Retiring and Rightsizing
If you have recently retired, or that time is coming up soon, you may be thinking about what life looks like in your next chapter. For many, it means relocating to a new living space, a new city, more travel or learning new hobbies. It’s also a great time to declutter your current space.
Rightsizing is a much more accurate term than downsizing, because you aren’t always downsizing to a smaller space, but potentially moving somewhere more fitting for your lifestyle. That could mean moving in with family, going to a retirement community, buying a condo, getting a smaller home or apartment in a location you’ve always desired, or any variation of that.
You’ve spent decades collecting memories (and things) and it’s hard to know where to start to rightsize. There’s also the issue of transition timing. You might be relocating, and may have already sold your current home and need to start moving out furniture before you can get it into your new home.
Renting a storage unit gives you a place to put everything while you determine what is staying, going or remaining in storage.
Above all, this buys you time. You don’t need to make decisions about every single item in an instant. You can store everything safely and intentionally. For example:
- What are you passing on to family and friends and is this the right time to do so?
- What do you want to sell?
- What can be donated?
- What is truly ready to be thrown away?
- What could be kept in long-term storage that you don’t need every single day?
It also might be a place for new things. Starting to bike ride or trying out gardening but don’t have a garage or shed? A storage unit saves the day.
A lot of people think of storage units and assume they’re only for big items, but that’s just one use case. Here are great examples of what your unit could include:
- The dining room table that has been passed down through multiple generations and is slated to go to your grandchild, who is currently in college and living in a dorm.
- Golf clubs and fishing gear that are only used in the summer months and don’t need to live in the garage anymore.
- Family artifacts and research that you want to be kept safe, in a place where everyone has access.
- Childhood memories that you want to be able to look at when you are reminiscing, but don’t want to store in your new home.
- Home gym equipment that you might sell, but you want to research prices and post a listing first.
- Books that once were kept on the shelves of your in-home library, which don’t have a place at your smaller condo.
- All the coats, gloves and hats you no longer need, since you will be traveling over the winter, but want to keep for a snowy ski trip or perhaps donate to a local coat drive.
The items (and options) are endless. With units of all sizes, you can get an affordable place that’s just the right size (see what we did there?). A 10×10 is a popular choice, as it holds the contents of roughly one bedroom.
At Guardian Storage, we work with people who are rightsizing all the time. Our climate-controlled units are perfect for protecting furniture, artwork and heirlooms from temperature and humidity changes. Our month-to-month rentals mean you’re never locked into more time than you need. And our free moving truck, available at participating locations, can be a real help when you’re coordinating the logistics of a move.
Rightsizing is a process and we’re here to help make that transition as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Ready to find a unit near you? Visit guardianstorage.com or give us a call at 1-888-373-RENT.
