The warm weather has finally arrived and that means it’s time for some spring cleaning. Get out the duster and change the mop head, you need to get your home sparkling clean for the summer.
This year, why not take your spring cleaning to your stuff? If you’ve been thinking about downsizing in the near future, or potentially moving to a retirement residence, you can plan ahead by trimming down some of your possessions. Homes have a way of accumulating stuff, especially if you’ve been living comfortably in one place for years or even decades. If your closets, garage, basement, and attic are full, you’re going to have to get serious about cutting down. Follow some of these tips to help you spring clean your things.
1) Get rid of things you’ve put permanently in storage
If you’re surprised you still own something, don’t think twice about getting rid of it. You can consign pretty much everything you’ve left untouched and unseen in the basement and the attic to the donation bin. The only things you should even consider keeping are important documents you may have put away.
2) Digitize your library
For avid readers, downsizing your book collection can be a non-starter. A lifetime of collecting books and building your library can lead to a beloved collection, and parting with it isn’t easy. However, it’s never been easier to downsize your library. Thanks to the growth of eBooks and e-readers, you can replace your books with digital versions. Hold onto those first editions, rare books, and your most beloved copies, and replace those books with less personal meaning or collectible value with digital eBooks. You can save on a lot of space by going digital.
Another advantage of switching to e-readers is that you can easily switch to large fonts if you find you need larger print to read. Unlike paper books that you need to replace with large font versions (if they even exist), e-readers let you change the size of the text in books you already own and love.
For other new tech that can make senior life in a retirement residence easier, check out this blog and learn about communication tools that make it easy to stay in touch with family, even if they’re overseas.
3) Sell unwanted furniture
If you’re moving into a smaller space such as a condo or a senior living suite, even the furniture you do use everyday may be too much for the space. You can sell much of it and that will go a long way toward covering the cost of moving. For everything that doesn’t sell, you can always donate it. Many charities will even come to pick up donations such as furniture. You can also offer it to family members, but try not to attach too much emotional significance to it if they turn it down. Usually it’s not personal, it’s about space and stability.
Spring always comes with feelings of renewed energy and a positive attitude toward change. If you know that downsizing is around the corner, you can give yourself a hand by preparing today.
