Today is my birthday. Age is just a number; this year is a milestone. My column will be less about age and more about point of life.

About two years, I downsized to a smaller house. Funny thing, I wasn’t even looking to move. The house found me. While scrolling through Facebook, I saw the photos of the house I am now living in. What caught my attention was the Hudson River views. I messaged the Realtor to wish him luck. He asked me if I wanted to see it and the rest is history.

How do you leave a house you’ve loved for so many years, raised your kids in and updated the year before? This is the emotional decision many people have to make for many different reasons. Working with many clients over the years, I can now relate to the difficult task of letting go and the emotions and physical stress that comes with it.

Feeling overwhelmed for the last few years living in a big house, with big property, I didn’t know I was ready till I saw the photos of my current house. It was an instant connection and the walk through sealed the deal. Note: In the Real Estate market, this is how potential buyers are connecting with your house, through the online photos.

Here are some takeaways from my own downsizing experience, also, some observations after being in the Real Estate Staging business for over 16 years.

 

You can take it with you, but should you?

Combing through your entire house, every nook and cranny, every closet and drawer is horrifically labor intensive. What moves with you? What goes? Every single item needs to be evaluated. If you don’t deal with it at one end, you will pay movers a lot of money to move it all and then have to deal with it at the other end. If you have any thoughts on moving, start the process now.

 

 

Finding inspiration for your home

Inspiration is all around us if you open your eyes to the possibilities. Comb through magazines, catalogs, online photos and start a style file. You may have everything you already own, it’s just in the wrong place or hidden. Repurpose and rearrange often for cost effective decorating. Reintroduce yourself to your art, home décor and hidden treasures. Don’t love it or use it? Edit and forget it.

 

My former house was a farmhouse. My current house has a coastal, casual vibe. Furniture wise, I hardly moved any of the large pieces except the beds and front porch furniture. I gradually bought new pieces. The contents of my kitchen, closets, pottery collection, artwork, staging inventory and boxes and boxes of stuff moved with me.

 

 

The most important room of the house

 

Make your bedroom a priority and invest in a really good mattress which gets used every day. After being in many homes in the area I can tell you the master bedroom is the most neglected room. Make the master bedroom a priority. You deserve a relaxing private space, a sanctuary. Instant bedroom makeover: a bed in a bag set and new bed pillows.

 

Feeling older, wiser and ready and willing to grow. Happy 60^th birthday to me! Hoping for a tasty gluten free cupcake.