As an older person, you may eventually reach that point in your life when you realize it is better to downsize than continue trying to maintain a big home you no longer need. Once that decision is made, it is on to finding a smaller home and deciding what stays and what goes. One of the services we provide at My Divine Concierge is complete packing, moving and unpacking for seniors. As part of that service, we often deal with furniture.
In cases where it is more practical to purchase new furniture rather than taking what’s in the house, we help our clients select new pieces that work well in their new space. If you can afford new furniture, here are three reasons you might want to consider it in a downsizing situation:
1. Better Use of Space
By definition, downsizing means you will end up with less living space in your new home. Unless your current home is already sparsely furnished, you are likely to have more furniture than you can reasonably take with you. That’s a given. However, you also might find that your current furniture will just not fit well in the new space because of its size, shape, etc.
Purchasing new furniture may help you better utilize the smaller space you’ll have in your new home. For example, a futon that can double as a guest bed takes up less space than a larger sleeper sofa. You accomplish the same thing without as much bulk occupying valuable floor space.
2. Updating Your Style
Many of the seniors we work with have furniture that is over 20 years old. Some of them would have updated their style previously but just lacked a reason to do so. Well, it turns out that downsizing provides the perfect reason to update. There are plenty of people that can put your old furniture to use, people just starting out or need replacement furniture but cannot afford to buy new. Donate or sell your old pieces and let us help you purchase new furniture that will make your smaller home look and feel more modern.
3. Making the Transition Easier
Leaving a home you have lived in for decades can be very difficult. There are many memories wrapped up in your house, memories that will be all that remained once you move. We have discovered that purchasing new furniture is one way to make the difficult transition from old space to new easier.
New furniture allows you to reinvent yourself and the way you choose to live. Furthermore, having something new brings with it a sense of satisfaction and personal ownership that can make your new space feel more like home more quickly. If new furniture is what it takes to help you put the past behind you in order to embrace the future, then go for it.
Of course, you may own a few pieces here and there you want to hold onto for sentimental reasons. That’s understandable. Room can always be found for those pieces in your new home. If you can afford to do so, however, we recommend you consider purchasing new furniture for your new home. Doing so will enable you better use of your space, it will allow you to update your style, and it may
make the transition to your new life a bit easier.