Have you been thinking of downsizing? You are not alone. Statistics show that almost half of baby boomers are considering downsizing. Many people who downsizing have been thinking about moving out of their large home to a smaller home, condo or apartment for some time. Common factors in making this decision may be a recent retirement, children moving out of the home, financial issues, divorce or inability to continue to care for a larger home and/or yard. I am one of those people. Having had this experience myself, I wanted to write this blog which, I hope, will help you as you downsize.

1. Emotional
   Downsizing brings up a lot of emotions. You will be looking at physical items which will bring up good and bad feelings from the past. Your Mom's favorite china may remind you about wonderful Christmas dinners. On the other hand, an old picture may remind you of a sad time in your life. Take time to process these emotions by talking to a friend or a professional so you can move forward in a positive way.
   
   
2. Professional
   Early in the process I suggest that you start looking at your options for a home while you are deciding what to do with your possessions. Being a real estate agent myself, I know a professional agent will be invaluable in helping you find your new home. The agent will ask you questions about what you can afford, where you want to live, what type of home, e.g. one story or two story, will work best for you, etc. Based on your needs the agent will help you search for and locate a home that is just right for you.
   
   
3. Stuff
   One of the biggest and sometimes the most overwhelming aspects of downsizing is what to do with all your "stuff". We all have accumulated a lot of furniture and household goods over the years. I knew I wanted my family members to have the opportunity to have family heirlooms. So I texted everyone and explained I was downsizing and asked them to contact me if they wanted any family "treasures". Don't be surprised or hurt if you don't hear anything and/or they don't want something that is important to you. Lifestyles of younger people often don't allow for them to take a large dining room set or 12 piece china set they will never use or collection of salt and pepper shakers.
   
   
4. Decide
   Take time to sort through your possessions and decide what to keep, sell, donate or discard.
   
   
5. Expectations
   Be realistic about the size of your next home when you decide what to keep. Going from a 2,000 square foot home to a 1,000 square foot condo obviously makes a big difference in terms of what you can actually keep. Start by going through your home and picking out the items you really love. It might be you Grandmother's antique chest of drawers or a special plate. Take that precious possession with you but your decisions should focus on the philosophy that less is more.
   
   
6. Sell
   Pick a reliable auctioneer or estate professional to handle the possessions you want to sell. Nowadays many sales are online. A professional can evaluate each item, photograph each item or group of items, advertise your sale, make arrangements for buyers to pick up their purchases, and collect proceeds.
   
   
7. Documents
   This is an opportunity to sort through and organize your paperwork. Inexpensive banker's boxes can hold those papers you must keep, e.g. birth certificates, passports, recent tax returns, transcripts, resumes, etc. Be ruthless and throw the rest out.
   
   
8. Photos
   Photographs are important reminders of the past; however, if you and no one else knows who is in the picture, you may want to sell them to someone who is interested in that time in history or give them to a local historical society. However, if there is no way to identify them and no one wants them, you may have to discard them. While you are looking through them and want to keep them, take a minute and put a note on the back with the names of the people in the picture. I wish my ancestors had labeled so many pictures I found and couldn't identify. I have a friend who has scanned family pictures rather than keeping the hard copies. There is an electronic photo album with these family pictures that now sits on the mantel in his home.
   
   
9. Donate
   There are many organizations that would be delighted to have the items you don't want or need, e.g. St. Vincent DePaul Society, Goodwill, etc. Some may even come to your home to pick up your donations. Set aside a space for items that are broken, dirty or not suitable for donation. For things that can't be donated or kept, I recommend you call a garbage company and have a dumpster placed at your home so you can throw stuff out immediately. You can save money by throwing out unwanted items each week with your trash. Note: some items, e.g. cans of paint may have to be disposed of in a specific way rather than in the trash.
   
   
10. Move
    Make arrangements to move. There are some good options to consider: moving yourself by renting a moving truck, packing your possessions and putting them in a " pod" where a company can move them to a new location, or hiring a moving company to do everything for you. Check with others to find the best moving company if you want someone else to move you. I used two of the above options-moving myself and hiring a moving company. I gathered up boxes from the grocery store, put items I wanted to move in the boxes, marked the boxes and moved some of them, like my clothes, myself. I had initially thought I would rent a truck and move everything myself. When I learned how economical the moving company I chose was, I used them to move me. They packed the boxes I had not moved in their their truck along with my furniture. When we got to my new home, they carefully placed my furniture and boxes in the the right rooms immediately and I was settled much more quickly.
    
    
11. Enjoy
    Remember to enjoy the next stage of your life. It's a wonderful new adventure!

Connie Ament, Realtor, Haring Realty Cincinnati