Does the thought of downsizing bring you down? Your house is the place the kids grew up. All your stuff is here. You know all the neighbors. It’s home. But think of what you could do with all that extra money. And less–or no–yard work, pool maintenance and tree trimming. And the cleaning, oh my.
You could travel. You could have weekends to do whatever. You could purge the garage (for all my OCD girls) and there wouldn’t be three empty bedrooms to dust each and every week filled with stuff the kids never took with them. But it’s such a hassle to move. Packing, unpacking, showings, finding a new place–ugh! It sounds like a nightmare.
A nightmare if there’s not a some magic in the mix. Our doll Deana, of Magic Zip Code fame, specializes in downsizing. And since the chick recently did it herself, she’s an expert.
She starts by finding out what you’re after. Is it zero maintenance? Is it smaller size but interior upgrades? Is it change of pace? Or is it a whole new lifestyle?
She sees the struggle people face when changing their lives: finding a new house, selling a treasured family home, financing, questions about capital gains, clearing out a lifetime of stuff. We all need a little hand holding. She gets it.
Remember–she’s the one with a guy, or girl, for everything. She can find your new home, new neighborhood and sell your current one. She’ll even help get your kids to come get their stuff. She’s got a girl for staging. She’s got a guy for remodeling or fixing. She’s got a mortgage and finance girl. She’s even got a girl and guy to take care of it when you’re away on vacay. The vacation you can take now that you’ve downsized.
You’ve decide to take the plunge. First steps?
Declutter always comes first. Once you dive in you’ll find that it’s liberating. Having less can actually be having more. Having more time, more money and less worry. Be ruthless. Do not declutter when feeling sentimental. You may want the help of an objective friend to tell you, “Yep, that’s ugly.” Find that friend.
Get rid of anything you have in duplicate. In your smaller, more streamlined space you won’t need ten vases. If your guy brings you that many flowers, you probably don’t need a smaller home. You need to thank the heavens for all your blessings. But still toss the vases. Except the Waterford.
Sell your stuff on Craigslist. Word to the wise: Cash only, have someone with you when the person comes for pickup. If possible get the stuff outside before they come. Before Cragislist, check with your friends. Most of them have kids just starting out. Your stuff may find a good home, as you relax in your new one.
Give Deana a call, 602-295-3151. She’ll create a custom package for you and your new life. It’s magic.
The Duchess Diaries 