Success StoryDownsizing Your Home



Downsizing Your Home

Author: Jamille Hawkins

Planning Unit: Monroe County CES

Major Program: Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association

Plan of Work: Kentucky Extension Homemaker Lesson Resources

Outcome: Initial Outcome

In the 2012 census, Monroe county estimated population was 10,821 people. 17.7% of the total population is older than 64 years of age. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the average person will move 11.7 times during his or her lifetime. Although there are many reasons for a person to consider moving, downsizing to a smaller home has become a recent trend. Smaller homes typically require less maintenance and can result in significant savings for the homeowner. Older adults are often interested in downsizing to simplify their lifestyle, live closer to grandchildren or provide additional income to meet their retirement goals. Downsizing Your Home purpose is to assist participants in understanding the process of downsizing to a smaller home. 57 percent of participants has poor or average understanding the steps of the downsizing process. 57 percent also had poor or average understanding of prepping a home for downsizing. Before the program another 57 percent of participants had poor or average understanding for preparing for the move into a smaller home. The program discusses researching and selecting appropriate housing options, sorting through possessions to determine which items you will keep, donate, sell, gift or discard before moving and preparing for the move to your new home. After the program 85 percent of the participates said they had excellent understanding of the steps of the downsizing process, could identify the strategies for preparing a home fore downsizing and could even identify the strategies for preparing for the move into a smaller home. 71 percent of the participants are pursuing downsizing their home and plan on using this learned information to plan for the downsizing process.






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