How to Upgrade Your Lifestyle by Downgrading Your Home

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Do you have more home than you need?

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There may come a time in your life, maybe you’re already there, where you realize you have more house than you need. This may be due to your children having moved out, you have retired and no longer entertain large groups, or you just plain don’t want to mow the yard any more. Whatever the reason may be, this is a life changing event and should not be taken lightly.

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There are many benefits and things to consider when downsizing.

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Save on Costs

Although you are moving into a smaller home, it won’t necessarily be less expensive when it comes to your mortgage, insurance, and taxes. Maybe your smaller dream home is located in an exclusive high-cost neighborhood. Maybe your new home is in a different city or state with higher taxes. If your focus is to save on your mortgage, a smaller home in your current neighborhood or a comparable neighborhood can easily do the trick. Just remember the reasons that you chose to do this and the many benefits it brings you. Smaller homes come with less maintenance costs, especially if they have little to no yard, and there are fewer things to replace and\or upgrade. They will also use less energy to heat in the winter and cool in the summer because there is less living area. These savings can add up rather quickly to ensure your long term cash flow and provide extra money for the things you want in life.

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Save Time

Downsizing your home can also create an abundance of extra time in your schedule. Home maintenance on a larger home can take a large amount of time out of your days. From yard work to snow removal and cleaning to general maintenance inside and outside the home, you can lose many weekends of free time taking care of these types of chores. If this is a factor in choosing your downsized home, you may want to look into purchasing a patio home, townhome, or even a condo where many of these chores can be minimal or even obsolete. The amount of time you save not having to do all of these chores can now be spent with friends and family, picking up that new hobby you never had time for, or even traveling to the far off places you have always wanted to visit.

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Preparing to Downsize

Preparation is a major first step to downsizing your home. Getting yourself ready to move into a smaller home can be stressful and fulfilling all in one. The best things you can do are to start early, have a plan, and stay focused. You will have many tough decisions to make when deciding what to get rid of and what to keep. From clothes to furniture to keepsakes, whatever it is, you are going to have to decide what to do with many of your personal items. Setting up a system of how you want to go about the process and sticking to it will be extremely helpful. Many of your keepsakes that you decide to part with can go to friends and family for them to cherish as much as you have. Clothes and furniture can be easily donated as you go, or if you have room in your current home, you can schedule a pickup with most non profits to get all of the items at once. There will also be many items you come across that you forgot that you even had. These types of items, and many others, can be sold through online marketplaces to make a few extra dollars to help with the moving expenses. The key to your preparation is to have as much as you possibly can completed prior to your move. This will ensure that you don’t have too much clutter in your new home and have to worry about it while unpacking and organizing.

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Enjoying Your New Lifestyle

Downsizing your home is not just a physical change, but also a lifestyle change. Learning to live in a smaller home, not having a yard to maintain, and having extra time and money can all contribute to your new lifestyle. Knowing your plan of how to handle these changes will make the transition much smoother and manageable for you. Having more free time may not always equate to more time with family and friends. They may still be working their normal schedules and have many other things going on in their lives. Deciding what to do with your free time and extra money is all up to you. Hobbies, travel, and new experiences in life are now at your fingertips. Take a step back, relax, and enjoy your new lifestyle!

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Call me now to get pre approved!

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