: to convert (something) to an appropriate or optimum size.
When I meet with clients, they are generally looking to “upsize” or “downsize” their home. In my experience, upsize usually means purchasing their second home and more times than not, it’s because of a growing family. Downsizing tends to sound more like a conscious choice and can be stereotypically associated with “older age” or retirement. If you’ve recently downsized and do not think of yourself in either of those categories - don't take offense! I literally just downsized myself and I am not retiring anytime soon. In fact, when my husband and I tell people that we decided to downsize because our children have all moved out, they always say, “you don’t look old enough to have children that age!”… which could be a whole other fun blog post.
Point being, we are in our early forties and we’ve recently rightsized (& in this account, it means that we downsized). We recently sold our home that was slightly over 2,300 square feet of living space (the average new single-family home is over 2,600 square feet, according to the United States Census Bureau) and purchased a condo that is a very real 913 square feet with ONE BATH, wait, what?! It has not been as fantastical as we both imagined but approaching the end of our second month in the space, it is starting to make sense. We also made the decision to do a full update to the condo which added another layer of stress but also gave us a chance to make the most of the small square footage by adding some recessed shelving and custom closets (& some pretty stuff too). We still have some purging to do (yes, we still have too much stuff) but it’s little and it’s lovely. Although, I wish we had a running tally of how many times I’ve froze and said, “Shhhhhh, what’s that noise?! Listen!” because it’s been at least 20 years since either of us has had an upstairs neighbor. I’m just glad that we have similar taste in music!
Selling or buying a home always makes the “Top Ten Stressful Events in Life” but when it comes to downsizing, the short-term stresses, without a doubt, overshadow the long-term benefits that may take time to see and feel. Packing and purging takes on a whole new meaning when you are significantly downsizing. Living in a much smaller space takes quit a bit of creativity too. If you need design help with how to Tetris the sh*t out of a closet, I’ll give you my husband’s email.
Our new front yard (which we don’t have to rake).
Don’t get me wrong, there is a great sense of freedom in not having a basement stacked ceiling-to-floor of belongings that you haven’t touched in decades. With that said, there were still moments where I found myself a little bummed that I had to decide if I wanted to keep my corner plant or have room for another chair at the dining room table. I usually get over it pretty quickly though, especially when I remember how much more free time (& money) I will have to do things that house projects and yard work used to monopolize. Oh, and the kids…they don’t need us on a daily basis either. What?!
Point is, our recent move has me much more sympathetic to the stresses my clients are under when they embark on a move. It was a nice reminder that will serve me greatly in 2020. Whether buying or selling, upsizing or downsizing, an organized approach is the framework for success and minimizing stress. Start early. Prioritize your goals. Make a plan. Keep a healthy perspective and try to have fun. I’m here to help! Really. I love what I do and I can help you manage the process through creative solutions, established connections, and a healthy dose of empathy.
Welcome to our new rightsized space: stay tuned for a “before and after” blog post of our reno project soon.