Macomb County Michigan Seniors: Should you downsize to a smaller home?

Is it time to start thinking about downsizing to housing that may fit your needs better?

Downsizing to a smaller home may be an event that some look forward too, while others dread! Most of us know that downsizing will be in the cards eventually as we age. This can seem like a daunting task to undertake, but with careful planning, moving to a new (and smaller) home can be simple.

Some reasons to downsize to a smaller home are,

·         Having and empty nest- no need for all the extra room

·         The big house is hard to clean and get around

·         The expenses of upkeep are just too much

The first thing you want to do (even if you do not plan on moving for another year) is Rick Giese (SRES) your local senior real estate professional. He can meet with you to discuss your options and help you decide what type of move may be best for you. If you are still active, but want to plan for your later years, you may want to look into a continuing care retirement community. There are many options available in the Macomb County area, or maybe even close to where you living now?  So that you can continue shopping at the same stores, church, doctors. Rick can help you weigh your wants and your needs and provide you with the information needed to make an informed decision.

Next Rick can help you prepare your current home for the market. Planning ahead will decrease future stress! Rick Giese with his 27 years of experience can tell you what needs to be done to your current home in order to get the best price, in the shortest amount of time. Rick can also give you tips for getting rid of clutter, or phone numbers of companies that can help. Not only will your home show better, but you will have a head start on packing your belongings!

Now that you have a plan for preparing your home for the market …started scaling back on some of your unwanted or needed belongings ….and have decided on the type of housing that best fits your needs, you are well on your way to planning for a successful downsizing experience.

With less space to maintain, there is more time for fun activities. No matter what type of housing you choose, you will find that less really can be more, and that downsizing can be something to look forward to!

Call Rick Giese today at 586-242-3100 to set a convenient time to meet with you or you and your family for a FREE, No Obligation planning meeting.

As the aging population increases, there is a growing need for seniors to make decisions about selling their current home and moving to a smaller, safer environment.  For some that would be a smaller home or apartment, but for others that would be assisted living or a nursing home.  Either way, downsizing is a monumental task.  The burden so overwhelming that it paralyzes most people.

There are some key ideas that the family needs to keep in mind when trying to downsize a senior.  First and foremost is that it takes time.  It didn't take a few days to collect all of their worldly possessions.  It will take time …and maybe lots of it to minimize the collections down to an amount that will fit into a smaller living area. Please be patient and allow plenty of time to make this happen is crucial to the well being of the senior. 

Downsizing is emotional.  There is no doubt about it.  It takes an emotional toll on anyone that tries to help with this task. It is important to allow significant time to get the task completed.  It is recommended that the sorting process for seniors occurs for roughly 2 hours a day.  This is usually about the maximum amount of time that they can offer and still be efficient.  It is hard not to get frustrated when there is so much to accomplish and only have a work day that lasts for a couple of hours.  Pushing a senior beyond their limits is counterproductive and creates arguments.  Or, even have the senior throwing their hands up, wanting to give the downsizing idea up.

If you are assisting a senior in downsizing their belongings, it is a great idea to find similar collections that can be narrowed down without the senior's help.  So if a box of old schoolwork for grown children is opened up and the decision is made to scan them onto the computer for posterity, then anytime there is another box like that, the course of action is already understood. This eliminates hours of sitting and sorting.   This is a wonderful time saver for the senior and their helpers.

It is very important to have a plan when attempting to downsize.  Random sorting rarely produces the results that are desired, and causes more problems than satisfactory results.  Going from room to room is a good idea that way the whole house is not torn up at once. Let’s face it most seniors do not like disruptions in their daily routines. So set small, achievable goals for each day.  The success of achievement is great and may spur more activity, but most days it will be just enough.  

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Consistently ranked as one of Southeastern Michigan's associate brokers of Equity Sales and Short Sales. Rick Giese has over 27 years of Real Estate experience and is one of the areas Rick has a strong focus on assisting homeowners in need, Rick Giese offers a straightforward no nonsense consultation designed to give you all the information and facts to enable you to make the best decision for you and your family. As every situation is different, Rick offers his insight and knowledge of the real estate transaction process and all the options available to you to get the most money the market will pay or to help you avoid foreclosure. Call Rick Giese today at toll free 1-800-274-5656 or your free consultation of your situation and sleep better tonight