Letting go of the past can liberate your time

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution

Realtors are hearing this more and more: “The expenses of maintaining my current home seem excessive, and I want to have more time to focus on the things I enjoy instead of moving the lawn.”

Many home buyers today are ready to move on to a different type of homeownership. You might think of it as downsizing, but maybe it’s just ”rightsizing” - finding a home that fits your purse, your time and your interests.

If that’s the case, here are five tips from the National Association of Realtors:

  • Think through why you’re moving. Envision your long-term goals.
  • Consider location. What do you need to be near - work, family, medical facilities, friends?
  • Decide on your needs for your new home - one-level, gated community, single-family, condo?
  • Discuss the financial side. Recycle all your equity into a new home or take on a new mortgage? Rent?
  • Plan for what to do with your belongings if you’re going smaller.

Not only blending but simplifying life

On May 20, 2006, Nancy and Ed Rzesa married at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Marietta. Both had been widowed, and they started their new life together with a honeymoon in Italy followed by a move into a new home in The Glens at Mountain Brook in Woodstock. Each sols a two-story traditional four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath in East Cobb, and they moved from a combined 5,000 square feet into a 2,100-square-foot cottage.

What they bought: “It’s an adult community, so our neighbors are all in the same life stage that we are” says Nancy. “We have three bedrooms and three baths, and office for Ed and a computer workspace for me in the loft upstairs, a great room with dining area and an eat-in kitchen. There’s a two-car garage and a patio that opens off the family room. Upstairs is one bedroom with a full bath, and we use that for our grandchildren’s visits.”

Less to take care of: Ed says, “We were looking to simplify our lives. We bought our home fee-simple, so all the exterior maintenance is the responsibility of the homeowners’ association. Although close to our neighbors, our home is free-standing, and we liked that, too.

Location was important: “We wanted to be near our friends and our church, but get away from all the hustle and bustle that’s in East Cobb now. Jack and Doranne Strama of Jenny Pruitt & Associates helped us find our new home just about 10 miles from where we used to live. Woodstock has turned out to be great. We’ve got all the conveniences of stores and restaurants, and it’s only 10 minutes to our church or to Nancy’s bunko group that’s been meeting for over 20 years,” says Ed.

How they downsized: Ed laughs, “St. Vincent de Paul and Goodwill, that’s how we downsized. We preferred to donate to someone who would use our things.”

What their friends say: “So many of our friends come and say this is exactly what they want,” says Ed. And Nancy adds, “They love the fact that we got away from stairs and that we have all this nice open space, and they realize it would work for them, too.”

Advice to other downsizers: Ed says, “Take your time. Don’t be afraid to shed some of the things of the past. You can’t burden yourself with everything you’re ever accumulated.” And Nancy says, “Plan for storage and think about the improvements you can make before you move in to make the space work for you. We added bookcases in the living area and bigger kitchen cabinets and cabinets to the garage. It made the space feel more like our home and helped with additional storage as well.”

Consolidating her life gives her time to do so much more

Glee Lamb was living in a four-bedroom two-and-a-half bath home in Dunwoody. “It was like being in the country with plenty of woods and a big yard. It was in a good school system and a great place to rear my daughter,” she says. “When I retired, I bought a little house in France, and for three years, I kept up both houses, but found I was spending more and more time at the Woodruff Arts Center. Not needing what I had in Dunwoody any more, I started looking for a smaller place in the heart of all I was enjoying in Midtown Atlanta.”

A choice for hew new home: “My Realtor, Phebe Etheredge of Jenny Pruitt & Associates, and I had looked at everything that was available in the area, but I hadn’t settled on anything until early last year when I realized that with all momentum around the Midtown Mile and the Trump Tower, I really needed to make a decision. I went back to the very first condo I had viewed in Colony House, across from the Woodruff Arts Center, and made an offer.

What she bought: “I have a two-level condo, with two bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. I love the view of the hustle and bustle of city life that comes with windows that go all the way from my first floor up to the ceiling of the second floor. I was so glad that all of my very best and favorite pieces of furniture and art could fit into this space.

A choice of what to bring: “I had inherited a collection of furniture from three generations. To make the choice of what would be best in my new home, I hired [designer] John Morrison. Sometimes we negotiated and compromised. ‘If I can’t take this, can I take that?’ The remainder went to my daughter and son-in-law, to a consignment shop, to Goodwill or to the trash.

How it’s changed her life: “I have to say that after three years of retirement, I really felt I needed to pick up the pace. It was downsizing that gave me a new lease on life. It’s such a liberating and secure feeling to know that there is a maintenance staff to take care of the household and landscaping responsibilities, and that my utility bills are included in one monthly payment to the condo association. That gives me more time to continue my volunteer work, to travel and to enjoy my favorite activities right across Peachtree Street. In fact, the move has been so exhilarating that I’m even thinking about looking for a part-time job.

Advice to other: “Decide where you want to be and what you want to do, then start imagining yourself there. The move and the downsizing exercises are a piece of cake. I’ve been here for two months now and still get a thrill every morning when I look outside at all those great beautiful buildings and realize that I’m right here in the midst of all this excitement.”