Moving into a senior living community provides the opportunity to downsize. Downsizing can be a somewhat stressful time; however, it offers a variety of outstanding benefits, including less cleaning and maintenance. Use these tips to streamline the process and feel satisfied with the results.

Top 4 Downsizing Tips for Hassle-Free Senior Living

1. Learn the Square Footage of Your New Residence

Learn as much as you can about your senior housing, including the square footage and storage space. This makes deciding what you want to take considerably easier. If possible, ask for a floor plan and refer to it as you sort.

2. Sort by Room

Focus on sorting through items one room at a time. This will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed while increasing organization. Label boxes with words such as “Keep,” “Donate,” and “Give to Family.” A good rule is to think whether you or someone else will get more use out of an item in question. This tactic makes sorting items simpler and possibly less emotional.

3. Request Help

Obtain the help of friends and family, especially when you need to move heavy furniture or appliances. Your loved ones will be happy to do the heavy lifting and haul furniture and other sizable items to local thrift and consignment stores. They can also carry heavy boxes and help you clean hard-to-reach areas. Cleaning as you go saves time at the end of downsizing.

4. Use Scrapbooks & Digital Options

Preserve your memories in scrapbooks rather than boxes to save room at your new senior living community. Scrapbooks make it easy to look through photos and relive treasured memories without bulky, disorganized boxes. You may also want to transfer photos and documents onto digital files to save even more space at your new residence.

If you’re looking to downsize without sacrificing community, consider Longhorn Village in Austin, TX. Their first-class senior living community has a vibrant and active group of residents, and they combine recreational activities and special events with individualized senior care designed to keep members happy and healthy. For more information, call Longhorn Village at (512) 266-5600 or the Health Care Center at Longhorn Village at (512) 382-4664. Visit the website to see sample floor plans of their independent living apartments. Like the senior living community on Facebook to keep up with the latest events and happenings.