How many times have you heard friends, colleagues, parents say they were looking to downsize?
I can tell you it’s one of the top situations that prompts a call to me. The interesting part is that it never quite means the same thing for everyone. For some, it literally means I need a smaller house. For some it means, we’re ready for single floor living. Or, I want a place with No snow. Or even, a want a nicer view and a country road.
“Downsize” has become the universal term for the next stage in life, whatever that actually looks like. Which is, of course, is different for everyone.
There are many times in our lives where we adjust our accommodations based on our new (or impending) life needs. When we first buy a home versus renting, because we plan on being in a certain location for the next few years. Because we are ready to be more financially fit and not pay our landlord’s mortgage. Or maybe it’s when we buy a place that now suits not only our needs, but also the needs of a life partner. Often involving some compromising of our personal wants and needs. Deciding to add children to your family or realizing your children are going to outgrown your space is commonly a need to adjust. Often involving an “up-size”. And then again, when those children grow up and no longer take up physical space in our homes we again want to shift and adjust to make our space fit our current life.
While we call this last shift downsizing; it’s really just another life adjustment.
Ultimately, through each of these life transitions we are “Right-Sizing”. Adjusting to our journey as it shifts and changes throughout life’s seasons. This is why purchasing or selling a house is so emotional. It is almost always attached to an emotionally charged event in our lives. This isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s mostly a beautiful thing. Choosing to put down roots in a community you want to be a part of. Deciding to build a life and home with that special someone. Needing a bigger house to accommodate the children in your life. Getting to retire and choose a new style, location, layout, view, etc. Even when the emotions are sad, they’re almost never only sad. Bittersweet is the blessing of a great journey.
Maybe you are moving on from a season in life that you’ll miss terribly. But how fantastic to have had such a season. And the memories to carry on with you.
Homes hold so much of us. Or we give them so much emotion to hold... the walls and rooms take on new meaning as we attach our feelings and memories to them. Sometimes it’s easy to feel like we can’t take those with us, that they remain with the house for the next owner. But the structure is just holding them until we’re ready for the next season. And all of the memories get to move on with us.
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