As Senior Move Managers, Your Tasks – Our Time is frequently asked to define Rightsizing and describe the difference between Rightsizing and Downsizing? Downsizing tends to put the focus on letting go or sacrificing possessions and changing your lifestyle. Whereas, Rightsizing puts more of the focus on conscious choice for a better lifestyle. The goal of Rightsizing is to create a space that lets you live your best possible life. This blog will share the reasons why you would Rightsize, in addition to the what, where, when and who should Rightsize.

Broadly speaking, there are two ways to Rightsize. You can Rightsize to move or Rightsize to stay in place. Either way, the goal is to create a space that lets you live your best life. It’s about determining how your space and belongings are going to serve you in the future and making a mindful decision about how you want to live going forward.

Rightsize to Move
If you want to Rightsize to move, the goal is to create a space that serves your current and future needs. Here are some reasons you may choose to move.

• Costs – Home maintenance, home repairs, utility bills, taxes and home insurance can all be a financial burden on a senior’s income.
• Health – Physical limitations and medical conditions can create challenges in daily home upkeep. One fall or illness can drastically impact your future living condition.
• Lifestyle – A warmer climate, being near the children, being part of an active senior community can be an enticing reason to move.

Rightsize to Stay-in-Place
Rightsizing to stay in place is all about access, safety and stuff. To create a space that allows you live your best and most comfortable life. Let’s talk about some of the reasons you would choose to Rightsize in place.

Freedom from Stuff
One of the benefits is a tremendous sense of freedom from your stuff and surrounding yourself with only those things that you love and need. It can free both your mind and your heart so you can focus on those things that you enjoy and bring you happiness.

Easier to Clean
When you have less stuff, it will be easier to perform daily activities of living and the space will be safer, easier to de-clutter and clean.

No Place Like Home
Many develop an intense connection to the home they may have lived in for 30 plus years. Some preparation to avoid emergencies will be necessary, such as:
• Clearing walkways for canes or wheelchairs
• Adding grab bars in the bathroom
• Removing throw rugs and other trip hazards
• Moving appliances and other items used daily so they can be easily accessible

Rightsizing to Move
Where do you start if you are Rightsizing to move? The most important place to start is with the dimensions of the new space. This will inform your decisions about how many belongings to take. Are you moving to smaller home or a condo? Are you going from five bedrooms to one? Will you have any storage areas available like a garage, attic, basement or storage unit?

Start Small
Our advice is to start small with things you are not attached to, such as, plastic containers or things you have kept out of obligation. Begin the process in smaller spaces and areas you can complete in 1-2 hours, like linen closets or bathroom cabinets.

Group Items
Group similar items together so you can see what you own. This really informs your decision-making process. Create a maybe pile to avoid getting stuck in the purging process.

Measure Twice
Measure the closets in your current AND new space, including linear hanging space, shelves and shoe racks to compare space and determine what to let go and keep.

Basements, Attics & Garages
Basements, garages and attics can be overwhelming and are areas where you may need help physically, mentally and emotionally.

Garage Sales and Storage Units
We do not recommend either. Garage sales are a lot of work with very little return. Storage units are often a waste of money because things go in and never come out.

Rightsizing to Stay-in-Place
For those who want to stay in your current home, Rightsizing is not all about getting rid of stuff, but often about changing and moving things around. Rearranging things you need on a daily or weekly basis so things are easier to manage and to better serve your current needs. What’s going to serve you going forward? That means taking a look at what could be access and safety issues. Is your furniture appropriate for future needs? Will you be able to maneuver a cane, walker or wheelchair between rooms smoothly? Will you be able to reach your clothes or do you need to lower the clothing bars?

Who Can Help?
Once you have made the decision to Rightsize, the next step is to determine how you will get the job done and who can help?

Family & Friends
Family and friends will often volunteer to help and that can be a positive or negative experience depending on the relationship. The main thing to bear in mind is that you should have the final say about what items stay and go. Having said that, you do need to strongly consider your space limitations when de-cluttering and Rightsizing.

Movers
Movers do not Rightsize, Downsize or Organize. They do pack everything, sometimes even the garbage. They will occasionally unpack; however, that consists of taking the items out of the box and sitting them down anywhere there’s horizontal space.

Professional Organizers
Professional Organizers will organize your move by helping you sort, categorize, purge and Rightsize. They will also unpack and put away or unpack and organize once you have moved into your new home, but most do not pack prior to a move.

Senior Move Managers®
SMM are your one stop shop for managing the entire Rightsizing process. They will help you sort, categorize, purge, pack, create a floor plan of your new home, provide resources such as movers, handymen or painters and unpack and settle you in your new home. A SMM will save you time, money and reduce your stress.

What Happens to My Stuff?

Setting Expectations
Where will everything go? It’s a tough question because the market is flooded with common household items. Don’t assume that your children will want your furniture, but be sure to ask in case there is something special they would like to keep. Many people feel that their items are worth more than they are. The market for antiques is not as robust as it was in the past, so that prized antique piece that you paid thousands for 20 or 30 years ago, may be worth much less today.

Research
Research is key to finding new homes for your belongings. Start by sorting and categorizing the items you want to donate. This is important, because you need to know what each organization will accept for donations. Those who live in Pennsylvania are fortunate in that there are many thrift shops, donation organizations and houses of worship that will take common household items and some furniture. New Jersey residents have fewer donation resources available, especially for furniture donations.

Selling Items
There are several ways to sell items including auctions, estate sales and online platforms. Auction items will have to be transported to the place they will be sold and most auction houses will only accept items that are hot on the market and in pristine condition. Estate sales are often held in the home. The items are often priced in advance, however, the bidders actually set the price by what they are willing to pay. EBay, Craigslist, Nextdoor and Facebook Marketplace are sites where you can post your items for sale. There are fees associated with most of these methods that can substantially cut into your profits, so choose wisely!

Disposing of Items
If you are Rightsizing over time then you may be able to use your regular garbage company for most or all of your disposal needs. Check with your local garbage company to see what and how much they will take, if they have special pick-up days for large items and if they charge a fee. The fee for your local garbage company is often substantially lower than hiring a junk removal company. If you have a significant amount of garbage, then you may want to check into renting a dumpster or hiring a junk removal service.

When Should I Rightsize?
Now, the sooner the better. Again, 30 to 60 years of stuff is no joke. It took you that long to fill up your home, so you are not going to Rightsize it overnight. You can do it over time, but have a set timeline and a plan so that are prepared for the future and you are creating a space that allows you live your best life.