One of the most difficult times for seniors is when they relocate to another home, often in another state such as Florida or Arizona. In most cases, they must go through a senior downsizing that involves decluttering where they currently live.

As a national auto transport company, Direct Connect Auto Transport has worked many times with seniors who are making big moves from Los Angeles to Dallas or New York to Florida. Over time, it’s become clear what works best and what doesn’t work best when senior downsize and declutter.

Based on that experience, the following offers some downsizing and decluttering tips.

Downsizing and Decluttering for Seniors

The following tips apply to almost every situation. While senior relocations can seem like a daunting task to the people involved, as well as their family and friends, it’s much easier to manage if you have a smart strategy from the start.

Keep The Big Goal In Mind

When seniors downsize, the main goals are getting a smaller place and cutting down costs. A relocation may also allow seniors to move closer to adult children or grandchildren. Some seniors also relocate to have better access to high quality medical care. Whatever the case, keeping the ultimate goal in mind can motivate seniors to get through a relocation.

It’s a great feeling once they’ve accomplished it, but it does require having a plan. One of the advantages of age is that seniors understand the concept of delayed gratification! The hard work is worth it.

Start As Early As Possible

With any type of downsizing or decluttering project, the actual work takes longer than people usually expect. That’s because each room will contain items that might take longer to go through than expected, especially if they contain photo albums and memorabilia. Seniors shouldn’t wait until the last minute to start. The best approach is to start decluttering months in advance of moving day.

One Room At A Time

Considering the entire project all at once can become overwhelming, leading to “priority paralysis,” a term that describes the feeling of not knowing where to start on a big project. A better approach is to clear out one room at a time, pack up what remains, and then move on to the next room. It’s a systematic approach that tackles the work of decluttering in small, doable chunks.

When decluttering rooms, keep these things in mind.

  • Eliminate duplicate items. These often accumulate in the kitchen and in the clothes closet.
  • Eliminate rooms. Most seniors move into smaller homes when they declutter and downsize. That requires getting rid of furniture and other items in a room, such as the formal living room.
  • Stay decisive. Everything needs to be a hard yes or a hard no – no giant “maybe” piles to sort through later.

Making Tough Choices

Moving is an extremely emotional time for everyone, but it’s especially tough on seniors. They have belongings accumulated over many decades, with much of it carrying emotional attachments to children, friends and family. Throwing out sentimental items is difficult. It’s best for seniors to decide beforehand how much they’ll allow themselves to keep. As for other items, a good rule of thumb is to get rid of anything you haven’t worn or used in a year or longer.

Have a Yard Sale

Once seniors choose which items they want to eliminate, they shouldn’t hesitate to sell them through a yard sale or via online sites such as Ebay. Generating extra cash provides motivation to complete downsizing and decluttering. If the items won’t generate enough money to make them worth selling, then simply give them away to relatives, friends or charitable organizations.

Hire Professionals

Another consideration is to hire professionals who have experience in handling moves, including auto transport. A professional vehicle transportation service can save seniors and their families the trouble of working out a way to move a car over a long distance.

Seniors may not want to make a long drive, and family members may not want to spend the time and money needed to drive the car themselves (which includes costs of fuel, food and lodging along the way). Auto transport can solve these problems and also ensure that the vehicle arrives safely and on time at its new destination.

Keep these tips in mind as seniors prepare to declutter and downsize. By making a plan and starting early, seniors and their families can make this sometimes tough transition that much easier to manage.