It is not too early to begin the planning process. February is a month when people tend to hibernate and, unless there is a crisis that precipitates an urgent move, it is easier to grit our teeth and resolve to make it through yet another bitterly cold winter without any more fuss than is necessary. Many people find it difficult to become motivated at this time of year. Yes, you have been meaning to tackle that den or the storage rooms in the basement butperhaps when the weather is nicer you will feel more like taking on those “not so fun” projects.
Of course time has a way of moving along and all of a sudden you realize that you have missed that Spring real estate market again this year. Even though you had the best of intentions it is actually a lot of work to tackle those closets and the reality is you are not getting any younger…
Sound familiar? Does this sound like you or one of your aging parents? Has avoidance become the default coping mechanism? If you don’t admit that your existing home is not meeting your current needs then you might just be able to coast for another year. Maybe you will feel more like yourself then.
Besides everyone seems to have very different opinions about what you should be doing so it may be the better part of valour to just do nothing… . You used to know with certainty how to navigate things but now it seems that all of the rules have changed. People used to appreciate the value of your well-made mahogany furniture – you paid a lot for it. And having three different soup tureens only meant that you had choices when you were entertaining and that was a good thing. You had excellent taste and of course you often hosted those fabulous formal dinner parties for twelve … . Now your kids don’t seem to have the same time or appreciation for that sort of thing and your grandchildren certainly don’t.
At this juncture people sometimes decide to let the chips fall where they may. If you don’t have to go through a major upheaval, really why would you? You might believe that if you only curtail your activities a bit more then everything will work out fine. Yes, some of your circle have moved on to condo life and other friends have moved to retirement residences but you can hang on… Yes it’s true that your cleaning lady doesn’t do a fabulous job anymore and really you are living in three rooms instead of nine but well, things change after all and you might not like the food in that retirement residence even though Anne tells you that it is really, really great not to have to think about meal preparation…
Yes you can make excuses and hope for the best or you can begin to explore your available options. You can visit the retirement residences in your community of choice and get a feel for each of them – as well as their food. You can also ask your realtor what your home might fetch in today’s market and what your condo options may be. You can be prepared. It is never a good idea to wait until there is a health crisis as you want to be able to make your own decisions. Family members are often well intended but they may not share the same tastes and values. Siblings often want the best for Mom and/or Dad but they may be the first to admit that they are not the best people to guide Mom and/or Dad throughout a transition process.
Once you have decided that making a move is your best option, engaging the services of a knowledgeable and skilled Senior Move Manager can make all the difference. From helping you with decisions about what to take, what to sell, what to share and what to do with what’s left over, we can help with all aspects of your upcoming move and set-up in your new home.
One of my clients has several works of art of some value. Having the art professionally installed with locks provides her with some additional peace of mind as she enjoys the many benefits of her new suite. Each individual and circumstance is different and tailored solutions offer peace of mind for everyone involved.
It is not too early to start planning now, particularly if you are considering a Spring move.. .
If you believe that your contacts may find this helpful, please share and visit us at www.movingseniorswithasmile.ca
Comments