We know that COVID-19 has left many of our clients who had previously committed to a chain of events in an awkward place. Some, while not yet committed to a firm sale, made decisions in good faith to sell their house in order to fund their necessary downsize and move to a healthier living environment. 

Most of us have read news linking high percentages of COVID-19 fatalities to what is generally being referred to as “senior homes”. This has led many to believe that retirement communities and long term homes are the same, whereas the truth is that these two types of senior living situations couldn’t be more different from each other.

Being an executor of someone’s will is much harder than most people realize. The honour of being named by a loved one is quickly replaced by the stress of having to figure out your various responsibilities.

Are you beginning to consider downsizing for your parents? Having this conversation with them is not easy but we offer advice based on our years of experience working with families just like yours.

In these tumultuous and increasingly challenging times of COVID-19, things are changing almost by the hour. And it is absolutely alright to feel confused or unsure. At Gordon’s we are here to help and answer any questions you may have for us now, and to provide all the support we can for later.

Let’s face it, downsizing is one of the more arduous decisions you will make in your life. As you contemplate moving from a larger home to a smaller one, it will serve you well to look out for a variety of distractions that will be most compellingly presented to you. This will almost always happen and not just once: the more you’ll try to focus on the bigger picture, the harder the detractors will try to divert your attention.

When is the right time to downsize? This can be a difficult question for both seniors and their families. According to the Canadian census, 6.5% of seniors who are 65 years and older live in seniors retirement homes or assisted living residences. Not surprisingly, this figure jumps to 30% Canadians once they reach 85 years and older. In addition, due to improved health, longer life expectancy and increasing availability of home care options, more than half of Canadians 55 years or older indicate that they intend to continue living in their homes for as long as it will be possible. 

So what is the right time to start planning for the future and decide if you should downsize? 

If you have been wondering if downsizing from your larger house to the more compact lifestyle of a retirement community is the right step for you then you are not alone. According to a survey done last year, 52% of Ontario baby boomers (people born between 1946 to 1965) consider big cities unfit for retirement. And so, a majority are considering downsizing and moving out.

The thought of downsizing can be a daunting one, particularly when you don’t know where to start. At Gordon’s we’ve been helping clients in the Kingston area downsize for over 25 years and we have managing the process in a stress-reduced way down to a science. We help clients: plan where to move, what to move, manage the packing, moving and unpacking for them, and help them handle disposal of any remaining contents they can’t take with them, preparing their property for sale, and finally listing and selling their property. Over the years, we’ve learned that the following five tips are key for navigating the downsizing process with ease.

If you live in the Ottawa area and are interested in learning how to "Overcome Overwhelmed" when considering how to downsize in a stress reduced way, come out to this free workshop event at Chartwell Bridlewood's open house event. Barry Gordon will be sharing his insights based on over 20 years of experience in the downsizing industry. Please see full event details in the flyer below.

RSVP by September 17 to Caitlin MacKenzie at cmackenzie@chartwell.com or at 613-809-3548.