Tips to Downsizing

March 27, 2018

Written by Juanita Fox

Pete Shaub, owner of A Life Transition Service, says, “When you have lived in the same home for 30, 40, or even 50 years, it can be very overwhelming and stressful for you and your family. Shendy and I have been helping people work through the downsizing and transition process for years. Our job is to help you determine what to keep, what has value, how to sell it and what items are best donated or recycled.”

Pete and Shendy Shaub, owners of A Life Transition Service, work with families and individuals to downsize, organize and move to a new residence.

A realtor and auctioneer, Pete can help with the sale of your home and personal belongings. Shendy, downsize and move manager, can help you sort through what you want to move or sell and help facilitate the logistics of your move.

For people considering a move, Pete offers the following tips for a successful transition:

Start early. People often will say, “Why did I wait so long to do this? I should have moved sooner. It wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it would be.”

Begin to assess what you can and can’t live without. It’s natural to want to keep belongings but we commonly hear, “Why did I bring so much stuff? I really don’t need this.”

Plan, plan, plan. Having a clear plan of action greatly reduces the overall stress of the process.

Be proactive. It will be much more difficult to have control and be involved in your downsizing process if you wait until a health issue arrives.

Embrace change. You may be set on staying in your home, but it’s important to remember the burden that will be placed on your family if something happens to you before you are ready to move.

Stay positive! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed about change. Begin to focus on the positive outcomes from the transition. Remember the freedom you will experience by not worrying about maintaining your home and all your excess belongings.

Be realistic. Before starting to downsize, consider how much time and help you have to work at the process.

Research. Of the main downsizing categories, Keep, Sell, Donate, Trash and Give to Family/Friends, you will need to start making some calls to find out how to disperse your items. If you plan to sell items, begin to research Auctions, Consignment, Ebay, Craigslist, etc., and find out the costs and time associated. If you decide to donate items, find out what Goodwill, Re-Uzit and similar organizations will and will not take and locations to deliver.

When you are ready to make a transition, Pete says, “Please give us a call. We are always happy to schedule a free in-home visit to address specific needs. We can help as much or as little as you need.”

For a limited time, Garden Spot Village is offering a downsizing incentive for people who move into a new home at Sycamore Springs. Contact Megan Farber at 717.355.6290 for more information.

Previous ArticleA Life of Service Next ArticleIt’s Easter: Time For the Petrosemolo Italian Ham Pie