At Meadowood, we understand how daunting downsizing can be. Every one of our residents has had to go through it, and we often hear how nice it is to have gotten rid of the house and the yard and, especially, all the “stuff.”
But to get to the serenity of going smaller, you first have to go through an overwhelming multi-step process. It’s downsizing your possessions, fixing up the house, finding a realtor and on and on. It’s stressful, tiring and — for many people — drags on for months or even years. And, just when you’ve removed a whole mess of clutter, you discover another batch of it in the hall closet or under the bathroom sink.
After hearing the stories of how stressful downsizing can be, we realized that what’s holding many people back from enjoying retirement living is simply THE MOVE (in capital letters). Most people who move to Meadowood are downsizing from larger homes — in many cases, homes they’ve lived in for 30 plus years. The process can seem so complex that it’s easy to put it off indefinitely. But just because making the move is a challenge doesn’t mean it doesn’t have tremendous benefits.
To Plan Your Move, You Need the Right Information
That’s why we created our Smart Planning Educational Series. In three helpful sessions, we’re illuminating the big questions in retirement planning: real estate trends and opportunities, downsizing tips and advice and inside perspectives on what it’s like to live at Meadowood. The series breaks the process down into bite-sized chunks so you can plan your next move with confidence.
Real Talk About Real Estate
The first session of our series was called “Real Talk About Real Estate” and covered real estate trends and opportunities in retirement living. It featured useful tips and insights from Nicole Miller-DeSantis, an award-winning realtor and global luxury specialist.
Dos and Don’ts of Downsizing
Our second session, which is coming up at Meadowood on March 11, at 2 p.m., is called “Do’s and Don’ts of Downsizing.” It features Margit Novack, a pioneer in senior move management, who will offer expert tips that simplify the downsizing process. According to Novack, downsizing can not only help you sell your home for thousands of dollars more, but it can also improve your physical, mental and spiritual health. Clutter is bad for brain health, makes us anxious, makes it difficult to relax, inhibits creativity and makes us less productive. Those are great reasons to attend our seminar and start chipping away at the excess “stuff,” whether you’re planning to move next week or in the next few years.
A Few Dos and Don’ts — Hear Many More in Our Seminar
DO: Start early and set reasonable goals. You can spend an hour a week or do one drawer a month.
DON’T: Hang on to extras. How may coffeepots and hangers do you really use?
DO: Get your adult children to take their things. You’ve stored them long enough!
DON’T: Have a “maybe” pile. Deal with it once and be done.
DO: Go room by room and finish one before you start the next.
DON’T: Keep paper. Make things digital and keep one or two hard copies.
DO: Remember that memories are in your heart, not in your stuff.
Ready to Hear More Helpful Downsizing Tips and Advice?
Be our guest for “Do’s and Don’ts of Downsizing.” Join us for excellent advice and light refreshments, and while you’re here, take the opportunity to tour our beautiful community and The Grove, our brand-new neighborhood. To RSVP, call 610.584.1000.
Finally, the third and last piece of our series is called “The Residents of Meadowood” and features our residents sharing insider perspectives on what it’s really like to live at Meadowood. So, look for that coming up as well. You’ll want to hear the stories that create a community!