Blog Post

You’ve decided it’s the right time to right-size your life — congratulations! Your children are gone, you don’t need that big house or want to do all that yard work, and you’re certainly ready for some “me-time.” You’re about to begin one of your greatest adventures yet!    The smart choice of moving into a maintenance-free Cornerstone home gives you every opportunity to explore your passions, live leisurely, and meet some of your new best friends. In this second blog of our “Right-Sizing Your Life” series, we’re going to talk about simplifying your life. In other words, downsizing your belongings.Remember, stuff is just stuff, and objects don’t define us. In fact, letting go of items can be liberating.  Right-sizing is a lot like getting into shape — it takes time and work, but you feel incredible when you’re done. Most importantly, it will free up your mind to focus on what’s truly important to you.     

Tips for Decluttering

  It’s never too early to start decluttering. Less stuff means less work and more room for new memories and experiences! We’ve put together some tips to get you started:1. Remember: one room at a time. Start small and keep your focus on a single task, such as setting aside a few hours to clean out a closet or a set of drawers. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll make progress, which makes the rest of the process that much smoother. 

2. When it comes to clothes, ask yourself: do I really want it? Do I absolutely need it? This will help you make definitive decisions about what goes and what stays. Your "keep" and "toss" piles will be easy to sort, but the "maybe" pile can be slightly more challenging. The “maybe” pile contains useful articles of clothing that may be duplicates, items that are out of style, and clothes that you wear but not often. Once you have this pile, look at your closet without these items — if you think that keeping them would only create more work, go ahead and donate or sell them!   

  3. If you’re having a hard time giving things up, remember what William Morris said about the essence of decluttering: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

4. Emotional ties to items are normal. This is simply a part of the process, but remember that you don’t have to get rid of everything. Hand down precious items to your children and grandchildren, donate or sell what you don’t need, and keep what you love the most.  

5. It’s 2018 — go digital! Photos, cards, scrapbooks, letters, and more can be scanned onto a computer or an external hard drive. This frees up a vast amount of space while keeping your things safe. Who knows, you may even impress your grandkids with your new computer skills!         In no time, right-sizing your belongings leads to living in an expertly-crafted home in an exceptional neighborhood, surrounded by great friends, and doing the things you love (without wasting a moment on home repairs.) Best of all, Cornerstone Homes is here to help you throughout the entire process, to make it easy and virtually painless. 

At Cornerstone Homes, we’ve thought of everything that makes this process easy and stress-free.  We call it our Cornerstone Concierge Program. Through this program, we help you sell your home, downsize, move, and secure financing. We partner with Smooth Transitions of Fredericksburg and  Home Matters of Virginia, who provide exceptional personal service and value. Alyson Pedlow, Moving Specialist and Founder of Home Matters of Virginia, and Kim Mould, owner of Smooth Transitions Fredericksburg, offer their services to assist you in every aspect of your move: sort, declutter, remove or sell items, pack, coordinate move, unpack, and even make your bed so you can step right into your new home, ready to go.    

The life you deserve is right at your fingertips. Don’t wait, your someday is now!

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