Is Downsizing Right for You?

Is downsizing right for you? That sure is a tough question for our family right now. Over the weekend we had a discussion with my in-laws about downsizing from the house they currently live in. I am not sure what got on this topic, other than an uncle recently passed away and the cleaning out of his 2 story farm house and 50 acres of land was quite the undertaking for all of us. Most of the house and property hadn’t been maintained for years and the clean up process was daunting.

My in-laws have a 3 bedroom house on 3 acres of land for the 2 of them. Keeping up with the home repairs, landscaping and general household duties is starting to get the best of them. I know leaving the home you raised your children in and spent most of your adult life in is a tough decision, but sometimes you have to sit back and think about the big picture.

My Mother-in-law’s health has been deteriorating at a rapid pace. Although, it’s hard for her to admit, she needs help. My Father-in-law does help out, but doctor appointments and general light cleaning is all they seem to have time for. My husband and I really needed to have this heart to heart talk with them and lay out some options for them. Leaving their home isn’t something they took lightly. I also don’t think it’s something that will happen quickly. Baby steps will have to be taken to get them to the point of downsizing. So, in the meantime we did get them to accept some help from a residential home care agency. Using the uncle’s house as an example helped them to realize with a bit of extra help, they could stay at home and enjoy what they had worked so hard for. Without the extra help, staying where they are wouldn’t really be possible.

I sometimes feel like the bad guy, when we have to have these “talks”, but someone has to do it! Have you had to have tough talks with family members? I wonder what tips you may have for starting the conversations on a positive note? I need all the help I can get.