As Dave and I approached retirement, I was looking forward to downsizing to a smaller home because I was tired of cleaning the “big house.” With only the two of us living at home, cleaning four bedrooms and three bathrooms was becoming a burden.

If you are retiring soon, you may want to consider the benefits of downsizing to a smaller home. Assuming your children are out of the home, this may be the right time to consider downsizing.

When it came time to move, our house wasn’t too difficult to clean out and pack because we had only lived there for four years. We hadn’t accumulated too much new stuff. I can only imagine the amount of clutter many of you have to clean out from a home you have lived in for 20, 30 or more years! You have my sympathy.

Many of us live in homes larger than we need, especially once the children leave the nest. According to AEI and the Census Bureau, the average new home in the U.S. has increased in size by more than 1,000 square feet since 1973, from 1,660 square feet back then to 2,687 square feet today.  We’re living in homes far larger than our grandparents owned.

Regardless of the size of our house or how long we’ve lived there, we all have too much stuff!

Downsizing brings many benefits but isn’t the right solution for everyone. Here are some points to consider:

Pros:

• You’ll save money living in a smaller place. Home insurance costs an average of $95 per square foot per year, according to homelight.com, and maintenance costs are roughly one percent of a home’s price tag. 
• Heating and cooling expenses will be less in a smaller home.
• There will be less to clean; fewer bathrooms to sanitize. Yippee!
• Simplifying your life and getting rid of clutter reduces stress.
• You may be able to get rid of lots of yard equipment. If you move to a 55+ neighborhood, many of them do your major yard work (mowing, trimming and edging) for you. Or if you move to a condo, townhome, apartment or senior retirement community, there probably won’t be any yard work to do at all.
• If you move in with one of your kids, they will be there to help you when the need arises. And, you’ll get to be around your grandkids more!

Cons:

• There will be less space for the kids and other family and friends to visit. OK, we know that in some families, this might be a “Pro” rather than a “Con.” You’ll have to make that judgment call.
• You will have less room for projects and hobbies.
• There will be less space for entertaining.
• If your kids grew up in the house, it may be emotionally difficult for you and them to downsize. There will be lots of memories and also lots of things that have been saved over the years.

If you decide downsizing is right for you,

follow these suggestions to help you declutter:

• Sell excess furniture, condense your kitchen equipment, get rid of old clothes.

• Tell the children it’s time to claim and take any of their childhood memorabilia, and throw away what they don’t take.

• Ask the children if there are certain sentimental items they would like to take now rather than later.

• Give away to individuals in need and bless others who may need items.
• Have garage/yard sales.
• Donate to thrift stores and help a charity.
• Thin out your closet. How many clothes are hanging there that you haven’t worn in the past one, two or more years? If retiring to a warmer climate, you can reduce your winter wardrobe.
• Reduce paperwork by converting from paper bills to electronic bills and scanning files.
• It’s time to say goodbye to bulky, old collections you no longer use, including magazines and books. You don’t really still have a set of encyclopedias, do you?
• Give away more!
• Finally, challenge yourself to throw away as much as possible. We all have too much!

 When downsizing for retirement, think ahead to the type of home and community you will need as you age. One-story homes, for instance, make more sense for senior adults. Avoid homes with lots of steps and steeply sloping yards. Ideally, look for homes that can accommodate walkers and wheelchairs with only minimal renovation. A community that provides social opportunities and good security are also important. This is why 55+ communities are so popular in parts of the country that attract large numbers of retirees.

Dave and I decided to downsize our large home into two smaller ones. One is a condo (with zero yard work) in Texas, in the hometown of our only grandchild. Our other home is in a 55+ community in Florida (with minimal yard work; we only have to maintain the flowerbeds). So it was pretty easy to divide up the furniture, clothing and kitchen wares. Both homes are easier to maintain than the former larger one, and our utility bills are lower. This solution works for us, and honestly, we don’t miss the big house.

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