Downsizing

[nanci2539]

For you folks who live in TV; can you tell me how it was if you downsized from a larger home to a Villages home.

We live in Chicago (far west subrubs) in a 4000 sq foot home; three floors with a finished basement. It's very elegant and decorated professionally. I have lovely property with mature landscaping, etc. I love to garden so spend a lot of time creating flower gardens in back.

Anyway, we love TV and seriously want to retire there within a year or so. We have family and grandchildren who live close to us and that alone is a challenge moving away from them (have others struggled with this - my grandchildren are 7, 6 and 1)

For those who have downsized considerably, can you tell me your experience, both good and bad. I'm having nightmares about my stuff! We have over nine rooms of furniture, most of it I love but it's not compatible with FLA living - my pieces are heavy and somewhat ornate. Logically, I know I will need to sell or give away a lot of furniture, not take five sets of dishes or three sets of knives, etc.

Can you share some useful tips or experiences to make the transition bearable! I know we're buying a life style but I feel a home is important too. We're thinking of downsizing to around 2,200 sq feet; a designer home. The premiers are out of our price range.

[PJ]

Nanci2539, I empathize, and feel your pain! I had to make those decisions also, as I had antiques, and too many things. I only brought some of them, mostly the ones passed down from my grandparents. Some say that most everyone gets rid of all their antiques before moving here, but I couldn't bear to do it, and tried to fit the ones I brought into a lighter, more casual scheme. I think I've done ok, but it wasn't easy. One regret is I got a 2 BR 2 BA designer, but should've gotten a 3 BR. I need more space, so may have to trade up to a 3 BR, but not looking forward to moving again!

Good luck with your decisions!

P.S. I don't really miss most of the things I parted with. I miss my friends and neighborhood in VA, but love it here in happyland!
I especially don't miss the snow and icy windshields!

[sweetana3]

Take rememberance pictures and make a photo album. You will find there are times whether you love or dislike TV that the memories will still be there. Take a few of your most favorite and sentimental pieces and take them with you to "bring your history with you".

I love looking back at previous houses and remembering the good times. Remember that a smaller house will free you to actually do more with your life than maintain a 4000 foot house. You will have more time to be "grandparents" to the grandkids and what could be better?

I am continuing to downsize with every house.

[MMC24]

This was a big chore of us as well. We sold or gifted many antiques because they would not fit into our new life style. We too brought a few choice/favorate things. Initially, we didn't think we could ever live without our "stuff" but we are just too busy in TV to even miss the things we thought we cherished.

On the Garden question, yes there will be room to plant but the things that grew up north might not work so well in FL. gardening is a new learning curve here.

[Talk Host]

I miss my two acres, my bass pond and my workshop. We had an auction and it was devastating. We love our new home in the Villages and I have since forgotten abut my old life.

[JohnZ]

Down-sizing is tough but not all that bad. We too went from about 4000 sq. ft. to a 2 br villa. Give as much of the good stuff to the kids and other relatives. After that effort, the only thing remaining is to sell and that could be a little heart wrenching but absolutely necessary. We did put some stuff into storage to move at a later date after we've had some time to think and re-group which worked out well. But our situation was greatly accelerated....we had an offer on our home in Atlanta after being on the market for ONE day. If you're looking at a 2,200 sq. ft. home here, it shouldn't be too bad. We were able to fit-in most all of our nice pieces comfortably....which frankly, surprised me. Try sketching out your new floor plan and furniture placement on some graph paper with as much accuracy to dimensions as possible.....you'll be surprised too. The move is definitely worth it!

[Villages Kahuna]

We moved from Riverwoods on the North Shore from a similar-sized house as yours. Your description of your "stuff" and what you like to do sounded like an echo of our situation. Here are a few tips I'd recommend...


Pick out the model that you intend to buy in The Villages and carefully lay out the furniture you'd like in each room. What's left uneeded in your new home has to go somewhere, I'm afraid.


If your furnishings in Chicago are "heavy and ornate", make sure that you really want that look in your new semi-tropical home in The Villages. If you can't picture dark, heavy and ornate furniture here, then unfortunately maybe all your "northern" furniture has to go and you'll need to refurnish here.


Get rid of most of your clothes. We live in casual clothes, shorts, and maybe a light jacket down here. You might want one dress-up outfit or a suit for special occasions here. Bring one coat for any winter trips north. Otherwise, you will seldom need it. Be very careful. The closets in almost all Florida homes are a fraction of the size you're used to in a big house up north. And there's no basement for the overflow!

Winnow down the contents of your garage up north. Even if you buy a model with a stretched garage here, two cars and a golf cart will fill it pretty well. You might look for a Villages house with a golf cart garage just for the extra space.


Consider what you think you might want to store in an attic or garage down here. Don't forget that Florida garages and attics get very hot and very humid.


There are lots of other tips, but the best story is what happened when the florist delivered a flower arrangement sent by our son a day or so after we moved in. The delivery driver was laughing as we opened the door. He said, "Now you'll need to do what everyone else who moves from up north does." "What's that?", I asked. "Find some air-conditioned storage space for the stuff you don't have room for.", he answered. "And then, after you get sick of paying the storage bills after a year or so, you'll get rid of all the stuff you should never have moved down here in the first place." He was sooo right!



All I can tell you is that, even though we thought we had done a pretty good job of getting rid of "stuff" before we moved, we didn't get rid of anywhere near enough.

[golfnut]

We went from 3,000sf to 1,500sf and love it. Still have the house up north but plan on selling it turnkey when it goes on the market. The house in TV is already furnished in an FLA style and none of the furniture up north would look good or fit well. Except for some smaller memorabilia type items don't plan on moving anything to FLA.

[nanci2539]

What a nice bunch of people you are! Thanks so much for responding. I figured that I would be giving up a lot of the furniture I now have. Most of it just won't work. I can take a lot of the accent pieces but the big furniture will have to go. Your posts were very helpful.

Now about the grandkids! I have two grandsons, 6 and 1 and a granddaughter who will turn 7 next week. My son nd his family live a mile one way,my daughter and her family live a mile the other way!

To say that I see them every day would not be true - I work full time so during the week, I seldom see them. They are pretty busy with their own lives and as they get older, my grandkids are off to their different activities. Last night it was my granddaughter's swim meet and my grandson's T ball game! I went to both and they ended up stopping in after the games for snacks! So, we probably visit and see each other weekly but not daily.

I am pretty close to my daughter and son. My daughter feels it's the best move for us because we are originally from Boston and we left our friends there when we moved to Illinois ten years ago. My son on the other hand is struggling with the family thing and leaving the grandkids. We don't talk about it much with him.

So, like many people who retire and move; what are the tips for getting past the "guilt" and separation from family.

Again, thanks for your posts - this is a nice friendly board!

[bargee]

Your daughter sounds level headed and concerned with your best interests,your son on the other hand may be concerned with losing his babysitters more than his parents.

[Frangyomory]

We went from a four bedrooom, two story house to a courtyard villa with two bedrooms. We thought we had downsized before we moved. NO WAY!!!! When we got here, we still had excess furniture so we donated it to Habitat for Humanity who sell it in their shops to make money to build homes for those in the program.

I wish I hadn't bought some of my oak furniture only two years before we retired. I would have given it away and just gotten Florida style things but it cost too much and was too new.

Do the best you can to see if your kids or other relatives are interested in those pieces that you love and want someone to cherish. Everything else, donate or bring to a consignment store. Come here with as little as possible. That's the advice I have given everyone.

Now a lot will depend on the size home you are buying. If you go into a designer with three bedrooms, you won't have as much downsizing as you would in a two bedroom villa or ranch.

As for the grandkids, children LOVE to visit here. Just think on their Winter break they can visit you and get to Disney as well. Really though, kids absolutely love to visit grandparents here.

Villages Kahuna gives you some excellent tips!

Best of luck.

[Villages Kahuna]

Yeah, leaving the grandchildren is tough. Particularly in that they live so close. But I can affirm that as they grow older, their lives are full of activities, leaving less time for Grandma and Grandpa. But two things are for certain...


The grandchildren LOVE DisneyWorld and will visit as often as you'll have them. I've also been told by some friends that as they get into their teen-age years, they love all the sports activities at The Villages.

Secondly, air fares to Chicago from Orlando are pretty cheap if you shop online in advance (try Kayak.com). We're able to travel to Chicago often for total fares for both of us of between $225-400. There's a bus from The Villages to the airport, but it's pricey. The long term parking at Orlando is quite attractive--$6-8 a day.


This year we're going north for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a wedding in January. The kids are coming down again this year for Spring Break. Then, there's the telephone.

[beady]

We will be downsizing for the 3rd time on this move to TV in the fall.On the advise of a friend living in TV I am taking very little in the furniture department. Only my most favorite pieces and some family pieces that I refuse to part with. I will incorporate them into the Florida style somehow.

I know how you feel about leaving the grandchildren. My son is very quiet and we don't speak of it much. I will be leaving two boys 7 and 2. There Mom, my daughter-in-law ,is very excited for us and happy about visiting and escaping the New England winters to do so. My daughter , mother of 2 girls, 5 and 6 is thrilled. She lives in North Carolina and is glad to have us "closer".

So I have thrown myself into the process and I know it will be the right move for us.
Can't wait to be an official Villager

;D

[nanci2539]

I feel blessed to find this board! There is so much good information and trust me, it helps to share concerns with other who have gone through the same issues.

Babysitting is not part of my family not happy about us moving - I do sit for the kids but it's not frequent. This Sat., I'm taking my granddaugher to the American Girl Doll store. For lunch and shopping. It's her 7th birthday and it's grandma's treat. I have as much fun as she does so it's these little things I think about.

But I do agree that as they get older and more involved with friends and activities, it's a quick hug and off they go. When I mentioned moving to my granddaughter, she said "but grandma, you can't move and leave me!!" Now if that didn't bring tears to my heart, nothing will. I just have visions of them forgetting what grandma is in their lives. Of course, my family won't let that happen but you know the saying; "out of sight, out of mind!!!". I'm over-reacting aren't I??????

My hubby has a different outlook - sure he will miss them but he feels we have to do what is best for our retirement and living in a big house in IL is not going to work financially when we retire.

For those of you from Chicago, do I dare mention real estate taxes!

I wish I could go poof and I'm there and this is behind me!

I'm going to be posting other questions so please don't get tired of me - yet!

[scottke]

This is such a good site. Every day I get more and more of my questions answered. We have 9 grandchildren who are around us all the time. Friday night is pizza night at Mom-mom and Pop-pops and we never know just how many will be here. Some of ours are still young and I too am so afraid they won't remember who we are. Our kids, the 5 of them who have the children, tell us don't worry they'll be here to visit. It still is a very difficult transition. An agent has been to our house and tells us to put it on the market so that it is sold by the time we are ready to go. We are anticipating the move in early 2008. I guess I have to tell my boss soon that I'm retiring. I'll do that after our August visit to see how hot it is in TV. This makes the final season visit and the next time it will be to buy. Grandkids do have quite a hold on your heart when you see them frequently. Thanks for the talk on what to bring. I'm ready to bring just a few items and go light for Florida.

[nanci2539]

Scottke - you sound like me! I get excited about moving and then I get scared. I get anxious and then excited again and then scared again. My neighbor just moved; it's her 9th move in 15 years. I envy her - she's such a pro at it! She gave me some tips about moving - for instance, try not to move during peak season which basically is the good weather time - it's more expensive. You can't get them to lock in a definite price but using a reputable moving company is key.

I wonder what people do who sell their home; buy in TV and then coordinate the move that they are their when the movers arrive! I know I worry about stupid things and most times my hubby will smile and tell me to relax, it will work out!

I wish you all luck in selling your homes. As I've been told, there's a buyer for every home!

[scottke]

Thanks so much for answering me. I'm so high when I come back from visiting TV and I know my husband is ready to put the for sale sign out. He was ready after our first visit. Then we come back and everyone says how can you leave the grandkids and you are moving so far away. Then I have the guilts. I'm starting to wear earplugs now so I don't hear their comments. We both know it will be the right thing for us. It's just a matter of taking the step. Our kids are ready to take over some of our belongings. If they do that we'd have to move in order to buy new furniture. Here's hoping our house here goes fast. Good luck to everyone who is trying to make the move.

[nanci2539]

Scottke; I hear you loud and clear. My sister, who lives in Boston, can't believe I could even consider leaving the family. But like you, I am starting to tune it out. We know realistically that living in our present home when we retire will hurt us financially and drain our retirement. Downsizing to another area isn't appealing because the real estate taxes are too high here in IL and the winters are too long. Most of our friends that we have history with are in Boston and we're not moving back there! My son and daughter and their families are constantly busy with the kids and their own lives. The older my grandkids get, the less I see them! But I did have a beautiful day with my granddaughter on Sat. We went to the American Girl store and had a ball!

So, we have limited options and TV is so appealing that we can't resist it.

My daughter says that I've cared and taken care of people all my life, it's time for me now. She feels it's the best move we can make because we lack friends here and spend the winters indoors with the choices either of going to the mall or going to a movie! I absolutely love this time of year. I spend every chance I get in my lovely gazebo. I get so down thinking about taking the screens off in a few months and putting tarps on the furniture!

Like I said, I wish I could go poof and the hard part of leaving is behind me! My husband sounds like your husband, he's ready to go!

[nanci2539]

Here's a hug Oshun!!! I go back and forth so much I'm making me crazy! It's all I think about. Just the idea of leaving what I consider my dream home makes me nervous. We worked so hard on our landscaping and upgrades. I love my home but it's too big, over 4,000 sq feet! When I think of all the furniture and accent pieces I won't be able to take, I just don't want to think!!!!

No, you're not alone. I think there are more people like us than not.

[beady]

Hugs to Nanci2539 and oshunluva. :agree:
I know just how you are feeling. It seems so overwhelming leaving family, parting with special pieces from your life and leaving friends. I have been struggling with it for about a year.
My husband will not be retiring when we move to TV and I will be alone several days a month. I will not have to shovel snow, scrape windshields and be soooo cold. I can get out and meet people and garden , swim and walk virtually year round. Those are the reasons I finally decided it was time to make the move. My husband couldn't be happier. He gets to worry less about what I am dealing with and come home to a warm climate instead of the cold.
Even my son is getting adjusted to the idea, he has changed his mind just recently. Now he agrees it is time for us to move. Plus he gets a few of the pieces I will not be taking with us. A bonus it turns out. ;D ;D

[Frangyomory]

Let me tell you folks who are planning the big move to TV.....all the stress and trepidation will leave you once you are settled in your new home and begin to meet neighbors. I will suggest that you try to go to the neighborhood pool a few days a week around 10 am to meet neighbors. Also, Sumter Landing is lovely and not as crowded at Spanish Springs.

Check out the Recreation News on Thursday and see if any of the clubs meet your interests. You will be tempted to join EVERYTHING but don't do it.

Sit back, relax and get to fall in love with your Villages lifestyle just as my husband and I have done these last 23 months. :welcome: :welcome: :welcome:

[scottke]

Hi nanci2539 and oshunluva, I'm back on line to see what's happening at TV. Once again I just loved hearing your encouragement and then some additional comments from others. Major, major move but we too have high taxes in NJ and everyone is moving to get away from them. We are anxious to come back down for a visit in August. I think we will ride around and look for homes that are resales to see what they offer, along with meeting with our sales rep again. Once we come back we'll be ready to put the sign on the lawn. The kids are finally beginning to realize we must do something and they are handling it. Ooops there goes their babysitter. After having my first child at 20 I'm ready for some fun in the sun. Once we all make the move we'll have to have lunch to laugh about how silly we were to worry. Have a good day. :)

[nanci2539]

Wow Scott, I had my first child at 20 as well. He just turned 40 and I can't believe I have a 40 year old son! My daughter just turned 38.

I am very blessed to have two very successful adult children and beautiful grandchildren. It's nice to know they are in a good place and have happy lives.

I think they know it's the best move for us - we left our friends in Boston when we moved to IL 12 years ago. It's great that we all ended up in the same town and it wasn't planned at all. We just ended up in IL for different reasons and live within a mile of each other.

They have busy lives with the children and our get togethers are getting far and few in between, especially in the summer. We still work and with little kids, you remember how hard it was to get them gathered to go out. Their weekends are full with social things going on in their neighborhood or different activities with the kids.

I know once the summer is over, it settles down. I try to have lots of Sunday dinners but by 6PM, the kids need to get home, bathe and in bed to get up early for school.

I babysit but not as much as I did when my daughter was going for her masters and I watched my granddaughter a few nights every week. Especially when her hubby traveled.

So, now that I've told you most of my life story here, you can probably appreciate the pull I have in leaving! Just knowing the family is around gives me a good feeling! If that makes sense.

[beady]

Hello, nanci 2539 and scottke,
We will have to start a club for those of us who had our first child at 20. Weren't we fortunate to grow up with our kids. It is sometimes hard to believe that my children are turning 41 and 38 in August and September and that I have 4 grandchildren.
I will miss the "grand" boys who will remain in New Hampshire and may get to see the "grand girls" in North Carolina more often.
It is time for us now, and so we will be at TV in September to buy our Villages home. It's very exciting and very daunting.
Downsizing is going to be a major challenge for me. I tend to hoard and my husband is a pack rat. Wish us luck!!!

[darbyduff]

Scottke,

When you are putting out the For Sale sign....Don't forget St Joseph!!! lol!!!!

[scottke]

Hi beady and nancy 2539 - you too darbyduff,
Darbyduff my St. Joseph is ready to go - a friend sent it to me for luck. As far as my family, beady and nancy 2539, I may be a couple up on you - 4 boys-41,40,39,37 and a girl who will be 34 in Sept. Also a step-son who just turned 33. I have 10 grandchildren who live within a few miles of us. We keep telling them they can visit and go to Disney World - sure hope that helps. My stepson lives in Virginia so we can visit them on our trips back and forth up North. They don't have any kids yet, however. I we meet sometime in TV we could be the "20 & kids club". Silly us. But you are right it has been fun growing up with them and we still go out with them. See you at some point in TV and keeping posting how things are going.