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If you’re a senior, downsizing is a nice way to simplify your life. You can get rid of belongings you no longer need, and start fresh in a new place that’s more suited to your current and future lifestyle. It can even make you healthier and improve your overall quality of life. If you’re hoping to downsize, here are a few tips to make it as easy as possible.

1. Figure out what kind of home you’ll be moving to
When downsizing, you can find all kinds of new places to live in. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of home you might downsize to, whether it’s a smaller house, an apartment, a townhome, or a condo. You also need to figure out if you want to buy or rent, and decide what features you’re looking for.

2. Research your future home online
One Forbes article mentioned that nearly 90 percent of home-buying occurs online. You can also get an idea of the area you plan to move to. Search online for homes and the new area you’re interested in to see what the pricing is like. If you live in Maryland, houses in Greenbelt have sold for an average of $211,000 within the last month.

3. Decide who will do the selling
When it comes to selling your home, it comes down to whether you want to sell it on your own or if you’d like to hire a real estate agent. If you haven’t bought a new house in at least 10 years, you may not realize how the market has changed. House price dynamics can shift rapidly, which is why choosing to sell your home with a local real estate agent who really knows the market can produce quicker and better results.

4. Pack in increments
Once you’ve picked a new place to live, it’s time to start packing. It can be overwhelming to try to pack everything all at once, and procrastinating can make it feel like a never-ending job. This is where packing in increments can come in handy. One way to break up the job is to pack everything from one room before moving on to the next one. If you don’t have a lot of time, it’s still important to try to take breaks so it’s not consuming your entire life. Try to get everything done in time for moving day, as it can be harder on you and your movers if you’re not finished by then.

5. Take pictures of the home you’re leaving
Decluttering a house is one of the best reasons for downsizing. On the flip side, it can be hard to leave the memories and experiences that are connected with a home. Here’s a simple solution: take lots of pictures. It’s a simple and effective way to preserve the memories while still moving forward.

6. Have a few boxes for important documents
One of the most stressful parts of moving is losing valuable documents. Some of the most important ones to protect include birth certificates, job contracts, and current bills. Pack them up first and keep them together for the whole move, but don’t tape up the box just yet. Keep it in a place you can access easily in case you come across other important documents as you’re packing.

7. Get friends and family to help
Moving can be a stressful experience, and having people to help you can lessen the burden. If you do invite friends or family to help you move, you should be very clear and realistic about the tasks, and maybe supply some food for lunch or dinner.

Seniors often make the choice to downsize because it can free up hundreds of thousands of dollars in home equity and make retirement a little easier. You’ll have less to clean and you’ll save on utility bills as well. If you research where you’re going to live and prepare in advance, the move will be a little bit easier.

This article was written by Michael Longsdon and authorized by him to be published in this blog.

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