5 Ways to Make Downsizing Homes Profitable Instead of Painful

As we age, we realize that the home we’ve been living in for years may no longer suit our needs. Perhaps it’s too big or has become too difficult to maintain. The thought of downsizing may initially seem painful, especially if the memories of our family are attached to it.

However, downsizing can be an opportunity to simplify our lifestyle and even increase our financial security. 

Read on for five ways to make downsizing homes a profitable experience rather than a painful one.

Start Early

If you’re considering downsizing your home, start planning early. Start by decluttering and sorting through the things you no longer need or want. 

Downsizing means letting go of things you’ve held onto for years, so it’s best to start sorting things out at least a few months before you move.

Create a Floor Plan

Once you have found a new place, create a floor plan. This will help you determine what furniture will fit in the new house and what won’t. 

By creating a picture of how your furniture will fit, you’ll save yourself time and money as you won’t be moving items that are not required.

Reevaluate Space Elsewhere

If you’re moving into a new space that has a smaller garage space, consider what tools or vehicles you still need. A new home can bring many expenses, including repairs and maintenance, so selling an older car can easily offset those expenses. 

Not only will you free up garage space, but you might also earn some extra cash. If you’re holding onto a car for an adult child, consider either selling it to them or getting cash for junk cars before you move.

Utilize a Professional Mover

Hiring a professional mover to help move and downsize is an excellent idea. Not only will they take care of packing and moving, but they might also provide storage solutions for items you can’t fit in your new home. 

Hiring a professional will help reduce the stress of moving and ensure that your goods are transported safely and efficiently.

List Your Home with a Professional Realtor

If you want to sell your current home, it is best to list it with a professional Realtor. A realtor will help you to maximize your home's value and market your home to potential buyers. 

They can also give you insights into the real estate market, which can be beneficial when searching for your new home.

Final Thoughts

Remember, downsizing can be a challenging process. However, you can make it a profitable and stress-free move by being prepared, creating a floor plan, decluttering, utilizing a professional mover, and selling an older car. 

By following these tips, you can trade the pains of downsizing for profits and a new, more relaxed lifestyle. So, downsize and discover a more comfortable and simplified living experience.

4 Cost-Effective Winter Home Organization Tips to Get Ahead of Spring Cleaning

It is not uncommon to wait until the end of winter to start your spring cleaning, but you can make it easier on yourself by starting your spring cleaning early.

Why not start organizing your home in the winter? This way, you already have several tasks completed when it is time to start cleaning your home from top to bottom.

Getting started early will also help prevent unnecessary cleanup costs in the future. Use the following winter home organization tips to get ahead of your spring cleaning.

Start Decluttering Early

Why wait until after the new year to declutter your home when you can start now? There are plenty of organizations and thrift stores that are accepting donations for the holidays. 

This is a great time to donate clothes, appliances, books, toys, and other items that are in good condition but never used. It is easier to clean and organize your home when you lighten the load because you have fewer items in your way. 

Allowing your belongings to pile up too much may require you to hire a cleaning service if the mess becomes too much to handle alone.

Toss Unusable Items

There are items that are not salvageable or reusable at all, from stained clothes to damaged electronics. Damaged appliances can even lead to costly property damage if they are an electrical hazard. 

This also includes expired medication, toiletries, and cosmetics. It is time to get rid of these items to make room for items that are wearable or usable. 

One idea is to look into dumpster rental to avoid making several trips to a local dumpster. Renting a dumpster is also ideal if you are getting rid of heavy or bulky items, such as a broken washing machine.

Consider Storage Solutions

You also want to consider the storage solutions you are using in your home. Do you need shelf risers or a lazy Susan for your pantry? Are you looking to reorganize the bookcase in your living room? 

Maybe you want to invest in a storage cubby for your child's playroom, and do not forget about the storage solutions in your home office. 

It is easier to organize certain areas when you consider the storage solutions you have or need for your home.

Organize Main Areas

Finally, you may want to start organizing the main areas before the holidays. For example, you can divide your pantry into zones to make meal prep a breeze. 

Another example is separating everyone's toiletries into labeled containers for easier access. Of course, you should also organize the cabinet or closet of cleaning supplies. 

You can organize the areas that are not used often during your actual spring cleaning.

It never hurts to get a head start on your spring cleaning. If you keep the above tips in mind, you can cross several tasks off your to-do list before winter is even over.

4 Steps Seniors Should Consider When They Want to Downsize After Retirement

Downsizing is a great way for you to simplify your life and potentially save yourself some money, but that project is easier said than done. If you have recently retired and are ready to downsize, then you need to come up with a long-term plan that is going to streamline that process.

Cleaning

When it comes to any move, decluttering is always going to be one of the most important steps. Spending a little bit of time cleaning up your home and the rest of your property is going to make each following step that much easier. 

If you own the home and plan on selling it, then you might want to consider getting it professionally cleaned as well. Professional cleaning services are very affordable, and they could save you quite a few hours of work and get a deeper clean than you might be able to get.

Categorizing Your Belongings

Once your home has been cleaned, it is then time to begin the process of categorizing all of your belongings and decluttering. While that task might seem daunting, you can turn each room into its own separate project, going as quickly or as slowly as you need. 

As you go through your possessions, you should break them up by items that should be thrown out, given away, sold, and kept.

Finding the Ideal Living Arrangement

After you have gone through your entire home and all of your possessions, it will be much easier to determine exactly what kind of new living arrangements you are going to need. 

For example, you might be looking for an apartment or condo if you don’t want to deal with a lot of space or yard maintenance. If you expect to have family over regularly, you might want something with a little more space.

Instead of looking for a new home on your own, you should consider working with an experienced real estate agent who understands the local market. 

Explain to them exactly what you’re looking for in terms of location, space, maintenance, and other considerations. As long as you start your search early on, you will have plenty of time to find the perfect living arrangement.

Preserving the Items You Want to Keep

Even if you are able to get rid of a sizable portion of your possessions, you will still probably need to put at least some of your belongings in storage. 

Many people are surprised to hear that quite a few everyday items require climate-controlled storage so that they don’t become damaged. Luckily, those units are often fairly inexpensive if you sign an annual contract.

Older adults who are getting ready to retire and downsize should try to start this process as early on as possible. Downsizing is going to be easier and less stressful if you take the first steps a few years before you plan on retiring and moving to a smaller residence.

How to Make Money While Cleaning Your Home

Thoroughly cleaning your house every spring or fall can give you a great sense of accomplishment as well as make your home feel more spacious. While it is easy to find the obvious things you want to get rid of in the regular living areas, don’t overlook additional places in and around your home that need a good cleaning and will let you earn money in the process.

Attic

Past generations of mementos and trunks full of retro-style clothing can fetch a fair price when sold. Buyer interest and pricing depends largely on the items’ condition, their age, and the prevalence of similar items on the market already. 

Look through old boxes, bags, stacks, and trunks of things that you might not have thought about for a while. Chances are good that there will be plenty of items to part with, some of which could be bringing in unexpected income.

Basement

The basement or any storage area of your home may be full of unwanted trash that others will happily consider as treasures. Books, unused furniture, old toys and games, and similar possessions that no longer are used in your home can be advertised for sale online or locally at competitive prices. 



Make sure they are clean and in good condition and take care when shipping anything to a buyer to ensure that it is wrapped protectively and tracked by the shipping service to confirm delivery.

Shed

Your shed may need a good decluttering to make room for a new riding mower or other lawn equipment. Older tools and equipment are often sought by homeowners, contractors, and entrepreneurs who are looking for quality products at affordable prices. Unused construction leftovers, lawn decorations, and pet supplies may also draw buyer interest.

Garage

Don’t forget to look through your garage to get rid of things you no longer need. Extra painting supplies, garden tools, and patio umbrellas or kids’ swings are typical of used merchandise eager buyers are seeking. 

Vehicle enthusiasts will gladly pay cash for junk cars to restore and drive them or dismantle the frames for parts. Bicycles, skates, and other outdoor sports gear are also popular on consignment lists or at thrift stores.

Organize everything you no longer want or need, market it locally or online, and then collect cash as buyers carry away or receive by shipment your discarded debris. There is hardly an easier way to make easy cash.

4 Ways Decluttering Your Home Literally Pays Off

Decluttering your home brings peace of mind. Your efforts to get rid of extra junk will reward you both financially and psychologically. Fortunately, there are many well-documented ways that decluttering pays off.

Getting rid of excess possessions reduces or eliminates storage costs

If you drive around any large metro area, you’ll notice a large number of storage units. Obviously, there is a large demand for space by people who have more possessions than will comfortably fit into their home. Many storage units cost $100 or $200 a month.

By downsizing and decluttering, you won’t have to continue paying for storage space. This simple action can easily save you a thousand dollars or more per year.

Find your bills on time so you don’t pay things late

Anyone who has ever forgotten to pay a bill because it was lost in a sea of disorganized clutter knows the frustration of paying hard-earned cash in penalties and interest because you simply have too much junk sitting around. Being disorganized is not only stressful, but it is also expensive in terms of wasted money and time spent searching for lost mail and papers.




It is truly amazing how easy it is to change this type of situation once you start clearing space and getting rid of excess junk. Important paperwork can be the easiest thing to lose in a sea of clutter.

You call to sell or donate the stuff you don’t need for cash

The most obvious way you can make money from decluttering is to sell your excess stuff. You can sell an iPhone in Canada or unused laptops and have an extra $200 dollars in your pocket in a cool 24-hour period. Garage sales are another time-tested method for selling off unwanted items to neighbors.

Another way to cash in on your extra stuff is to donate it and take a tax deduction. If your tax bracket is high enough, you can sometimes save as much money in taxes as you would selling it outright and with less hassle.

You no longer have to buy replacement items because you can’t find what you need in the clutter.

It is a rare person who hasn’t gone out to spend money on something they needed because they couldn’t find it at home. Buying duplicates is expensive. Organized people don’t have to do that.

There is no time to waste. Decluttering is a simple way to improve both your financial standing and lifestyle. There is no logical excuse for dealing with the substantial stress experienced every time you waste your time hunting for something you need and can’t find.