Can downsizing in your golden years really lower your stress?  As Senior Real Estate Specialists, we are asked this question often. Take a look at the examples below & you will quickly see how downsizing your home can reduce your stress levels.

1. Smaller home – A smaller home means less to manage—fewer rooms to clean or a smaller yard to mow. Downsizing can relieve your time & energy spent on caring for a larger home. If moving from a 2 story home, you will instantly see the health benefits from reduced stress on the knees from climbing the stairs! 

2. Fewer Things to Store - When you decide to downsize & move into a smaller home, you must also decide what to do with your things. This is an opportunity to be selective about what to keep & what to donate, sell, or trash. Fewer things to store means more control.

3. Lower Maintenance Expenses - A smaller home usually has fewer maintenance expenses—plumbing, painting, floors, landscaping, roofing, etc.  The smaller the home the fewer items to maintain. 

4. Reduced Living Expenses - When you downsize to a smaller home, your expense such as Property Taxes & utilities usually come down. Less money out of pocket means less stress in my book!

5. More control of your finances/ legal directives - As you start putting a transition plan together, you should gather all your legal documents in one place. You may find you don't have it all in order and this is a great time to take care of these things.

6. Become more organized - When you downsize you will have to review what things you take with you.   Smaller space and less clutter makes it more manageable to not only become organized but stay organized!

These are just a handful of ways you can lower your stress by making the decision to downsize. Of course you do not have to do this alone. We can help!

Editor’s Note: Article provided compliments of John & Irma Nelson of Elder Resource Group & Get It Sold Realty.