Downsizing: What is it?

Part 1 of a 3 Part Blog Series

Have you ever thought about downsizing your home, but every time you think about it or consider it you start to feel overwhelmed? You think about the amount of time, effort and planning it would require to downsize and then you tell yourself that downsizing is not worth the effort. You keep convincing yourself that downsizing is daunting and scary when in reality it is really not that bad. No need to worry, downsizing is completely possible and doable, especially when you have me, Ann Powell – The Wellness Decorator, helping you.

I can help you with your downsizing needs, and I even have a simple four step process to help you downsize. But before I get into detail about my four step process, let’s first discuss what downsizing entails. Downsizing quite simply means to make something smaller, and in our case we are talking about moving into a smaller home. Moving from a larger house or apartment into a smaller one can be very daunting for one simple reason: where are you going to put all of your stuff? You have to think about and decide which items you are going to keep and which items you can get rid of before your big move, and that can be very difficult. However, there is no need to worry because with my help downsizing can be a fun and exciting process.

One of the ways in which I can help you embrace and look forward to the downsizing process is to help you get into the right mindset. You have to mentally prepare yourself for a lot of work because downsizing is a long process with a lot of different steps. But luckily, I have some quick and helpful tips to help you prepare for the downsizing process. My first tip for everyone who needs help getting into the right mindset is to breathe and meditate. Mediation and practicing guided breathing can really help you destress and relax. This is something that is super helpful and important because if you can relax and focus on your goal at hand (downsizing) then you will be able to accomplish your task much easier. Remember: a calm and clear mind can help you accomplish the most difficult tasks, and even help you enjoy the downsizing process.

Another tip I have before beginning the downsizing process is to make a plan. Once you know have selected your new home it is important to plan out how you want your space to look and feel. I recommend getting the blueprints of your new home so that you can see and measure how big your space will be. Once you know how big your space is it will be easier to select furniture and items that fit in the space, and will fit through doorways!

Additionally, I recommend that while you are creating a plan for your space you consider adding mobility devices, or plan to add mobility devices at a later date. For example, I recommend that you think about a situation where you are using a walker, or have some difficulty moving around, would you have space for a walker in your home? Would you have room to add mobility devices through your home? It is important to think about these things when downsizing to ensure that you would have enough space for these devices should you ever need them.

Finally, before you start decorating and moving into your downsized home, I would ask you to remember that less is more. The less furniture and junk you have in your home then the more space you have to live. You want to have a space where you feel comfortable and relaxed, not overwhelmed by a lot of junk. So when creating your plan remember that less is more, and try to only incorporate items that are truly necessary for your new space.

Once you have mentally prepared yourself to downsize and have created a plan for your new space, you are then ready for my four step process: 1) Declutter 2) Creative Storage 3) Stay Safe 4) Wellness Decorating. These four steps will help you accomplish your goal of downsizing while making the experience fun and enjoyable! Stay tuned for Part 2 of this Downsizing Blog Series, where I will outline the first two steps of my four step process: declutter and creative storage.

If you are thinking about downsizing or are already in the process of downsizing and need some assistance please reach out to me for a consultation! You can reach me via www.www.annpowell.ca, email ann@www.annpowell.ca or by phone 905-441-9472.