After decades in the same home, every closet holds history. Every drawer contains a memory. Furniture is not just furniture. It is the table where holidays were celebrated, the chair where children were rocked, the desk where bills were paid and letters were written. The thought of sorting through it all can feel overwhelming, even paralyzing.
At Oak Trace, new resident Jackie Goodson discovered that downsizing, while emotional and undeniably significant, can also be purposeful, cathartic and even a little magical.
Letting Go of Living Alone
Jackie had not been actively searching for a retirement community. After her husband passed away, she had grown accustomed to living alone. Still, she knew that solitude was not healthy for her.
“I was used to being alone,” she said. “And I knew that was not a good thing.”
When she visited Oak Trace, something shifted. She loved the feel of the campus and the energy of the people. She decided to put her house on the market. It sold immediately. One day on the market. Eleven showings. Six offers. A sale well over asking price. In cash. Without an inspection.
“The stars were aligned,” she said.
For Jackie, that swift and successful sale felt like confirmation that it was time to move forward.
There was just one problem. She had three bedrooms full of furniture and a lifetime of belongings.
Where Do You Even Begin?
That question stops many people from making a move. It is not the new apartment that worries them. It is the house they must empty first.
“When I decided to move, I didn’t know where to start,” Jackie said.
Oak Trace maintains relationships with seasoned, efficient and compassionate professionals who specialize in senior moves. Through its partnership with Downsizing By Design, residents can receive as much or as little help as they want.
For Jackie, that help made all the difference.
“They said, ‘Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to do anything. We’ll do it all.’ And they did. They did it all,” she recalled.
The team walked through her home and asked which furniture she wanted to keep. They created a floor plan of her new apartment, showing exactly how her pieces would fit. They labeled everything: items to move, items for donation, items for family. They handled the things she did not know what to do with, even half used cans of paint and miscellaneous items tucked away in storage.
Most remarkable of all, Jackie said, “I didn’t wrap a single thing. I didn’t pack anything. I didn’t unpack anything. It’s absolutely mind boggling.”
Before packing her decorative items, the team took photos so they could recreate the placement in her new home. On moving day, they asked Jackie to leave while they worked. That was fine with her.
“There was too much going on,” she said.
She returned to Oak Trace at seven that evening.
“It was like walking into my house,” she said. “They’re so good at placing things. Everything looked just right. I was amazed. There wasn’t a box in sight. They put items in storage that belonged in storage. It looked absolutely perfect.”
Her bed was made. Towels were hung. Everything was in its place.
“I didn’t know this service existed. It’s great,” she said.
Downsizing, which she had once feared, became an organized, supported process. Instead of exhaustion and chaos, Jackie experienced relief.
“People fret about the move. This service makes all the difference.”
Smaller Apartment, Bigger Life
Jackie’s new apartment has two bedrooms and two walk in closets. It is smaller than her former home, but she does not miss the extra space.
“You really only live in the same amount of space on a daily basis,” she said. “I made the second bedroom my family room/den, and the larger room is a living room.”
Her apartment feels right-sized. Comfortable. Manageable.
And while her private residence may be smaller, her overall home has expanded dramatically.
Residents enjoy a state-of-the-art fitness and aquatic center, multiple dining venues, game rooms, a performing arts center, arts and crafts studios, a woodshop and more.
“The grounds are beautiful,” Jackie said.
Sitting on more than 40 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds Oak Trace boasts walking trails winding through the campus with fountains and a pond.
Jackie participates in current events discussions and is pleased with the many fitness opportunities. With live entertainment, social events, lifelong learning programs, and more, there’s always a lot to do outside of your apartment. “You can be as active as you want. There’s so much going on all the time,” she said.
Looking back, she has no regrets.
“There’s nothing I’d do differently. It’s perfect.”
What began as uncertainty about leaving her house became confidence in her choice. The concern she once felt about living alone has been replaced by connection.
