10 January Downsizing Tips For Seniors: Moving Safely And Comfortably January 10, 2022 By sma Home Maintenance, Safety home safety, real estate, senior living 0 DOWNSIZING TIPS FOR SENIORS: MOVING SAFELY AND COMFORTABLY January 10, 2022 | Home Maintenance, Safety | senior living, home safety, home estate By Harry Cline of the blog NewCaregiver.org Downsizing is often a relief for seniors who find that their current living situation just isn’t sustainable anymore, either due to their financial situation or because their health is failing. However, it comes with many considerations, and it’s important to know what to expect before you make any decisions. The cost of the move itself is one thing to think about. There’s also the actual downsizing — figuring out which items you will take with you to the new house and which ones will need to go — as well as packing and preparing to live in a new neighborhood. It can be overwhelming, but with a solid plan, you can ensure that it all goes smoothly. Find the Right Place Before anything else, you’ll need to find the right place for your needs — as well as decide what to do with the place you already have. For the latter, you might want to begin by scheduling an inspection. A real estate agent is a great advocate in the home search process, and even more so when you work with someone who specializes in senior moves. Interview at least a couple of potential agents, and along with questions about their background and fees, ask about their experience in senior downsizing moves. Meeting your needs requires you to think about your health and mobility and where they’ll be a few years from now. Will you need a house that has no stairs? One that has a small yard to take care of? Will it be important to you to invest in a home that already has safety modifications in place, such as a ramp or grab bars in the shower? Make a list of the things you want in a home and start there with your search. And of course, there are your financial needs. If you’re retired and on a fixed income, you want to budget in a manner that allows you to take care of your essentials, but also offers enough wiggle room for fun. Professional advisors at websites like PennyMac mortgage services can help. By evaluating your current home’s value, income, and other budgetary concerns, you can come up with a plan that keeps your health, mobility, and finances positive. Keep Your Pets Safe Pets — especially dogs — can sense when things are changing, and often it can cause anxiety for them, which can lead to accidents or behavioral issues. Keep your pets safe on moving day by placing them in a room that can be closed off until the last minute, or invest in a crate to keep them from wandering. This can be especially helpful during all the activity of a move and can keep your pet from getting hurt or lost. Choose the Items You Want to Take Making sure you have all the things you want in the new house can be difficult, since there just won’t be room for everything. That’s why it’s important to ask for help from a friend or loved one when going through your belongings, so they can help you decide how to narrow them down. Items that have sentimental value can often be kept in a different format; for instance, photos can be scanned onto the computer and stored on a hard drive rather than kept in photo albums, which take up a lot of room. National Property Inspections is a franchisor based in Omaha, NE. With more than 200 locations across the United States and Canada, we have the network and expertise to offer you premium, local inspection services. Contact us today to get a quote! Comments are closed.