that if you’re familiar with the average cost of movers per hour, you’ll be able to calculate roughly how much you will pay in the end. What are the average hourly moving costs? Hiring local movers by the hour Hiring professio...
Read more