Forget almost everything you’ve been told about downsizing—including some of what I may have told you. Downsizing is not necessarily about getting older. It is not something you have to do only when you retire, when the stairs become difficult, or when the yard becomes too much to manage. And downsizing certainly does not mean [...]
Are you thinking about downsizing but not quite ready to make a decision? You may know that your current home feels too large. Perhaps the children have moved away, guest rooms sit unused, or the formal living room no longer reflects the way you live. At the same time, you may love your neighborhood, your [...]
I recently walked into a client’s home, and she apologized before I had even made it through the door. Alternatives to downsizing. “I’m so sorry for this room,” she said, gesturing toward the formal living room. “We rarely use it. It’s just there.” I looked around at the beautiful windows, the natural light, and the [...]
Have you found yourself saying, “I know I need to downsize, but I can’t do it right now”? You look around and know your house no longer fits the way you live. The children are grown. Rooms sit empty. The stairs feel harder to navigate, and the closets are filled with things you rarely touch. [...]
If you are an empty nester, or you will soon become one, there is a question about empty nest downsizing that no one really wants to ask. Your last child may have moved out. The graduation photos are framed. Their bedroom door is closed, not because they are sleeping late, but because no one lives [...]
The best time to begin your next chapter may be before you think you’re ready to start living now retirement. For many years, we’ve been taught to follow a familiar formula: Today, focus on building your earnings and skills, because steady effort today shapes your future. By preparing for the day you retire, you can [...]
Sometimes it takes another person—and a new perspective—to help us imagine what’s possible. One of the greatest compliments my sons ever gave me wasn’t really intended as a compliment. As a single mother raising two teenage boys, whenever we walked into a restaurant or someone’s home, they would tease me and say: “Our mom can [...]
Should you downsize before retirement, or could waiting be the wiser decision? After discussing the benefits of downsizing before retirement, you may assume that I believe everyone should move sooner rather than later. I do not. In fact, I become uncomfortable whenever someone says that every empty nester or retiree should downsize. Really, everyone? Life [...]
Should you downsize before retirement or wait until after you retire? It is one of the questions I hear almost every week. Recently, someone asked me, “Rita, if you were me, would you move now or wait until after retirement?” I understand why so many people struggle with this decision. On the surface, waiting seems [...]
What deserves your time? We all think we have more time. When we were younger, time felt endless. There would always be another birthday, another vacation, another opportunity, another chapter. But something changes as we grow older. Without even realizing it, we stop counting up and begin counting down. Not in fear, but in awareness. [...]
