If you have decided to move into a retirement home, you probably have to downsize - even if you’re moving from an apartment or condo. Deciding what to take and what to get rid of can be difficult.

Gordon’s Downsizing & Estate Services has listed some important tips to get you started. 

Being an estate trustee and executor can be a stressful role. Bearing that level of responsibility, especially during a time of grieving, can be overwhelming.

Add in other obstacles, such as family conflict, a lack of experience in managing an estate or living far away from the estate itself, and it suddenly becomes all engulfing. 

These feelings are common. That is why, during this time, having someone to support you and be your trusted partner can be so important. 

Downsizing is no small feat. There are many steps that need to be taken from sorting through and packing up your belongings to finding a new home and selling your old one.

At Gordon’s, we are here to help, whether it is managing the whole process or helping with just a few of the details. 

Not being able to move around the house, too much maintenance, being too far away from loved ones - as the child of an aging parent, there are a number of reasons that you may feel their current home is no longer working, and while you’re happy to help them in any way you can, you realize that there is a better solution. 

Broaching the subject of downsizing, however, may be difficult. 

As you move into your retirement, the idea of taking care of a large family home can become unattractive. You want to spend your hard-earned savings and new-found freedom relaxing, spending time with family and doing the things you love. 

Are you feeling like there is just too much space in your home, such as empty bedrooms and unused recreation rooms? Are you no longer wanting to put the time and effort into maintaining your property, or having concerns about accessibility, entranceways, staircases, and fixtures? These are just some of the many reasons that you may be considering downsizing. 

An estate executor is tasked with the unenviable job of settling the final matters of a family member or trusted friend. Most estate executors have never been in the position of settling an estate and are overwhelmed with all of the details, politics and responsibility. 

Being named an executor is an honour of the highest degree of personal trust that could be bestowed upon a family member or friend.

Making a move to a retirement community can be difficult and time consuming, but it's also very rewarding. It's important to find a retirement community that is committed to helping you through the entire process, from the beginning stages to your ideal solution.

Adapted Story by Marni Jameson | Special to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

It's so true: Some things in life you just can't put a price on. Until you have to. When it's up to you to liquidate a treasure-filled home, you need to price the priceless.

How much for that baby grand piano that play off key? How much for the sideboard that served up every Thanksgiving dinner? How much for the porch swing that creeks?

One of the more difficult decisions for many people is what to do with the family home when elderly parents are unable to maintain it. The alternatives include selling the house so the parents can move to a condominium or retirement community or upgrading it to allow live-in care.

These decisions should not be rushed. For many, the family home remains their major asset and as a result of the principal residence exemption, it can be sold without paying any income taxes.