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Preface xiii Introduction xvii 1. What Is Downsizing? xvii 2. Who Are the Caregivers? xix 3. Who Downsizes? xx 4. What Do We Downsize? xxi 5. A Little History: How Has Downsizing Changed? xxii 6. Downsizing Considerations xxvii 7. Downsizing Flow, from Start to Finish xxix 8. Putting Together Your Downsizing Team xxix 1 How to Look at Downsizing 1 1. Opportunities in Downsizing 2 2. Downsizing as a Positive Experience 3 2 Downsizing Types and Scenarios 5 1. Planned Downsizing 5 vi Estate Downsizing for Caregivers 2. Sudden Downsizing 6 2.1 Downsizing for empty nesters 11 2.2 Downsizing for retirees 13 2.3 Downsizing for elders / seniors 15 2.4 Downsizing for the disabled 25 2.5 Downsizing and wildlife considerations 29 2.6 Downsizing with pets 29 2.7 Downsizing for the deceased or bereaved 30 2.8 Downsizing due to bankruptcy, insolvency, or financial catastrophe 33 2.9 Downsizing by caregivers 35 3 Goal Setting and Planning 39 1. Reasons to Set a Goal 39 2. Mission Statement 41 2.1 Writing your mission statement 42 3. Planning 42 4. Setting and Establishing Priorities 44 5. Scheduling 45 6. Inventory Taking 48 6.1 What is inventory taking in a downsize project and why is it important? 48 6.2 Initial considerations as you walk through a home 51 7. Storing and Storage Facilities 54 4 Human Resources 59 1. Know Yourself 59 1.1 Know yourself 60 2. Know Your Service Provider or Caregiver 64 2.1 Finding a downsizing service provider 66 3. Downsizing Advisors: Pulling a Team Together 67 3.1 Your team 68 5 Stress Management 71 1. Downsizing and Stress 71 2. Prioritize Tasks 72 Contents vii 3. Visit the Person Who Trusts You to Deal with His or Her Belongings 76 4. Communication 77 4.1 Barriers to Communication and How to Overcome Them 77 5. Respect 79 6. Help: Asking and Offering 82 7. Conflict Resolution 83 6 Belongings and How to Deal with Them 87 1. Where Should All These Things Go? 87 2. Marketing in Order to Sell 89 2.1 Staging your belongings for viewing or selling 91 3. Disposal 92 3.1 Recycle and reuse 92 4. Donating 92 5. Benefits of Photography in Downsizing Projects 93 6. Collages 94 7. Auctions 95 8. Estate Sales 96 9. Yard and Garage Sales 96 10. Consignment 97 11. Online Selling 97 12. Buy and Sell and Classifieds 98 13. Old Things, New Life 98 7 Service Providers, Caregivers, and Advisors 101 1. Caregivers, Friends, and Family 102 Download kit 105 Tables 1 Possessions Then and Now xxv 2 Shared Reactions from People When Asked Their Thoughts on Downsizing 2 3 Opportunities in Downsizing 3 viii Estate Downsizing for Caregivers 4 Sample Initial To-Do Lists 46 5 Written Inventory 49 6 Basic Outline of Premises to be downsized - 1st walk through and around 50 7 Rituals and Habits 63 8 Support Networks 63 9 Challenges 64 10 Hobbies and Inspirations 64 11 Problems and Solutions 88 Questionnaires 1 Planned or Sudden Downsizing? 6 2 Questions to Ask of Departing Children by the (Soon-to-Be) Empty Nester 12 3 Questions to Ask Returning Children by Empty Nesters 13 4 Retirees Questions to Ask Yourself 14 5 Downsizing for Elders and Seniors 19 6 Discussing Retirement Homes and Downsizing with an Elder 24 7 Downsizing for the Disabled 28 8 Questions to Ask before Downsizing for Another 36 9 Sorting through Belongings 53 10 Storage Facilities, Self Storage Questions to Ask 55 11 Know Yourself 60 12 Know Your Service Provider or Caregiver 65