written by Patrick Roden |  

You never know what is enough, until you know what is more than enough.
-William Blake, Proverbs of Hell

One morning I went to the cupboard for some cereal and found two boxes, each containing less than 1/3 of the original contents. The boxes were taking up limited shelf space.

Later in the afternoon, the UPS delivery guy arrived with a package large enough to house several pounds of French roast… Yet the box was feather light? Opening the box I discovered two titanium “sporks” which I had ordered for backpacking… each packaged side-by-side a “spooning” couple. They appeared hurriedly wrapped in brown paper and stuffed into a box four times the size needed. This got me thinking about Space Utilization…..

The Over-Housed Boomer

Across the country baby boomers find themselves still living in suburbia in four-bedroom houses where they once raised families. With kids grown and changing space requirements, many boomers are taking the opportunity to downsize.

According to the Over-50 Council of the National Association of Home Builders, about 6 percent of Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 moves each year; many are looking for simpler life-styles.

“Boomers may have an adventurous spirit, following careers, following dreams,” says Carol Orsborn, co-chair of FH Boom, a marketing group that studies this generation. The “lock and leave” approach to housing is enticing to growing numbers of this cohort.

According to some experts, boomers (who grew up in the era of disposable items…think TV dinners), are often less attached, and more adaptable, to change than prior generations. This makes them increasingly open to modifying living space in search of evolving life-style needs.

Whether it’s from early retirement plans, empty nests, unexpected job offers, wander-lust for travel, or being closer to grandkids, expect the downsizing trend to be a theme of boomer-living.

FabCab: Sustainable Universal Design for Aging in Place

Next Move Tips for Downsizing Boomers:

• Community Center or square to gather
• Homes within five-minute walk to the center
• Low maintence homes (not no maintance)
• Variety of dwellings; row houses, apartments, single family homes
• Multi-generational
• Think about sharing space with a younger (or older) family member
• Permit “granny flats”
• Pedestrian friendly sidewalks
• Porches on homes
• Insist on security in the new property
• Narrow streets slow traffic
• Self-governing organization
• Walking distance to shops
• Universal design for aging in place
• Think Green, pays off in the future

See:
10 Tips for Downsizing Baby Boomers
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/primetime/chi-primetime-boomertips-051210,0,428881,print.story

Senior/Boomer Moving Companies that specialize in downsizing:
Smoooth Mooove
“We’ll handle the udder stuff”
link: http...