A little over a year ago, my husband, Joe, and I did something we had dreamed about for years. We sold our beautiful suburban home and relocated to a chic, fun condo right in the middle of Midtown Atlanta. It has been such a joy living here and a great move for us after our last child left home and we faced life as empty nesters.
Our kids love to visit us on college breaks and it has been so much fun exploring Midtown Atlanta together.
Yes, our home is much smaller than what we had when the kids still lived with us. And you know what? It’s been great!
Today, I want to share with you some of the benefits of downsizing your empty nest. Now, does this mean you have to do exactly what we did and sell your home? Absolutely not. You can downsize without ever moving.
In fact, one of the best things about our move was that it forced me to look at all of our possessions and realize we had much, much more than we needed or used, including things I hadn’t laid eyes on in 15 years!
Now, to be perfectly honest … purging SO much was both liberating and stressful. It was so much at one time. I highly recommend that if you do plan on moving after downsizing that you start this process NOW. You just have no idea how much stuff you have until you start going through every nook and cranny in your home.
So what benefits have we noticed since downsizing? Here are a few:
- Easier to clean: It’s amazing how much time was spent before cleaning things we didn’t even use just because they were sitting there gathering dust! Now, cleaning is quick and easy because there’s simply less to take care of. This leaves much more time for doing things you enjoy.
- More peaceful: Have you ever felt anxious walking into a cluttered room? Even if it’s not messy per se, it just feels more stressful because there’s more stuff. Since downsizing, I’ve felt so much more peaceful in my home and friends who have downsized as well say the same thing.
- Reinvention: If you knew me before we moved you might walk into our condo and wonder who lives there. Downsizing has given me the opportunity to reinvent my style and I’ve had so much fun decorating with new colors and patterns that I never would have chosen before. Downsizing gave me the opportunity to learn more about myself and reinvent my space.
If you’ve been thinking about downsizing your empty nest but are hesitant to start, I would encourage you to just go for it. There are so many things I thought I would miss that I don’t and it feels so good have a fresh start on your own terms during a season that can feel so out of your control at times.
Go get started!
