Senior apartments offer many benefits, from lower living costs and utilities, freedom from home maintenance, no yard work, and access to community amenities, it’s no surprise more seniors are choosing apartment living! However, moving into an apartment can present unique challenges for seniors who have a lifetime of belongings coming with them. Here are a few tips for downsizing from a single-family home, into an apartment:
Declutter
Moving is the perfect opportunity to go through your belongings and decide what you want to keep and what it’s time to get rid of. Now is the time to get rid of clothes that don’t fit or you just don’t like! Declutter extra household appliances that you never use (looking at your cake pop maker). Shred old paperwork you don’t need, discard expired food, and finally throw away that pile of junk mail and magazines. Packing up all of your belongings can help you realize all of the things you just never use and don’t need.
Organize
Your future self will thank you if you thoughtfully organize while packing. Set aside important documents and put the items you will need sooner in their own boxes, such as the coffee maker and your mugs for the morning after your move!
This can also help you discover duplicates of any items you own, such as two copies of the same book, similar clothing items, or pots and pans of the same size. You may also establish a goal of having only ‘one box’ of a certain type of item and getting rid of the rest. One box of knickknacks, for example, and get rid of the ones that don’t fit. One box of seasonal decorations, one box of throw blankets, etc.
Not only does this make unpacking a breeze, since everything is in one place, but it can be a simple downsizing goal to help you keep the items that are most important while removing the clutter.
Donate
Just because you don’t want or need something anymore, doesn’t mean you need to throw it away! Donating is a terrific method to get rid of extra stuff without feeling guilty about wasting perfectly good items. Local charity and thrift stores will gladly accept furniture, decorations, household appliances, clothing, shoes, books, and many other personal items.
This can also be an excellent time to gift items and pass down important heirlooms to your children, grandkids, and relatives. As you transition into this next stage of life, it’s the perfect opportunity to pass quality furniture items, vintage clothing, and family heirlooms to a new family member to enjoy. It can be easier to let go of old belongings when you know they are going to a good home!
But make sure to discuss with relatives you intend to give items to before moving day comes! This way, they’ll have enough time to prepare to receive the item, or, inform you if they can’t take it, and you can discuss it with other family members who could be interested. This can help avoid an important or valuable item being mishandled during a hectic moving day.
Redecorate
Moving to a new space can be an excellent opportunity to refresh your home décor. Apartments will usually offer usually less square footage per room than a single-family home and stuffing large furniture into these spaces can make them feel smaller than they are. Selling, donating, or gifting your old furniture will save you the hassle of relocating large furniture pieces and allow you to acquire items that better suit your new apartment.
Storage
If you need additional space, even temporarily, you always have the option of renting out storage space. If you need to move quickly and don’t have time to declutter, this can give you more time to sort through your belongings and relieve the stress of a quick move. This can keep you from cramping your apartment and can even be a permanent home to those belongings that just don’t fit, but you don’t want to get rid of. In many cases, your apartment rent plus a storage unit can still be less expensive than a home mortgage. Your apartment community may have rentable storage space on-site or can recommend storage units in the area.
At Fieldstone, we are proud to provide senior apartments in Blacksburg, perfect for whatever stage of life you are moving into next. Whether you are downsizing or upgrading, we offer a variety of spacious floorplans to choose from. When you are ready to take that step, contact Fieldstone Apartments in Blacksburg!