So you’re ready for that next chapter in your life, and you’re wondering what the next step is in your assisted living moving and storage journey. As your moving and storage for seniors professionals, AMS Bekins understands the significance in this new life change, and below we’ve gathered a list of helpful tips for downsizing before your move, making that transition as seamlessly easy as possible.
Plan It Out
Especially when you’ve had years and years to collect memories, it can take quite a while to go through your home and really separate the must-haves from the must-not-takes. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to go through everything – perhaps more than once – as you cycle through parting with items and reflecting on memories and things you truly want to take with you.
Do a Walk-Through
Before you even begin sorting, do a walk-through of your home with your loved ones and find out what items hold sentimental value in their minds. Discuss with them what items you would like to re-home with them, and what items they would like to hold on to and use, then mark those items so that you know where to gift them when you’re ready to move.
Start with the Unsentimental
Parting with items that are familiar and that you’ve made memories with is never easy, so start with the items you know you won’t miss – kitchen utensils and garage supplies are a great place to begin your downsizing, if you aren’t sure where to start.
Give Yourself a Waiting Period
To speed things up, make a pile for everything you aren’t sure you want to get rid of, but also aren’t sure you want to keep. Pack this pile away in a box, out of sight, and give yourself a week or two to see how you get along without them. Out of sight out of mind? Toss it. Creating a big inconvenience to your weekly routine? Keep it.
Enjoy the End to This Era
Downsizing is an opportunity to revisit fond memories and truly celebrate the joy that has been brought into your life by the items that really matter to you. It’s also a time to revel in the satisfaction that comes from decluttering and finally saying goodbye to items that have run their course in your life. Best of all, you don’t have to throw away the items you plan to part with. Instead, you can gift them to loved ones or donate them, so that you know they will go on to good homes and continue making memories for others. And those items you can’t donate or re-gift? Recycle them, so that you can move on to this next chapter in your life knowing your home has left a positive impact on the world around you!
Choose a Trusted moving and Storage Company
Finally, when it comes to downsizing and transitioning into this next step in your life, it’s important to find Bay Area movers who understand the significance in this life change. At AMS Bekins, we know that moving into Assisted Living can be both an exciting and challenging time, which is why our professionals offer caring, comprehensive support and exceptionally safe moving services. Best of all, if you have items that can’t come with you, but you simply can’t part with (and perhaps your loved ones don’t have space for them, either) we have the secure San Francisco storage solution you can trust to keep your items safe and well cared for.
When you’re done downsizing and you’re ready for that move into your new assisted living home, give our friendly team a call. We’ll be ready to help with a smile and a caring hand.
