Retirement Living Rightsizing Tips

What exactly does “rightsizing” mean? According to Dictionary.com, it means “to adjust to an appropriate size.” For those looking to move into a Life Plan Community, rightsizing means making important decisions about what items from your current home will make you happiest in your new home.

Be true to yourself. If you haven’t used something in a year or two, do you really think you’re going to use it in your new home? Odds are that belonging will not be used and will remain clutter. You may want to start with rooms you don’t normally use since that’s where you can find the unused belongings that you didn’t know you had or need. Ask yourself, do I use it? Do I need it? Or do I love it? If you answered no to these questions, get rid of it.

Donate old clothing, shoes, etc. to family members, a local Goodwill or your favorite nonprofit. Repurpose a dresser for a television stand or buffet. If you have a lot of photos in frames and don’t think you’ll have enough space in the new home for them, try creating a photo album. Saving space with one album versus several picture frames can be a fun way to relive memories and make it easier to share them with others.

Sometimes rightsizing can be more comfortable for individuals if they receive help from their community or loved ones. If you are assisting someone with rightsizing, don’t rush them, their belongings have memories and at times emotional attachments that are not easy to let go of. Provide support by helping them come up with a plan that includes a process, and a timeline.

You can play a significant role in this process by helping sort through the person’s belongings, maximizing the use of items brought to the new home. After speaking with Ingleside residents, we learned how this assistance can go a long way.

Here are some tips from a current Ingleside at Rock Creek resident about their rightsizing experience:

“If I could do it again, I would choose to be more involved. I let the company do the whole thing but I would have felt more comfortable if I had been more directly involved. We are friends with a current resident who recommended the rightsizing company that she used. We took comfort in knowing that she trusted them.”

-Mrs. Ruth Heuven, Ingleside at Rock Creek Resident

Rightsizing makes the exciting process of moving into a new home easier and less stressful.

Start Rightsizing today!