The old adage asks — how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Moving from a fully furnished house into a senior living community often requires a significant purge, which can be intimidating for many homeowners. Breaking down the process into manageable “bites” and allowing yourself plenty of time are the keys to successful downsizing.
If you’ve accumulated household belongings over the decades, the idea of letting things go can be emotional. Kyle Steenson, executive director of independent living at Ovation Heartwood Preserve, suggested taking a practical approach.
“We recommend the ‘90 for 90’ rule,” Steenson said. “Have you used an item in the past 90 days? Do you plan on using it in the next 90 days? If the answer is no to either one of those questions, you probably don’t need it.”
Here are a few tips on how to tackle each room in your home.
Living room
Most senior-living apartments probably aren’t going to accommodate your entire living room set plus artwork, accessories and collections. Choose two or three items that mean the most to you to keep and take photos to remember the rest. Speaking of photos, digitizing old albums preserves family memories while freeing up valuable space. (If you can’t identify who’s in the picture, throw it out.)
Bedrooms
The same rules apply to furniture here. For clothes, Steenson has a clever tip: “In closets, turn all of your clothing hangers backwards,” he said. “Put them back the right way when you wear an item. After six months, you’ll see what you’re not making use of.”
Kitchens
Senior living communities like Ovation Heartwood Preserve offer complete meal plans for residents, eliminating the need for most gadgets, appliances and utensils. Find out what kind of kitchen space your new place entails, and furnish sparingly.
Garages, attics and basements
Buckets of rusty screws, bags of unlabeled keys — many homeowners don’t even know what’s in these catch-all spaces. “If you open up a box and the item inside doesn’t work, you don’t know what it’s for, or you can’t remember the last time you used it, let it go,” Steenson said.
Put your items into categories for easy organization
As you go through your home, organize everything into three categories — keep, sell and donate/throw away. Give family members an opportunity to select any items they want to take. Garage/yard/estate sales, auctions and online marketplaces may earn you a few bucks, but take time and effort to coordinate and respond to customer inquiries. Yes, professional help is an option. And any items that don’t sell can be donated to nonprofits, like veterans’ homes, in your area.
Still feeling overwhelmed? Start small. Make a goal to clean out a single drawer or clear off one shelf at a time. Just get started, and the sooner, the better, to remove deadline pressure.
“If you plan on moving within the next year, it’s time to get the process underway,” Steenson said.
When in doubt, out with the old and in with the new is often a good way to go.
“After all, this is going to be your new home, and these are your golden years — live that life accordingly!” Steenson urged.
To learn more about Ovation Heartwood Preserve or to schedule a tour, call 402.999.7900 or visit ovationheartwoodpreserve.com.
