Goodbye shoveling snow, cooking dinner every day, and dusting the whole house.
Hello chef-prepared meals, yoga classes, and outings to the theater.
Yes, you’re giving up a sense of familiarity by leaving the home where you may have raised your family. But you’re gaining your freedom, as well as the opportunity to meet new people and try new things. As for your memories, they don’t transfer with the house. They belong to you—and the ones you love.
Indeed, for a lot of people, making the move to a senior-living community just makes sense. But there’s no denying that it’s a big job transitioning from a house full of stuff to your new light-on-your-feet lifestyle.
Get a Floor Plan—and Use It
Most senior living communities have websites where you will be able to find the different floor plans they offer. Print out a copy of yours and use it to decide what furniture you want to bring with you and how you will place your furniture. The floor plan will also give you a sense of how much cabinet space you’ll have, as well as storage.
Make an Effort To Meet the Staff
One of the big advantages of senior living is that you’ll finally have your own staff—people to cook for you, clean for you (if desired), and fix things for you. Find out who your point person is and get to know him or her. You’ll want to know exactly where to go when you need help.
Make Yourself at Home
While it’s true that you don’t want a lot of clutter or over-stuffed closets in your new place, you do want it to feel like home.
Make sure to bring any paintings or photos that you love and hang them up quickly. Bring throw pillows, figurines or family heirlooms—just not too many!
Be Smart About Storage
Yes, you’re paring down and parting with things you don’t need. But that doesn’t mean that you have to get rid of things you truly love. This is where renting a self storage unit can be useful.
Perhaps you use a small unit—say 25 square feet or so—to store Christmas decorations. Or maybe you have a few special antiques that your daughter would love to have once she buys a house. It could be that you’re a bit of a clothes horse and plan on storing half your wardrobe when it’s not in season.
At StorageMart, we offer affordable self-storage units that range from about the size of a closet to the size of a garage—or even bigger. They can be rented on a month-by-month basis and are always clean and well-lit. Check out our storage unit size guide or rent a unit online today. If you decide you don’t need the extra storage, you can easily let it go. But it’s not so easy to get treasured art, heirlooms, or mementos back once they’re gone.