Downsizing Your Life

Owning a home is an essential part of the American Dream. This is especially true for our generation, which grew up at a time when traditional family living, centered around the cozy home with a well-maintained lawn and a white picket fence, was idealized in magazines and on TV…
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Most people want to age in the home they have. According to AARP, three out of four people 50-plus want to stay in their homes and communities as they age…
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As the years go by, some of us may feel that a two- or three-bedroom home is too big or too expensive to maintain. However, there are many aspects to downsizing that we may not be able to see on our own…
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It’s not surprising that downsizing has become a big trend in the United States and other Western countries. After all, we are simply drowning in stuff! How much stuff? Well, according to the LA Times, the average U.S. household contains 300,000 items…
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A lot of people, including myself, have fallen hard for the “Konmari” craze. In case you’ve been hiding under a rock, the trend – which has spread like wildfire – is the result of the enormous success of Marie Kondo’s best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Read More

Are you fighting a never-ending battle with clutter? If you think you are alone, you’re not! According to the National Association of Professional Organizers: 54% of Americans are overwhelmed by clutter…

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Few trends have captured the imagination of soon-to-be retirees with as much force as downsizing. In fact, if you read most retirement blogs or books, downsizing feels like it is almost a prerequisite to moving into the next phase of your life. The truth, as I have found by managing a community of 500,000 recent retirees, is more complicated.  Read More

Finally, you have reached the age when you are beginning to think about downsizing. Perhaps you have familiarized yourself with all the practical and even emotional difficulties involved and have decided you are not quite ready to take the plunge.

Is there anything you can do in preparation for the eventual day? Read More

So now you’re retired: Kids are out of the house. Alarm clocks are quiet. Schedule is free. You might be walking around your home thinking, “Gosh, we have a lot of space.”

Retirement is a new chapter in life, and many see it as a chance to try something different and exciting. Read More

Recycling and reuse have been a part of our lives for as long as I can remember, but particularly since the 1990s when the recycling of some combination of paper, plastic…
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