It may be time to downsize if...

Cindy Murphy
Mar 31
7 min read

Updated: Apr 1

Episode #18: This week, to wrap up March, the "Living Smaller & Loving It!" downsizing blog takes a look at several downsizing topics and recaps our Lunch & Learn at Foxwood Springs on March 24th.

As always, please see our ANNOUNCEMENTS at the bottom of the page.

First, what is downsizing?

The physical act of reducing and/or eliminating the excess or abundance of objects and possessions within the living environment.

separate from, or in conjunction with...

The exchange of a larger dwelling for a smaller, more manageable one.

Downsizing Simplified definition.

It may be time to downsize if...

You've come to the conclusion that the excess stuff in your life is annoying.
Your around-the-house "to-do" list keeps growing.
You secretly envy those who have free time on their hands.
Your garage and basement make you anxious.
You still dream of a first-floor laundry even though the dream evaporated years ago.
You're holding yearly garage sales.
Your adult children have started dropping hints about the advantages of hiring professional handymen.
You are tired of climbing steps.
You dream of a walk-in shower.
You've closed off all the unused rooms in the house, and you actually like living in a smaller space.
You can no longer park your car in the garage.
You dread spring and fall yard cleanups.
Your kids are suggesting it may be time to consider getting rid of some of your stuff.

Now, let's play TRUE or FALSE!

The longer I wait to sort through my stuff, the easier it will be. T or F
My family will love the task of going through my things once I'm gone. T or F
If you spend a lot of time moving your stuff around or trying to keep it organized (or hidden), you have too much stuff. T or F
Chotchkes are priceless valuables that everyone should own. T or F
Just because a friend or relative gave you something does not mean you have to keep it, especially if you don't like it. T or F
Buying stuff you don't need just to have it on hand is a good idea. T or F
If you still have boxes or tubs stored from the last move, it may be time to do some sorting. T or F
There are moving truck parking lots in the Great Beyond. T or F
The person with the most stuff at the end of their life WINS! T or F

Now, a few topics from our downsizing seminars. These are attendee-shared topics discussed with the group.

This is a good seminar discussion practice I use because attendees have the opportunity to relate to one another — they hear what others are saying and know they're not the only ones facing or considering the downsizing process.

Making the decision to downsize can be difficult, and the process involved can be time-consuming and often overwhelming. If you are considering downsizing, what are some of the challenges you will face? We're all unique, and each of us has unique challenges.

What will I need in the future?
Letting go of things that belonged to my parents and grandparents.
Time. Hard to go through memories.
Who will want my stuff?
I will need help with everything — no family.
Having enough energy.
Deciding where to move and my needs in making the choice.
Dealing with my husband's extensive ancestry library and research files.
Getting my spouse to cooperate.
Giving up long-time treasured belongings.
Papers--I'm an information junkie.

and many, many more.

What are some of the pros and cons of downsizing?

PROS.

No more house maintenance.
Taxes.
A fresh start, new acquaintances.
Health concerns--present and future.

CONS.

Leaving my longtime home.
Sorting through my things and making decisions.
Finding a new place to live.
Accepting the fact that I'm getting older and need to make a lifestyle change (also a Pro).

WRITE YOUR DOWNSIZING MISSION STATEMENT.

"Simplifying My Life Through Downsizing." Be concise and give details. Explain your mission statement to yourself — it must make sense to you. List all the reasons you want to simplify your life. Is it to travel more, do you want to move closer to your grandkids, or is your home too costly to maintain? Write it all down.

DECIDE. COMMIT. BELIEVE. ACHIEVE.

Once a decision to downsize has been made, a strong commitment to the decision is necessary. Then believing in yourself to follow through with whatever it takes to accomplish the goals you set is HUGE! To learn more, please visit our past blog post:

Decide. Commit. Believe. Achieve.

MAKING A PLAN THAT WORKS.

If there's no plan in place, chances are there won't be much progress. Build your customized plan based on or around your "mission statement". Plans must clearly define objectives and goals, including tasks and completion dates.

Here are some considerations when putting your PLAN together:

Be realistic about your initial plan. Only take on what you can accomplish. Maybe start small and build momentum with more difficult or complex tasks as time passes.
Do not become overwhelmed or discouraged by trying to do more than you're capable of. This can lead to giving up.
If you need help, ask for it. Sometimes "teamwork" can be the positive you need.
If you fall behind on your tasks or things seem off track, take a break, reassess, and start again when you're ready.

When major tasks have been completed, do the "Happy Dance"! We encourage our customers to celebrate the wins!

For a thorough explanation of putting a plan together, please visit our blog post:

Making Your Downsizing Plan.

THE DOWNSIZING PROCESS STEPS.

Whether moving or staying in your home, the steps of the downsizing process will vary somewhat. There is one step that we, as downsizing specialists, consider the most time-consuming: SORTING & PARING DOWN belongings. This step will be a major part of your PLAN, and careful consideration of time will be necessary.

It's never too early to start sorting through and paring down the contents of your home.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Am I committed to the downsizing process?
What is my motivation?
What area of my home will be the most problematic to sort through?
Can I be objective about the contents of my home?
Can I make the necessary and often difficult decisions regarding the contents?
Do I have an estimated completion date for all the tasks?
Will I need help at some point along the way?

For more information regarding the Downsizing Process Steps, please visit our blog post:

The Downsizing Process Steps.

Helpful blog posts about what to do with your stuff:

KEEP The Things I'll Be Keeping.

GIFTING to FAMILY & FRIENDS Gifting to FAMILY & FRIENDS.

DONATING Let's DONATE!

SELLING Ways to Sell Your Stuff.

###

Our “Living Smaller & Loving It! downsizing seminar at Foxwood Springs Senior Living on March 24th was a success! We had a great turnout, and the attendees learned all about downsizing and the steps involved. Lots of ideas shared along with practical solutions to some of downsizing’s biggest stumbling blocks. Positive written reviews with recommendations for the seminar were received +. Attendees also rated the venue as excellent.

Thank you to the stellar Marketing Team at Foxwood for a delicious lunch and your most gracious hospitality. Tours were conducted following the seminar.

Foxwood Springs is a CCRC in Raymore, Mo.

A QUESTION to Post Readers: Would you prefer to attend an in-person or a virtual downsizing seminar? Let us know via the CONTACT page of the website or send an email with the subject line: In Person or Virtual, then tell us which you'd prefer. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITIES.

Hosting a downsizing seminar does not mean your community will receive a rush of new residents, but a seminar can plant a seed not only about the downsizing process but also about your community (they will remember). Downsizing takes time; plant the seed.

Our seminars are an affordable way to reach potential new residents…we can reach them in a way you may be unable to with solid information they want to know. Informative take-home materials are given to each attendee. Contact for more information.

###

"Living Smaller & Loving It!"

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Our Downsizing Information REACH is GROWING!

Vintage Map Design/Downsizing Simplified

Knock-knock, we've got site visitors, and we're excited about that.

Take a look at where our unique visitors are coming from on our

STORIES, SNIPPETS & SHARES web page.

(February Stats)

###

COMING UP Spring 2026: As our new "Senior Living in Kansas City" web page prepares to launch (Spring '26), I wanted to share some statistics that we've recently compiled regarding the senior communities that are currently available in the Greater Metro. The "Senior Living in Kansas City" page will list all communities in the Metro, organized by State, then alphabetically by Region (North of the River, etc.) and City.

Our new "Front Door" Program will give participating program communities direct links from their community listing on our page to their homepage. Page visitors will be able to choose the part of the Metro they prefer to live in, the type of community they desire (IL/AL/MC), then select the community, click, and visit! We believe this page will be a valuable resource to our site visitors.

Now the numbers, Metrowide...as of this post (2/11/26), there are:
79 Independent Living Communities
99 Assisted Living Communities
39 Memory Care Communities
TOTAL COMMUNITIES: 217
In addition: 69 Senior Apartment Buildings and Subsidized Housing Units/Apartments

*For communities wanting more information regarding our "Front Door" Program, please connect with us via the CONTACT page, by phone (816) 358-6338 or email, info@downsizingsimplified.com (all accessible through the Contact page). The "Front Door" Program is an affordable participation opportunity!

COMING UP: A new RESOURCES page. This page will feature both not-for-profit and for-profit business resources for seniors. All listings will have direct links to the company's website for immediate contact. If you are a for-profit business and would like more information on listing costs, please use the CONTACT link.

Here are some of the for-profit businesses that conduct business with Seniors (click the arrow to expand or collapse the listing):

In-Home Health Care
Adult Daycare
Elder Law & Estate Planning
Dentist
Physician
Hearing/Audiology
Optometry/Ophthalmology
Podiatrist
Hospital/Clinic
Housekeeping
Insurance
Transportation
Moving
Personal Chef
Personal Shopper
Veterinarian
Realtor/Real Estate Services
Automotive
Junk Hauler
Home Improvement
Plumber
HVAC
Electrician
Estate Sales/Auction

... and more!

Please like, comment, share, and subscribe; we appreciate your support.

Downsizing Simplified

Simplifying Lifestyles Since 2007

Episode #18: This week, to wrap up March, the "Living Smaller & Loving It!" downsizing blog takes a look at several downsizing topics and recaps our Lunch & Learn at Foxwood Springs on March 24th.

As always, please see our ANNOUNCEMENTS at the bottom of the page.

First, what is downsizing?

The physical act of reducing and/or eliminating the excess or abundance of objects and possessions within the living environment.

separate from, or in conjunction with...

The exchange of a larger dwelling for a smaller, more manageable one.

Downsizing Simplified definition.

It may be time to downsize if...

You've come to the conclusion that the excess stuff in your life is annoying.

Your around-the-house "to-do" list keeps growing.

You secretly envy those who have free time on their hands.

Your garage and basement make you anxious.

You still dream of a first-floor laundry even though the dream evaporated years ago.

You're holding yearly garage sales.

Your adult children have started dropping hints about the advantages of hiring professional handymen.

You are tired of climbing steps.

You dream of a walk-in shower.

You've closed off all the unused rooms in the house, and you actually like living in a smaller space.

You can no longer park your car in the garage.

You dread spring and fall yard cleanups.

Your kids are suggesting it may be time to consider getting rid of some of your stuff.

Now, let's play TRUE or FALSE!

The longer I wait to sort through my stuff, the easier it will be. T or F

My family will love the task of going through my things once I'm gone. T or F

If you spend a lot of time moving your stuff around or trying to keep it organized (or hidden), you have too much stuff. T or F

Chotchkes are priceless valuables that everyone should own. T or F

Just because a friend or relative gave you something does not mean you have to keep it, especially if you don't like it. T or F

Buying stuff you don't need just to have it on hand is a good idea. T or F

If you still have boxes or tubs stored from the last move, it may be time to do some sorting. T or F

There are moving truck parking lots in the Great Beyond. T or F

The person with the most stuff at the end of their life WINS! T or F

Now, a few topics from our downsizing seminars. These are attendee-shared topics discussed with the group.

This is a good seminar discussion practice I use because attendees have the opportunity to relate to one another — they hear what others are saying and know they're not the only ones facing or considering the downsizing process.

Making the decision to downsize can be difficult, and the process involved can be time-consuming and often overwhelming. If you are considering downsizing, what are some of the challenges you will face? We're all unique, and each of us has unique challenges.

What will I need in the future?

Letting go of things that belonged to my parents and grandparents.

Time. Hard to go through memories.

Who will want my stuff?

I will need help with everything — no family.

Having enough energy.

Deciding where to move and my needs in making the choice.

Dealing with my husband's extensive ancestry library and research files.

Getting my spouse to cooperate.

Giving up long-time treasured belongings.

Papers--I'm an information junkie.

and many, many more.

What are some of the pros and cons of downsizing?

PROS.

No more house maintenance.

Taxes.

A fresh start, new acquaintances.

Health concerns--present and future.

CONS.

Leaving my longtime home.

Sorting through my things and making decisions.

Finding a new place to live.

Accepting the fact that I'm getting older and need to make a lifestyle change (also a Pro).

WRITE YOUR DOWNSIZING MISSION STATEMENT.

DECIDE. COMMIT. BELIEVE. ACHIEVE.

Once a decision to downsize has been made, a strong commitment to the decision is necessary. Then believing in yourself to follow through with whatever it takes to accomplish the goals you set is HUGE! To learn more, please visit our past blog post:

Decide. Commit. Believe. Achieve.

MAKING A PLAN THAT WORKS.

If there's no plan in place, chances are there won't be much progress. Build your customized plan based on or around your "mission statement". Plans must clearly define objectives and goals, including tasks and completion dates.

Here are some considerations when putting your PLAN together:

Be realistic about your initial plan. Only take on what you can accomplish. Maybe start small and build momentum with more difficult or complex tasks as time passes.

Do not become overwhelmed or discouraged by trying to do more than you're capable of. This can lead to giving up.

If you need help, ask for it. Sometimes "teamwork" can be the positive you need.

If you fall behind on your tasks or things seem off track, take a break, reassess, and start again when you're ready.

When major tasks have been completed, do the "Happy Dance"! We encourage our customers to celebrate the wins!

For a thorough explanation of putting a plan together, please visit our blog post:

Making Your Downsizing Plan.

THE DOWNSIZING PROCESS STEPS.

It's never too early to start sorting through and paring down the contents of your home.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Am I committed to the downsizing process?

What is my motivation?

What area of my home will be the most problematic to sort through?

Can I be objective about the contents of my home?