Apartment-style living on Australia’s Gold Coast sums up the ideal lifestyle for so many: a conveniently placed, ergonomic and well planned space for you to start the next stage of your life. However, some new residents in an apartment space might find the transitional stage, moving, and downsizing to be a challenging time. Here’s how to make your downsizing easier for you during this time.

“We had lived in our 4 bedroom home for almost 30 years. When the opportunity to downsize our lives into the space of an apartment on Australia’s Gold Coast arose, the mere thought of packing would send me into a spin. We had a lot of stuff we didn’t need and were never going to use, but felt responsible for it anyway. Downsizing meant we had the best excuse to keep things simple and tidy! We were able to condense our large living space into a very manageable and enjoyable volume of belongings. In fact, life without clutter has meant greater enjoyment for me. Now the things I love the most are part of my life every day.”

What makes life easier during a time of change? Breaking down the challenges of this transitional phase into stages is crucial to your comfort. It’s equally important to have a support network you can rely on when you need them, and to approach your moving stage with confidence and a sense of control.

The best action plan for downsizers follows:

1. Shop around for a removalist that offers you both a good price and excellent customer service. You can determine if the service is worth your money by reading reviews, word of mouth, and by the way they return your queries and offer transparent quotes.

2. Consider the endless benefits of hiring a packing and unpacking team. These professional and compassionate teams know that moving is a sensitive time. Packing your belongings carefully and respectfully, they unpack them and set them up in your home the way you like. Hiring a team like this can save you significant stress, hassle, energy and time. Ask your removalist about recommended packing teams, as they’re often aware of the most affordable and efficient workers.

3. Now is the best time to shed the unnecessary. If you’ve been holding on to bits and pieces for others with the intention of handing them over one day, deal with them now so you have no need to follow them up later or store them in your apartment. This goes especially for large pieces of furniture, but also covers smaller possessions like gifts that you’ve kept hidden away for that special day.

4. Keep in mind the luxury of living simply. Clutter can be a time consuming habit, and though you may feel emotionally attached to it, remember that your memories are what keep those attachments alive. If you’re really unhappy about letting some material objects go, ask a friend or family member to help you make a photo album of these bits and pieces so you can refer to them whenever you like in the future.

5. Know your new space. Once you’ve got the floor plan of your new apartment, use it to plan your new environment out. You can also photocopy this and hand it to your removalist to refer to during your move.

6. Considering a garage sale? For those of you really struggling to separate with collections, a popular idea for many downsizers is to avoid stress with a pre-garage sale family and friends event. This gives you the chance to hand things you no longer need to those you’re close with, before being bargained by strangers for!

7. Take a nice relaxing break before you move into your new home. If you can budget for a holiday before the settling period, coming home is something to look forward to. You can arrange for professional unpackers to organise your new home while you relax, meaning you’ll come home to your new space completely set up according to your directions, ready to start your new life refreshed and revitalised.

Apartment style living on the Gold Coast is one of the most fruitful and enjoyable ways to live your life in Australia. Though the initial stages of downsizing or transitioning can be challenging, it’s important to remember that many thousands of people go through the same obstacles every day, and go on to become happier and more motivated than ever.

For more information about apartment- style living on the Gold Coast, call Victoria Towers for more information about our quality freehold apartments for over 50s, in this picturesque and highly celebrated stretch of Australia.