Organize, declutter, donate downsize and simplify your life Downsizing For Dummies provides you with strategies to downsize your life by moving to a smaller home, decluttering, simplifying your budget, and saving more money. You ll find tips to help decrease your cost of living, lower your home maintenance costs, protect and leverage your assets, and decide whether downsizing is right for you and your family. After downsizing your life, you ll save time on household chores and gain the freedom and flexibility that come with having fewer possessions. What will you do with all the time you save? Downsizing For Dummies will help you understand the benefits of living simply! Discover ways to declutter and simplify every corner of your life Weight the pros and cons of moving to a smaller home Save time and money by cutting down on your chores and home maintenance Experience a reduced stress level when you create space at home and workThis book is for anyone who is ready to live clutter-free and to downsize. It s the perfect Dummies guide for homeowners looking to save money, plus real estate brokers who are working with clients who are downsizing, and designers and builders of new homes who want to stay on top of the downsizing trend.

Organize, declutter, donate--downsize and simplify your lifeDownsizing For Dummies provides you with strategies to downsize your life by moving to a smaller home, decluttering, simplifying your budget, and saving more money. You'll find tips to help decrease your cost of living, lower your home maintenance costs, protect and leverage your assets, and decide whether downsizing is right for you and your family. After downsizing your life, you'll save time on household chores and gain the freedom and flexibility that come with having fewer possessions. What will you do with all the time you save? Downsizing For Dummies will help you understand the benefits of living simply!* Discover ways to declutter and simplify every corner of your life* Weight the pros and cons of moving to a smaller home* Save time and money by cutting down on your chores and home maintenance* Experience a reduced stress level when you create space at home and workThis book is for anyone who is ready to live clutter-free and to downsize. It's the perfect Dummies guide for homeowners looking to save money, plus real estate brokers who are working with clients who are downsizing, and designers and builders of new homes who want to stay on top of the downsizing trend.

Introduction 1Part 1: Getting Started with Downsizing 7Chapter 1: Downsizing in a Nutshell 9Chapter 2: Deciding Whether Downsizing Is Right for You (or Your Parents) 29Chapter 3: Envisioning Your Future: Lifestyle and Location 45Chapter 4: Laying the Groundwork 67Chapter 5: Rallying the Troops 83Part 2: Protecting and Leveraging Your Assets 101Chapter 6: Getting a Handle on Your Finances 103Chapter 7: Planning Your Estate 125Chapter 8: Using Your Home to Generate Income 149Part 3: Decluttering: Sell It, Give It Away, or Trash It 161Chapter 9: Sorting Your Belongings 163Chapter 10: Digitizing Photos, Videos, and Documentation 183Chapter 11: Selling Stuff You No Longer Want or Need 199Chapter 12: Giving Away Some Stuff 217Chapter 13: Storing Stuff You Can't Part With 229Chapter 14: Disposing of Your Remaining Belongings 239Part 4: Moving Out and Moving In 245Chapter 15: Gimme Shelter: Choosing a Home 247Chapter 16: Buying and Selling a Home 271Chapter 17: Packing Your Belongings 287Chapter 18: Executing a Successful Move 311Part 5: The Part of Tens 325Chapter 19: Ten Good Reasons to Downsize 327Chapter 20: Ten Tips to Make Downsizing Less Stressful 333Chapter 21: Ten (or So) Ways to Reduce Your Living Expenses 339Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Supplement Your Income 345Index 353