Looking after my grandma

When it is time to move out of the family home into something smaller, it is only natural to get depressed. After all, you have spent years living in the family home, and it holds wonderful memories. However, once you move and settle into your new unit at the retirement village, you will start making new happy memories. To break the downsizing task into mentally and physically acceptable chunks, use these three pointers.

Get measurements first

Once you have decided on which retirement village you are moving to, ask the manager or owner to provide you with a plan of the unit which includes measurements. If there is no plan available, ask for access to the unit early so you can create one yourself. A family member or friend can come along and help hold the other end of the tape measure.

A measured layout of your unit helps you decide on what furniture items will fit in your new home, and which ones take up too much space.

Divide belongings among family now

To be brutally honest, why wait until you have passed away before your belongings get divided among your children and other heirs? Now is the time to ask your family if there are things they would like to take earlier. Of course, you don't need to give away your most prized possessions. But, it's not necessary to move linen for six beds to your new home when there is only one bed there.

However, be mentally prepared to hear the answer 'no thanks' to your offer. Items you treasure are potentially seen as dated by the younger generation. Don't take it personally if you need to sell your excess stuff to strangers.

Take your time packing

Packing up a family home is a task which is both mentally and physically exhausting, so it is important that you make allowances for this. Several ways you can do this include:

1. don't leave the packing until the last moment as it will take time to get done
2. work for 20 minutes at a time and then take a rest, so you don't hurt the muscles in your body
3. ask family and friends to help, so you don't feel overwhelmed having to do everything yourself

Once you have the downsizing task finished, you can look forward to moving to your new home at the retirement village. A whole host of new experiences and friendships await you there, so remember to look forward to this new chapter of your life.