Living On Purpose-Downsizing or Bust

Our grand plan of wintering in Mexico and the rest of the year living in a condo in our hometown of Victoria, BC was put on hold when the pandemic hit.  

But by the summer of 2022, we were starting to think about the ease of living in a condo rather than a corner lot home with a rental suite in our basement. 

The latest renters were great, including their two little Boston Terriers that joyfully came to visit us as often as possible.  But the chores were a burden and we wanted to travel without worrying. 

We half-heartedly flirted with the idea of finding a condo but didn’t get really serious about it.

Then, driving by the condo building two blocks down our street, we saw a For Sale sign!  Husband was scheduled to be at a Bridge game in the afternoon and leaving town the next morning for a few days. 

I sent a quick email to our realtor.

“Can you get us in to see the unit after four today and before tomorrow?”

And because it was meant to be, the reply came back, “Yes.’”

We fell in love.  We walked through the door, and we knew it was our next home – but not until we could sell our current home. 

And that, dear readers, is how I found out that downsizing and moving in your 70s is no fun sport!

While it’s rewarding, it takes a new skill set and a lot of energy.  It’s no easy task to let go of many, many things you love and have cared for over the years.   Each item in your current home comes under scrutiny – if not by you, by your partner. 

We found the condo in September; we had an accepted offer in October.  We woke up in our new home on January 19th, 2023. 

My friend Willa, and her husband Dennis, took a year to do the work of downsizing.  I was told this before we put an offer on the condo.  I just thought, “I can do it quicker.” I forgot she’s smarter than me.  And way more organized! 

At the beginning of this process, I attended a talk on downsizing at our local senior’s centre.  The presenter’s whole spiel was about getting someone else to do the work.  I was ticked off I had wasted a whole hour listening to this rich guy talk about hiring people to do all the work. 

Now I wonder why I don’t learn from other people? 

Hiring someone was always an option. Instead, I wore myself out.  I wore my husband out too! 

Fortunately, I had a son with a pickup truck who gave us a lot of help. Some very, very good friends appeared with boxes and time and even scrub brushes to help us out.  I also appreciate that we are still friends! 

We haven’t made the trip to Mexico, but we did reward ourselves with three weeks in the warmer areas of the USA touring Nashville and New Orleans and swimming in a resort pool in Palm Springs.

So why am I writing this column over a year later? 

First, I had to get over the experience! And second, I want to remind you to listen to others and learn from their experiences. 

I’ll even offer an alternate to the all-at-once-downsizing-race-to-the-finish dilemma. Some people call it decluttering or cleaning up, while others call it rightsizing.  It is all about weeding out the things in your life that aren’t essential for your well-being and the enjoyment of the best decades of your life. 

Start downsizing long before you decide to move. 

As one Facebook meme said, “We spend half of our life adding to our possessions and the other half of our lives trying to get rid of them.”

I don’t go shopping anymore for pleasure. It’s no longer gratifying to walk through a shop full of things I no longer want, need, or have space for.  Instead, I go out for lunch with girlfriends!  Even if you aren’t planning to move…ever…start downsizing.  It will save your health!