Now that there are less people in the house, more house than people and less people to help with the house, we are making the plunge into a smaller space in an urban setting.
Leading up to the move involves updating and decluttering for staged photos and house showings. After doing this, it becomes obvious the amount of money that could have been saved by not spending it on certain things “decorative” to put on a shelf. It also becomes apparent that not only would our wallets be fuller, but time spent purging family clutter and mementos from the past 30 years of marriage and children would amount to less. It does conjure up many wonderful memories though and I am thankful to have had many amazing moments with our family in our community.
The most challenging is considering what celebrating certain moments will be like after living in the same house for 15 years. The idea of reinventing family holidays in a 3-bedroom townhouse with no basement and lacking a 3-car garage creates anticipation but also a little anxiety. I do believe the annual holiday light-hanging battle outside in subzero weather will not be missed and the constant debate over white or color lights will become the memory that lives on no matter how little the landscape out front. But, little things like tree location and annual neighborhood gatherings may all look different this year.
I do look forward to saying goodbye to commuting by car to work – less gas, less traffic, less time. Time to rely on 2 legs or 2 wheels or public transportation on less than desirable weather days. I hope to leave my car for days in the spot reserved for parking. Not to mention the fact that no longer will we worry about cleaning a messy garage or shoveling all winter!
What will be most interesting will be finding a place of refuse away from others as the square footage is decreasing by 2,000 sq ft! I worry that there will be a shortage of space in general and suddenly we have regrets. But perhaps this will also provide the perspective that what we had for so long was not necessary or that it was taken for granted.
I suppose as with most change, new routines and traditions will become the norm to create memories of a different kind. And eventually, those will include another generation of family members to celebrate and embrace even if in a smaller space in an urban setting!