Decluttering & Downsizing Blog

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 ...

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 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 ...

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 ...

Before we talk about whether you should downsize before or after retirement, let’s talk about something even more important: You. As an interior designer, before I begin talking with a client about downsizing, moving, floor plans, or which furniture they’re taking with them, I start somewhere else. I ask questions ...

How to Decide When the Time Is Right for You “Rita, when do you think I should downsize?” It is one of the questions I am asked most often. Recently, after one of my speaking engagements, a woman waited patiently until everyone else had left the room. Then she walked ...

I’m going to tell you something I have rarely said out loud. When I sold my 5,000-square-foot home in the beautiful countryside and downsized to an 867-square-foot apartment in Center City Philadelphia, I was certain it was one of the best decisions I had ever made. But about three months ...

Many people believe that expanding their lives requires starting over completely. I disagree. Your next chapter does not have to begin with a dramatic reinvention. In fact, some of the most meaningful changes begin when you approach life with curiosity rather than certainty. You may not need to become someone ...

If you could sit down with the person you were five years ago, before you retired, what would you tell her? Would you tell her to travel more? Save more money? Make fewer plans? Or would you tell her something deeper? Perhaps you would say: “I wish I had known ...