Interstate Moving
Have you reached an age when you’re thinking about thinking smaller? If yes, then think of professional interstate movers ay MovingVanline.com.
Then take a flinty-eyed look at that big old dining room table, with its eight chairs, matching sideboard and china cabinet. And the baby grand piano. And the nine-foot sofa, the oversize recliner, the power lawn mower, the hundreds of books, multiple sets of dishes and countless thatches you’ve collected over the years.
Then bid adieu to excess baggage as you swap a house and yard too big for your needs for more manageable digs.
And don’t despair. You’ll not be alone in making a post-midlife move. Although Americans change addresses less frequently as they age, nearly 40 percent will move at least once after turning 60, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Moreover, demographers say the number of downsizes is likely to grow as baby boomers retire and life expectancy continues to rise.
But moving into more compact quarters, be it in the heart of the city or a suburban retirement village, shouldn’t mean giving up a sense of home.
Once you know where you’re moving start look for an experienced interstate mover at MovingVanLine.com, count the rooms you have and the rooms you will have, and calculate the square footage of both. Armed with a floor plan of the prospective nest, decide what furnishings you can’t live without and determine if they will actually fit. Compare closet space. In a retirement community or apartments, inquire about additional storage areas.
Then prioritize: Decide what you want to do in your new home, which old hobbies and activities are being swapped for new ones.
Just because the floor plan says bedroom, dining room or kitchen, they don’t have to use it that way. They may want to use an eat-in kitchen for crafts because it has great light, and take their meals in the dining area. Someone with a wonderful library may want to put their books in the dining room.
Cherished pieces that don’t make the cut can be offered to family and friends, an auction house or consignment shop. If you have grown children, tell them to remove or throw out what they’ve been storing at your place. Whatever isn’t spoken for can be sold at an estate sale (most agents require a minimum $8,000 worth of salable goods, since their take is about 25 percent). To save the commission, you can conduct your own sale, if you think you know the value of what you’re selling. Or donate the lot to charity and claim a tax deduction.