After you have downsized from a single family home to a condo or townhouse the next step might be downsizing to a retirement community. Here is an article I found about this process:
After 20 years in your home you are faced with moving. Simply put moving is a stressful time requiring emotional, mental and physical exertion. The idea of sorting, shuffling, organizing, packing, unpacking and managing a move can be more than most want to even consider and the discussion stops there. However many forward thinking retirees are opting to downsize and move to a retirement community sooner to enable themselves to live a better quality of live free from the stresses of home ownership. Many are also moving to be proactive about their future health care needs and to ensure peace of mind for their family. As ready as you maybe mentally to take the leap, there are still many things to consider when you have lived in a home for an extended period of time. The task of downsizing from your home into an apartment can seem extremely daunting and nearly impossible.
Downsizing and moving does not have to be such a stressful anxiety-ridden time in your life. It can be exciting, full of new challenges, wonderful new friends and an opportunity to ease your burdens of home ownership. To lessen the stress of a move it is important to begin small.
1. Start by emptying closets and storage space. This is your opportunity to purge belongings before your children, friends or loved ones are left to do it for you and likely not the way you would have done it.
2. Identify items your children, friends or loved ones may want and give them away.
3. Contact someone that can assist with selecting furniture to bring and furniture to leave/sell/donate. I suggest Smart Move Services, owned by June Wood. 250-240-2816. Her website is www.smartmoveservices.ca
4. Take an inventory of your closet, anything you have not worn in the last year, remove! Donate or consign.
5. Decide if you want to hold onto your home while moving or sell/rent your home first. If it is financially feasible to sell your home after you have moved this option will make the transition easier.
6. Stick to it. Decide in advance the date you want to move and begin living in your new home. Stick to this date and do not waiver. Once you are in and settled you will be glad you did.