Many people planning a move to a smaller apartment home run into the same concern early: what to do with belongings when moving, particularly the furniture, collections, and decades of paperwork that will not all fit. Most of the answer comes down to three things. Measure before you decide, know which storage is worth paying for, and sort with a system instead of working room by room at random. Here's how each of those strategies works.
Measurements come before decisions. Copperfield Estates offers suites along with one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartment home floor plans, and the difference between them shows up quickly once you start placing furniture. Get the dimensions of the layout you like, then measure your largest pieces and the doorways they have to fit through.
Next, think about what your days will look like after the move. Three chef-prepared meals a day means the stand mixer, the roasting pans, and many of the everyday dishes can likely go. Housekeeping and laundry are handled, so cleaning supplies will not take up as much space. What to keep when moving gets obvious once you subtract the chores you are leaving behind.
An apartment home holds more than it looks like it will, as long as you use all of the available space. Options for increasing storage space include:
When a piece will not fit your new home, but is not ready to leave your life either, you still have senior moving storage options. Climate-controlled units are easy to find along the Highway 6 corridor, which matters in Houston humidity for wood furniture, artwork, and paper. Give yourself a review date, though. A year from now, you will know whether you still want the hutch.
Family distribution is the better route for most heirlooms. Passing the china or the workbench along now means you get to tell the story behind it and watch it get used. A rotating display keeps more of your collection in play, too: set out a few pieces at a time, then swap them with the seasons.
As you downsize your home for a senior living move, consider working on one room a week and starting with the rooms you use least. Sort every item into one of five piles to keep the process moving:
Those five piles make up the entire downsizing belongings checklist. Make a list of which item lands where, room by room, and you'll have something your family can actually help with.
One of the most useful tips for moving to a smaller space is to count the community you will move to as part of your square footage. The Health & Fitness center can replace home exercise equipment. The professional salon and barbershop can replace a cabinet of beauty supplies. The atrium, front porch seating, and lounges give you room to host without a formal dining set. Daily programs, events, clubs, and gatherings mean your calendar lives outside your apartment home.
Our Independent Living with supportive services** community is designed to support your independence while offering access to additional help—only when and if you want it. A choice of third-party providers is available onsite for your convenience, but you are under no obligation to use any particular one. This flexible approach is perfect for individuals or couples with varied needs. Extend your independent lifestyle by choosing to make our community your home.
Two to three months is comfortable. One room a week keeps the pace steady.
Scan what you want to keep and share, and hold only the original legal documents in a single small file box.
Decisions get much easier when you can stand in the room and picture your own furniture in it. Bring your measurements, walk the floor plan you are curious about, and ask about whatever comes up while you are there. Schedule a personalized tour of Copperfield Estates to picture yourself in our welcoming community.
A choice of third-party providers is available onsite for convenience, but residents are under no obligation to use any particular one.