Installment 2 in From Decision to Downsized: The 6 Week Plan to Your NEXTadventure
You’ve been in your house for ages. Love it or not, it feels like home. But sometimes what was right for us five, ten, or even twenty years ago may be more trouble than it’s worth. Years of accumulating furniture, books, and knickknacks without enough storage can feel oppressive and prevent you from truly relaxing at home. Home layouts that don’t consider everyday living can really wear a person out. Up and down the stairs with laundry, keeping up the yard, and constantly cleaning can take a toll. Couple that with too many appliances, too few cabinets, uninspired master bedrooms, and not enough green space—and you’re bound to wonder about a new and different living experience.
Often, downsizing and moving to a new home comes to fruition because life changes.
- Just Not Sustainable When homeownership is the American Dream, big footprints and stately curb appeal can generate a great sense of pride and joy. Maybe you ran your home office like a boss, played home base for a gaggle of neighborhood kids, or let your creative side run wild in creating decor.If this still makes you happy, keep doing what you’re doing for as long as it brings you joy. But if the amount of work it takes to upkeep means an arsenal of contractors and service providers, plus a ton of time and resources, living large may no longer be sustainable.
- Change of Pace Have those things that seemed exciting as a young adult lost their luster? Sometimes the excitement of a city distills down to urban strife or a family-oriented suburban development starts to feel loud and boisterous, and it becomes time for a change of pace.Give yourself the freedom to fantasize about a life unfettered by good schools or keeping up with the Joneses. Research the market and fully embrace even your wildest dreams of a change of scenery.
- Clutter Anxiety Unless your superpower is being able to ignore piles and bins of the stuff of everyday living, clutter can be a real damper on feeling peaceful in your own home. If you didn’t have the foresight to make storage a top priority, over time you’ll find yourself brimming with tools, holiday decorations, and treasured keepsakes.A commitment to downsizing will edit down this stuff to the bare essentials. Moving forces you to flush out every nook and cranny. Apply a shrewd decision-making technique (see our article on Clearing the Clutter) and you’ll recover the peace of mind of an ordered life, without the relentless pursuit of managing so many possessions.
- Realignment of Personal Values For much of your adult life, you’ve stuck to your guns about what is the most valuable to you. It’s important to recognize that those pillars can change over the course of your life. What may have been all about material possessions in your twenties and nesting for your kids in your thirties and forties, evolves into a desire for meaningful experiences in your fifties.Embrace the new you with a home that affords you the opportunity to tackle every single thing on your bucket list AND have a zen-like home environment.
Jumpstart Your NEXTadventure™
The hardest part in making your NEXTadventure™ possible can often be the simple decision to do it. Weigh out the pros and cons of leaving your current home and embrace your decision. If it’s to move, then get ready to spend the next three months in transition. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is your new home. Now, Decisions, Decisions.
Tell us what you think about downsizing on Twitter at @taylor_morrison. We’d love to know what you’re up to. Did you know that we are building a living example of inspired living for 55 and Better communities in celebration of the International Builders Show? Watch the progress of The NEXTadventure™ Home using #nextadventurehome.
