Up-sizing is real easy to do….we start with very little and at each and every stage we add more…and more. Fast forward a few years and young or old….you look around and find yourself surrounded by THINGS (of course they are Family Heirlooms too)….but do we really need them?
Could we live in less space? Could we live in multiple locations at different times of the year by selling the larger home. Of course…but the enormity of the job ahead hits with major depression and the reality is that Downsizing Sucks!
I thought I would give you some ideas from my home-selling experience that might help you deal with some of the challenges of this new adventure: Downsizing with grace and style.
Click here to read our comprehensive guide to Rightsizing
When I start showing smaller properties to those downsizing, I watch their faces trying to imagine their new lifestyle in terms of their existing furniture, art, entertainment options, cooking, etc….I can see that they are taking all their possessions and mentally cramming them in to tighter spaces. Don’t even try! It will never ever work.
Keep what you must but start looking at apartment-sized furniture. Most clients go wrong by not differentiating full size and apartment size furniture when they decorate. A couple of times I’ve suggested to small space Sellers that we replace existing furniture with more advantageous sized staging and to their credit, they did at great benefit to them.
The issue is the same: When downsizing, try to visualize the smaller space with smaller scale minimalistic accouterments. Start looking at Magazines, TV Shows and websites that focus on living in smaller spaces
It is amazing what you can do….visit the IKEA store or website and look at what their designers do in managing space. I’ve been told that IKEA now features their staged designer rooms with the square footage noted… to help you grasp the reality of smaller spaces and what can be put in them. A great idea!
Start fresh, reinvent yourself, create a new look, change styles…make it a fun project and approach the next step of your life as a challenge. Don’t focus on what you are leaving but on where you are going and the new lifestyle you can create there. You may be very surprised!
More to come but feel free to leave your thoughts and comments!
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