Practical tips and strategies on downsizing

The thought of downsizing for retirement can be a daunting experience.

But rather than seeing it as an end of an era, successful downsizers find it a liberating experience – part of taking stock of where and how you’d like to spend your post-work life.

One of the first things to do is treat downsizing as an adventure, said Living Gems CEO Adrian Puljich.

“Downsizing is a great opportunity to upsize your lifestyle and get back that most precious of commodities – time,” he said.

Treat it as an adventure

Having done your homework on the ideal location and selected the right lifestyle community for you, it is important to really get to know the area you’re moving to, said Adrian.

“Make sure you’re familiar with the location of shops and essential services like doctors, dentists and vets,” he said. “Increase your anticipation of the move by exploring the local area such as parks, shopping, entertainment, and landmarks.”

Declutter, declutter, declutter

There are three reasons why decluttering is an important part of the process when downsizing, said Adrian.

“It’s about putting you first,” he said.

“Decluttering gives you the opportunity to prioritise yourself and your future without the burden of managing a hoard of things that you’ve been hanging onto out of habit. Decluttering is finding the highlights of your life and giving them pride of place in your new home.”

It also makes packing easier, said Adrian.

As you pack, have in your mind’s eye exactly where things will go in your new home, he suggests.

“If you can’t identify that place, then consider whether you really need it,” he said. “And as you declutter you may also find that selling your home is easier too.

“Potential home buyers want to visualise their furniture and possessions in the space. This is much easier if the walls are largely cleared of personal photographs and rooms have only essential furniture.”

Practical downsizing

Professional organisers will tell you to start by acknowledging that this is not a painless process, said Adrian.

“They suggest that you take the time you need to identify what has practical utility and what things can be passed along to friends, family or to charity.”

Be prepared for an emotional experience

“There’s no getting around it,” said Adrian.

“Downsizing will be an emotional experience, so expect a pang of longing, a touch of sadness and perhaps a few tears along the way.

Accept those emotions for what they are and acknowledge where they come from.

“When your rightsizing move is done on your terms and on your timetable, those turbulent emotions should include a measure of excitement and anticipation as well.”