Deb Klevans
Foxdale Village
Resident
Why Move?
 Our
concerns about moving out of a
house we really loved and that held
many memories
 The
and
emotional ups and downs of our
decision to move to a retirement
community
Timeline
 5/7/15

Joined the priority list for FD
Reviewed our financial situation
 6/15/16
Signed Agreement and paid deposit
for Cottage C-40
 6/22 Contracted a realtor to sell our house
 7/10 First house showing
 9/10 Offer made on house
 9/11 Negotiated and accepted offer
 9/14 Moved to Foxdale Village
 10/28 Closed on sale of our house
Spreading the News
 Reactions
of our daughters and
their families
 Reactions
neighbors
of close friends and our
A Busy Summer
 Readied
our house for sale
 Dealt with need to have house “showing
ready” and leave for an hour or more at a
time on short notice
 Studied the floor plan of FD cottage we
chose AND measured carefully onsite
before deciding what to bring, what to
leave behind, what to purchase
 Requested some changes be made
A Busy Summer




Started downsizing during previous year
 Reviewed slides: Threw away most,
prepared to digitize those we kept
 Cleaned up and organized attic, garage,
and basement areas (round 1)
 Gave away clothing unworn for years
Once we found a suitable place we got
focused and serious, decluttering one room at
a time
Made cosmetic changes to our house as we
emptied rooms while house was up for sale
Cancelled planned vacation travel, but NOT
plans to spend time with our children and
grandchildren
Downsizing Process
Deciding what to keep or replace and
what to let go:
 Gifting
items to family or friends
 Selling
unneeded items of value
 Donating
items to worthy causes
 Throwing
away what no one wanted
What to keep, What to replace
Think twice about each item: Is it really
needed, important to you, fit in your new
place?
 What to keep
 Furniture that does double duty
 Flexible or modular pieces
 Things that bring you joy
 What to replace
 Needed items that won’t fit, earn their
keep, or that you no longer like
Keep an open mind
Don’t be bound by traditional labels on a
new floor plan or the arrangement of your
current house
 Consider your interests and what you
want to do in your new home and
determine your belongings accordingly
 Think creatively
 That extra space could be a music area,
a library, a game room, an office . . .
 Consider the rest of the facilities available.
At Foxdale there are many areas for use
as an extension of residents’ living
quarters
Gifting Items to Family & Friends
 Family
first. Check with relatives who
might treasure some items you no longer
have space to keep and furniture or
appliances they can use
 Check
with friends who might be
interested in buying (or taking) unneeded
furniture
Selling unneeded items of value
There are a variety of outlets for selling used
items in good condition
 Antique dealers
 Auctioneers
 Bargain sheets
 Craigslist
 Ebay and other websites
 Garage sales
 Used furniture stores
Donating Items to worthy causes
There are many non-profit organizations in
most communities that are appreciative of
receiving items that are in good condition.
 Some list their needs on their websites
 Others suggest you call to check on their
needs before bringing anything
 They will usually provide you with a form
or letter indicating you’ve made a
donation. They do not specify the
monetary value. That’s up to you (and
your tax accountant) to decide.
Where We Donated Items
 Centrepeace
 Centre
County Youth Service Bureau
 Discovery Space
 Goodwill
 Habit for Humanity ReStore
 Housing Transitions
 Jana Marie Foundation
 St. Vincent DePaul
 Scraps and Skeins
 Skills of Central PA
 Women’s Resource Center
Donating to Foxdale Village
 Foxdale
Village Semi-Annual Garage Sale
(Drop off area open 24 hours year round
except just before & after each Garage
Sale. Next sale is April 29)
Other FD Committees Accepting Donations
 Arts & Acquisitions
 Library (and AAUW)
 Art Studio
 Needlework Room
 Plant Watering (indoor)
 Woodshop
Throwing Away What No One Wants
Despite all of our efforts, we still had lots of
items remaining
 Some items left at the curb were quickly
picked up by passers-by
 State College Refuse picked up items by
request
 We held a neighborhood farewell and
give-away event
 We hired a local business that removes
unwanted items (in our case from garage,
shop, and attic) and cleans up area for a
fee
Downsizing Lessons Learned
 Consider
your options: Hire an expert?
Accept help from family or friends? Do-ItYourself? Mix of any or all the above?
 Consider time available, your health and
energy level, other responsibilities
 Being retired, we had time to focus on this
effort and three months to get the work
done
 Help from friends and family can be
wonderful – at the right time
 Many guidebooks - some helpful –
especially those that focus on the upside
of decluttering and simplifying your life
 It’s never too soon to start decluttering!
Some Books About Downsizing
Here are a few of the many books about
decluttering and downsizing you might find
useful whether staying in place or moving
 The Joy of Less: a Minimalist Living Guide
by Francine Jay
 Let It Go: Downsizing Your Way to a
Richer, Happier Life by Peter Walsh
 The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up
and Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class
on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up
both by Marie Kondo
Second Thoughts
About the results of our downsizing
and moving process?
 A few minor ones
 We brought some items that we
didn’t really need
 We got rid of a few items we wish
we had kept
About moving to Foxdale?
Definitely not.
Living at Foxdale
We’re here and we’re glad!
Our hopes have been realized
Our worst fears have not
We now call Foxdale Village our home.
Questions or Comments?