67. The Invisible Load of Homeownership

Long-term homeowners spend more time, money, and mental energy keeping a house running than most people ever stop to add up. This episode walks through the four categories of that load and what to do about them.

If you have owned your home for 15, 20, or 30 years, there is a good chance you stopped thinking about how much it demands from you. The maintenance tasks, the financial reserves, the safety concerns, the mental list that never fully empties. It is all just part of the deal.

This episode is about taking an honest look at what that deal actually costs you in time, money, physical effort, and emotional energy, and deciding whether it is still worth it.

Jodi and Heather walk through four specific categories that come up again and again with long-term homeowners. The mental load of tracking and coordinating everything the house needs. The physical tasks that get harder as the years go on. The financial reality of a home where nearly every system is aging at the same time. For many homeowners, the house has become so tied to how they see their own independence and identity that stepping back from it feels like losing part of themselves.

This episode is not about telling you to sell. It is about helping you see clearly what you are carrying so you can make a more informed decision about what comes next. Some of the practical steps in this episode apply whether you plan to stay for another decade or start thinking about a move in the next year or two.

You will also hear a short reflection exercise near the end of the episode that helps you identify which part of the load is bothering you most and what one change would make the biggest difference right now.

If you are a long-term homeowner who has been quietly wondering whether the house is still working for you, or if you are helping a parent through that same question, this episode will give you a practical and honest way to think about it.

If you want a structured starting point for the bigger conversation, our Free Downsizing Guide walks you through the first steps at whatever pace works for you.

Grab it here: https://downsizingroadmap.com/guide/

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Transcript

Jodi Rosko 0:01

Welcome back to another episode of the Downsizing Roadmap Podcast with your hosts Jody Roscoe and Heather Fisher. We're talking about all things downsizing, from our own experiences with clients to guest experts. Let's make downsizing easier, one conversation at a time.

Heather Fisher 0:17

Hi, welcome to Downsizing Roadmap Podcast. We are talking about the invisible load of homeownership. I know it's sometimes we just don't think there's a lot to it. Yeah, yeah, there's four different types we're gonna hit on today and talk about, but the mental load, the physical load, the financial load, and the emotional load. Um, you know, when you first get into buying that home, it doesn't feel like those are burdens or loads, and then the scale kind of tips at some point.

Jodi Rosko 0:51

Yeah, it feels like freedom in the beginning. In the beginning, you're like, oh, you know, I've got this new space and it feels so free and I'm in charge of everything. It's fabulous. Consulting's amazing.

Heather Fisher 1:01

Yes. So I'm Heather Fisher.

Jodi Rosko 1:03

I'm Jody Roscoe.

Heather Fisher 1:05

And let's kind of break down uh these different loads that we're all carrying if we um, you know, own a home and we're we're dealing with that, and how we can lighten that load a little or how to recognize when it's time to maybe shift that load to less responsibility and make a move.

Jodi Rosko 1:23

Yeah, I think um part of it is that we don't realize how heavy the load is because it just kind of slowly like lays itself on us, and then you know, it once we get the freedom from it, we see this so many times with people that we've worked with who have downsized are like, oh my gosh, I should have done this sooner. It was so much more than I realized, you know, but we're just used to that weight on us.

Heather Fisher 1:45

Yeah. And so we um And what we've always done at some point becomes harder. Yeah. So sometimes the load isn't growing, it's just handling the load is harder, so it weighs on us more.

Jodi Rosko 1:58

That's true. That's true. Yeah. Sometimes you just get c tired of carrying that load, even though you, you know, you could have c you could, it just you get tired of it. So um the never-ending to-do list.

Heather Fisher 2:11

Yeah.

Jodi Rosko 2:12

Right? Yeah. There is no finish line to homeownership. And we t we say this all the time. And so we see houses that um might have deferred maintenance, meaning people, you know, didn't carry the load and or got to a place where they couldn't carry the load, and home like all the maintenance and stuff gets deferred, but it just never ends. It's not like, oh, we can just kind of stop doing that. The home will continue to have things that break and need some repairs and have things that just automatically need maintenance to happen to have it running smoothly.

Heather Fisher 2:42

Big and small. I mean, we're in a different house this year, and we have a water softener. We didn't have a water softener in our old house, and now, you know, my husband was like, Do we need salt in the do we need to add salt yet? We better check that and all that. And I'm like, oh my goodness, one more thing. We have to now like go buy the salt and check it and have it ready. And it it's not a big thing, but it's one more checklist item. And yeah, there's schedules of things that need to be done. Yeah. Yeah. So definitely never ending.

Jodi Rosko 3:15

We literally just ran out of salt, also. So that's so funny that you said that.

Heather Fisher 3:19

Yeah, we just checked and need to go get some.

Jodi Rosko 3:22

Yeah, and it's heavy, by the way. Salt is heavy. Um, so yeah, so um cognitive clutter. Like, you know, things in your mind I should be doing. I should be cleaning out the gutters. I need to make sure that we get the HVAC, you know, scheduled every six months.

Heather Fisher 3:38

Smoke filter, smoke alarm batteries. Yes.

Jodi Rosko 3:41

Oh my gosh, that wood that that wood outside on the windows peeling. I need to get to that before it gets worse. And um, you know, it just that's there's some decision fatigue that happens. Like it's when things weigh on you, and I mean these are this I saw this little quote on uh Facebook yesterday, and it just made me laugh so hard. It was like, I did this project that I've been putting off for the last 10 years, and it took me 15 minutes, and like it's what we do. Yeah, it's what we do, and so we make it into something bigger and we let it defer, but it weighs on us. Like every time we walk by it.

Heather Fisher 4:14

I think the big part is is the weight of trying to have that checklist running at all times and the phone calls that are involved if you have to schedule other people and all of that. I am a big proponent of systems. Yes, as you know, and so I do think that that's kind of a missing piece that makes the mental load is not having, you know, a a paper calendar where you have all of these seasonal things or monthly or quarterly things just earmarked so you can take it off your brain and just do them when they come up. Um, that's one way to ease this load. Um, but it but it does become too much when you're having to have all of it done by other people, or you're having trouble remembering, or you're just like, why am I doing all of these things for a space that maybe I don't need anywhere?

Jodi Rosko 5:17

It's too big. Yeah. You don't need to be, you know, doing all of that stuff, but you are because you have to take care of the house. And it's not high grade stress, right? It's just this low grade stress that you don't even almost notice until it's gone or you think about it being gone, and then you're like, oh, that would be amazing, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Have someone else doing that thinking. Yeah, the caregiver role. You you are a caregiver for your home.

Heather Fisher 5:43

Well, and honestly, a lot of our listeners uh because of their situation are also in caregiver mode for their spouse, their partner, um, maybe you're helping your parents, and so it's just compounding how much mental load you're carrying. And so if the house is easier to ease that load, that gives space for the other places where you're running that caregiver role in your life.

Jodi Rosko 6:11

For sure. So, like if you if a house, if your house were a person, how high maintenance would it be? Right? Does it have tons of beds that you need to like weed and you know, whatever? Does it ha does it need to be painted on the outside every so many years to you know, how high maintenance is your home, honestly?

Heather Fisher 6:29

Yeah, I'm a big proponent for at some point just going to a condo or some kind of patio home where someone else just comes and trims and mows and does the mulch and it can just look pretty and meticulous all the time. Right. I'm I'm with you on that.

Jodi Rosko 6:47

So yeah. Um okay, so that is all kind of, you know, that's all kind of the mental load of of what's happening with the house, right? They're cognitive, mental, caregiving kind of kind of stuff. And then there's a physical load of what of the house, right? So this is thinking about it. This is doing it.

Heather Fisher 7:06

Yeah, right. They're all of the tasks that get harder with age. Um, just physically, um it's harder for our bodies to do things, and uh, you know, mobility issues start creeping in slowly, so they make tasks harder and less safe oftentimes.

Jodi Rosko 7:26

Yeah, ladders. Things that need ladders, right? You know, cleaning the gutters or changing your light bulbs, um, checking your smoke alarms, reaching up into high cabinets, you know, there's plenty of things that um need ladders that you need to, you know, do. And so, you know, the CDC says that falls are the leading cause of injury for adults over 65. So getting on a letter ladder at some point is not a good idea.

Heather Fisher 7:50

Yeah, those falls in that statistic, many of those happen at home. Yeah. And it's when is that decision that okay, I'm not gonna push myself to do this and I'm gonna get that that outside help.

Jodi Rosko 8:04

And yeah, and all of these things can be done by somebody else. And so if if staying at your in your home is your top number one priority, they can all be done you know by someone else, but you need to then put that into that mental planner. Right, then it turns into the mental load instead of the physical physical load a little bit more. Um, and so you have to get that, yes, in a in a planning position.

Heather Fisher 8:29

So Yeah, I think that when things change with your mobility or your physical help, uh your physical health, what we see oftentimes is that your routines don't change. And so looking at like, could I store the Christmas things in a more accessible place than in the attic so that I don't have to, you know, come down those rickety pull-down steps every year with big boxes, or um, you know, could I hire someone to do the mulching because carrying the big bags of mulch around the yard are too much, and it's just the same things, how could they happen in a different way so that you're protecting your physical health and your safety?

Jodi Rosko 9:15

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you said bags of mulch, outdoor upkeep can really be a lot.

Heather Fisher 9:21

Yeah.

Jodi Rosko 9:21

Um depends on where you live in the country, right? But you know, sometimes some people have rock gardens and whatever. Um, but many, many areas, there's lots of lots of mulching and weeding and trimming and snow removal, leaf blowing, mowing, you know, there's so much that you seasonally goes on in areas. And yes, you can have somebody take care of all that. That's gonna just cost money. But if you're doing it, um the average yard takes about 150 hours a year.

Heather Fisher 9:49

I s I saw that stat in the notes that we were researching, and that I was like, that's crazy. And then I was like, okay, that's like two point something hours a week.

Jodi Rosko 10:00

A weekend you're mowing and really is.

Heather Fisher 10:03

And I mean, that sounds like so much. And do you want to be doing that? Should you be doing that? Can you be doing that? And on the flip side, if it's a matter of bringing someone else in, what does that look like cost-wise? And budget and time, or is that family that can help you?

Jodi Rosko 10:24

Yeah. Um, repairs that require strength and flexibility and stamina, right? So um, you know, Mark used to do everything. Like we we did, I mean, we have flipped houses, we have sawzalled out windows, and you know, put water drywall up and doing all the stuff. And now we're at a place like that's just not something that we can do anymore, nor do we want to. But um, but you know, it sometimes like he would have replaced the water heater. Now somebody's gonna have to do that, right? Or um sump pumps or you know, storage, stuff that's stored in, like you said, the basement or the attic, and now you want to get to it, and that's a whole different thing once you know your strength changes a little bit.

Heather Fisher 11:07

Yeah, and that's definitely part of the equation. Um, you know, we're often um coming uh across clients and and people we're speaking to and they may have recently lost a spouse or a partner. So when you look at that stat of the yard takes 150 hours a week, and inside we know takes probably quadruple that and and all of that, if you were sharing that load and now suddenly that load is all on one person, that changes the equation as well.

Jodi Rosko 11:42

So And and sometimes it's like you know, sharing the load, but we all have our own jobs. And like it might be a job you never did before.

Heather Fisher 11:50

Like it's you know, something that you Yeah, I'm very thankful for the ones my husband does because I'm like the furnace filters are not on my radar, but thank you for changing them every however many days we change them. I don't know.

Jodi Rosko 12:05

Right. So Right. And and some stuff is just inherently, you know, where it is in the house, it is going to need, you know, s lights over your staircase or two-story foyers, or you know, things like that are even even when I was younger and I had a two-story foyer, like I didn't want to go up and change those light bulbs. That was a big ladder, like that was a big thing. So yeah.

Heather Fisher 12:27

Yeah. So that all um goes to the physical load, and it's definitely something um that I think we notice the most. Some of the others are more that underlying stress you don't even know you have until you get rid of it.

Jodi Rosko 12:44

Yeah, I think you don't mean real you don't see the mental load until it actually goes away and you've moved, and then you're like, wow, that was more than I thought it was. Yeah. The physical load is something that you see when you're in the house because you're like, I can't get up there to do, you know, to change that light bulb, or or that smoke alarm is going off at 3 a.m. because that's the only time they ever go off. They start chirping. And I can't get up there to deal with that. And so th those or or the yard is just too much for us now, or you know, whatever that is. I think we hear that a lot, and that can be reasons why people start to think about downsizing. I think they should be thinking about it because of the mental load, but they don't notice it as much. Yeah. But physical, I think, comes up right away. And the third one is financial, and that also I think comes up where people notice it. They notice what's going on financially in their budget with their house. Because when they stop being able to do physical things, it turns to financial, right? Because you have to hire somebody.

Heather Fisher 13:42

Right, exactly. And so it's which load can you carry, or do you just need to remove the load because both physically and financially it's just at that tipping point that it doesn't work and support your your lifestyle anymore.

Jodi Rosko 13:58

Yeah, so um financial stuff, surprise expenses that they're not surprises because this stuff does ha have to be changed. And if you live in a house for 15 or 20 or 30 or 40 years, I mean we we have people who have been in their houses 40 or 50 years. Um, you're gonna have to get a roof more than once. Yeah. And so um it shouldn't be a surprise, but somehow it always seems to be like, oh my gosh, like when we were moving, I've I know I've said this before, but we were moving and um I we I said to Mark, Well, that HVAC isn't it's pretty new. Like we just got that, and he's like, That was 10 years ago. Because like it just it just happens, like time just flies and you don't realize, and so roofs last 20 to 25 years, even if it's a 30-year roof, often weather and wind and things can make that 30-year roof be a little bit less. So um some s I would plan 20 to 25 years, even if you got a 30-year roof on it.

Heather Fisher 14:55

Well, and we know that these things are coming when you ha when you own your home, but they still feel like they sneak up on you, and it's so rare that someone is putting a monthly money back towards it. And so when it comes up, it's a big hit on your reserves that you weren't earmarking like roof money. I mean, there's just a small percentage of people that are that organized and keeping it, and so it's like where's that big chunk coming from? And it's expensive. Uh costs of everything have gone up. It's it's a big it's it can be a big hit when when it comes. Same with the HVAC.

Jodi Rosko 15:38

Yeah, that's an expensive one. And that those last 12 to 15 years. Unfortunately, things just don't last the way that they used to too. Um, and so uh 12 to 15 years on an HVAC um water heaters are eight to twelve years, although we got one and it punked out in three years and we had to get another one. Um and so it was under warranty for the water heater itself, but it wasn't for the um you know, main or for the labor. Um and so it just depends on what you get, but that's all gonna be stuff that needs to happen and it does it does go bad. I mean, it just uses up its life.

Heather Fisher 16:21

Yeah, and those are big ticket items, but even the small maintenance, it just compounds on your budget because there's more and more each year that you are feeling like you should hire out instead of doing yourself. And it just costs more. We know in our business, you know, finding handymen for lots of tasks for our clients, the costs of of those services are just more expensive than they used to be. Um, and and sometimes hard to find that great mix of a reasonable price and quality work, and um, you know, it's just something that is a financial hit when all the small stuff adds up to a bigger cost.

Jodi Rosko 17:05

Or the big stuff kind of all goes bad at the same time because sometimes that can happen.

Heather Fisher 17:09

You get on that cycle.

Jodi Rosko 17:11

Yeah, you get on a cycle where it just stacks and people are like, well, the roof was new last year and the water heater and furnace is new this year because everything kind of, you know, did its thing, like all at the same time. And um and so um, and yeah, and just even honestly, having just people show up for a trip charge is expensive if you have an electrician or a plumber or you know, whatever you need to have. So um, so yeah, that that all can can add up quickly, and sometimes it can even stack on itself. So keeping cash reserves for emergency is important and something I think you're absolutely right, people do not do. They just that's not something that they they might save money for a vacation or you know, in their budget, they've got that, but roof is rarely in there.

Heather Fisher 17:52

Yeah, and so when it arrives, you're kind of caught off guard. Um, yeah, financial planners recommend one to three percent of your home value annually is a great amount to just put in that that reserve, that earmark for home repairs or replacement of those big ticket items and just let it sit there and be ready for it.

Jodi Rosko 18:15

Right. And then taxes and insurance and utilities. I mean, even if your home is already paid off and you don't know owe anything on it, you still have taxes, insurance, you know, utilities, all of that stuff. And the bigger your house is, the bigger that that those tickets are. So um if you're thinking, oh gosh, maybe I need to go smaller, that's somewhere where you will save some money. Um sometimes the smaller houses, they used to be smaller house with less money, bigger house more money. Now it just depends on what it is. Sometimes if you're in a condo complex, that may or may not be, you know, the case, or a patio home that's new where uh versus a 40-year-old or 50-year-old home. Um so but those costs should be less. The the you know, the utilities and all of that should be.

Heather Fisher 19:03

Well, and if you're if you're considering um, you know, a situation at a senior living community or a rental situation, um, those it's definitely uh needed to compare what are all the line items in my budget, because I think oftentimes we find people who say, well, my house is paid for, so I'm not paying for my house. Why would I take on that monthly payment? Um, but if you really look at uh what you said, the taxes, the insurance, the utilities, plus all of the services that you may have had to add on, um, you know, what's that payment compared to the community and what you would get in services there? Um and sometimes it's not as far um apart from each other as you think.

Jodi Rosko 19:53

I think about that in condo fees too, right? Yeah. So same same idea. Sometimes the condo fee it seems like, oh my gosh, we're paying that much a month, but sometimes it has trash and water in it, and some you know, lawn care that you are paying now to do lawn care, and um it almost it does automatically do the roof for you. And yeah, exterior maintenance for sure, yeah. Yeah. Um so it's automatically setting that money aside and um maybe snow removal and so um so you when you add that stuff up, you it might not be as as much as you think you versus what you're actually paying for your own property now, and if you're saving in utilities and all of that.

Heather Fisher 20:31

Yeah, it's definitely something to compare.

Jodi Rosko 20:34

Yeah. And property taxes have gone up so much in the last few years. So um that's something to think about as well. So yeah. So the financial load can can um really start to dig into your money, honestly. And if you're paying for everything to be done, then the financial load's gonna be more.

Heather Fisher 20:54

So if you're delaying paying for all of those things to be done because of the expense, what is that costing you in deferred maintenance that snowballs or you know, you not living in safety um because you haven't done things or haven't called in reinforcements and help for some things. So it it you know, it's a big strategy to look at all of the pieces and how they're working together so you can live, you know, your best life.

Jodi Rosko 21:24

Yeah, because what we find is if if you start to defer maintenance on the house, and sometimes this just happens, and so if that's happened to you, it's okay. But what we do find is that you know, if you don't do the roof, then you kind of then it might get a leak, and then the leak causes a whole bunch of other problems. And so deferred maintenance can actually be bigger than the thing that didn't get done. Um and so that can end up costing a lot more in the end. So that's something to be careful about.

Heather Fisher 21:53

Yeah, absolutely. So the um the last load we're gonna talk about is the emotional. Load and that is you know similar to the mental load at the beginning, but this is more just the feelings that it gives you when you um are just worried about all of these other things. You might feel like you're falling behind or you don't want to bother your family and your kids to help you. Um you're just feeling like you're starting to recognize all all of this load you're carrying, but you're not quite sure how to address it and how to filter it through, um, and just feeling emotional because it's overwhelming, or small issues feel like big ones or become big ones because you ignore them. Uh what we were just talking about.

Jodi Rosko 22:45

Yeah, it's guilt. It's you you feel guilty because you're not taking care of the house the way you should. You know that you should be doing these things. You either don't know who to call, or you, you know, maybe you're on a fixed income and that's hard for you to call, you know, handle some of the things. Yeah. Um, but you're just feeling guilty about it and a lot of pressure around it. And that emotional pressure weighs on you just like the mental that we're talking about.

Heather Fisher 23:10

Back to that low grade stress that just overrides every day when you're just not quite sure how to tackle it.

Jodi Rosko 23:18

Yeah, and so if you're feeling all the time like, oh my gosh, what's gonna break next, or this is making me worried, or this, you know, that's something then then that's time to really start thinking about do are you ready to downsize? That's that's a red flag for you that you're spending a lot of time worrying about what could happen next. Another thing is, you know, your home just it symbolizes who you are. You it you know, it's your identity. Um, for a lot of people, it's that independence, and you know, we've had we have a whole episode on on independence, which is super interesting uh history of independence around that. But but as a country, we're very independent. And so um sometimes people feel like giving that up is a problem. And so that is an emotional uh problem and a mindset that they you need to work on if that's something if you feel like the home is overwhelming you, but you need to stay for those reasons.

Heather Fisher 24:10

Yeah, I think that we it's hard for all of us to get to the point of recognizing that things have changed and we're kind of stubborn as people and feel like, well, I did it before, I can still shovel my driveway like I did when I was in my 40s, and you know, w just recognizing that it's okay, it's not a failure that things have changed, it's just a new phase.

Jodi Rosko 24:35

Well, and I think some people have gotten to the house that they're in, like it was their big pride purchase, right? Like it was like, oh my gosh, I have made it if I can be in this house. And so going to a smaller house feels like a step down it it you know, in the mentally. Like it just feels like maybe that's like you're stepping backwards. And again, it's all that's all a mindset of how you're thinking about it and and what is right for you and what you actually need. And you know it's actually a step to easier and it might be a step up because you get to then travel or do other things with that time and that money. And so it thinking about it like it's not a loss. Yeah. It just it's a future like self, like what is your future self gonna be? Yeah, what are you gaining? Um, but some people frame it that way because it was such a big purchase that they that that they aspired to and got for themselves, right?

Heather Fisher 25:31

Yeah, yeah. So some warning signs that um you can start to think about to to tell if the load is just becoming too heavy. Um, you avoid certain rooms, the basement or bonus rooms or storage areas. You just kind of pretend they're not there and don't want to deal with them. Um you're hiring out more and more tasks, maybe reluctantly, but you are. Yeah. Um you feel anxious before storms or power outages or seasonal changes, you know, when winter's coming, you're not sure how you'll get through. Um, you know, what comes with that. Um maybe you get behind on routine maintenance. Um parts of your home no longer feel usable or safe.

Jodi Rosko 26:16

Yeah, I think people, you know, they'll be like, what if I'm alone here? Or what if I fall when I'm alone? Or, you know, what if um what if there's a tornado and I can't get to the basement, or what, you know, start really doing the what-ifing um around safety. Um and and that can chip away at your confidence about you know f being good good in the house, and that's a red flag for sure.

Heather Fisher 26:39

Yeah, absolutely. Or, you know, the most basic one, you just don't enjoy your home the way that you used to.

Jodi Rosko 26:46

It feels like a burden.

Heather Fisher 26:47

Yeah.

Jodi Rosko 26:47

Yeah, it feels like it's owning you instead of you owning it.

Heather Fisher 26:50

Yeah, and that's okay because there's great new spaces to enjoy.

Jodi Rosko 26:57

Yeah, and it's not a failing. It's not like, oh gosh, you know, it's just that it's not working for you anymore. And that's okay because we have different chapters in our life, right? And so not everything will be the same for every chapter of your life. And so sometimes that's makes that's back to the emotional people get sad that that chapter might be ending, but what what cool thing could happen next and and what what place can you be in for that to happen? And if you're still in this place, it can't happen. Like then the new chapter can't happen when you're still in the old place. So yeah, you can get excited about that.

Heather Fisher 27:31

Yeah, so um some tips for lightening the load, both if you want to stay where you are, or if you're you know listening to these red flags and thinking, okay, maybe it's time to start um thinking about downsizing. If you are um someone that is just like, okay, I hear you, but I still want to stay, um, but I'm open to how can I lighten that load, um this is back to just that organization and managing the life. So your house isn't managing you, you're managing it. So my suggestion would be, you know, maintenance checklists, calendars that are reminding you of um, you know, and lead time. Like I need my AC working before summer, so I need to call back in March or February to get my appointment on the calendar, and just those reminders so you're not scurrying around. Um, and what can you outsource and who can you line up so as winter approaches, you know you have someone that can come shovel the driveway for you, or you know you have someone taking care of the lawn and you just know it's handled.

Jodi Rosko 28:47

Yeah, and you can get um, you know, smart home devices for safety, like you can get um, you know, things that you can wear, or you can get things that are in the home that you that will help you be safe. And so if you if if you are there by yourself, there are plenty of things that you can get to help you feel like you can call out and you know, or push, you know, a button and have somebody um be able to come and help you. Um and then same thing, m pr modifications of the house itself, grab bars if you need those. Um there are companies that do this and they install all kinds of things, um, grab bars and you know, easy open hardware and maybe the you know doorknobs need to be levers and stuff, things that m just make it easier to live in. Um that's possible too.

Heather Fisher 29:32

Yeah, you could get a consultation with one of those companies and there may be things you didn't even think of that can just make your day-to-day life easier.

Jodi Rosko 29:40

Yeah, ramps or you know, whatever.

Heather Fisher 29:42

Yeah, knowing whether you have the option for a stair lift if you need that now or in the future, things like that.

Jodi Rosko 29:51

So that's if you want to stay. So if you if you want to if you're ready to downsize, um it should feel like that's gonna be a relief. Like, you know, and back to our steps, we want to start with dreaming and figuring out what's gonna be next so that you can get excited about that, um, so that you can move forward, right? But it should feel like a relief, not a loss.

Heather Fisher 30:12

Yeah, oftentimes it's looked at as a negative, but there's ways to think about it as a positive, and it c truly is a positive when your life becomes easier.

Jodi Rosko 30:22

And we hear it all the time. I mean, the I think the number one people say is I wish I would have done the sooner. That's the number one people thing people say.

Heather Fisher 30:29

Yeah.

Jodi Rosko 30:29

I wish I would have done that sooner.

Heather Fisher 30:31

Yeah, absolutely. And that's back to what we said at the beginning. You don't realize that stress that you're living in. Um, but if you make that change and you downsize, you'll have fewer decisions, fewer risks, potentially fewer expenses.

Jodi Rosko 30:46

Right. And you're emotionally gonna feel so much lighter. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, and and that's that's choosing yourself and choosing your future versus just letting your house kind of control all of that, honestly.

Heather Fisher 31:00

Yeah, it's building that support system around you and letting the house where you live, the place where you live support you.

Jodi Rosko 31:08

Right. So you're gonna trade your stress for you know, time, um, money sometimes, connection to people, you know, the ability to say yes to new things, to have a little bit more freedom in your life and not be strapped down by whatever's happening in the house.

Heather Fisher 31:23

Yeah, yeah. So um some more questions to just think and reflect on as you're um thinking about this episode. Um, what home-related task is causing you the most stress right now?

Jodi Rosko 31:38

My outside.

Heather Fisher 31:39

Yeah.

Jodi Rosko 31:40

Spring is coming and it's a mess. It's been super windy here, and so there's like a billion sticks in the yard right now because all of them got on my planners and all of that. That's what's causing me stress right now.

Heather Fisher 31:52

Yeah, we had some vents come down and we have no landscaping because it's a new house. So we're starting from square one. So definitely outside. Spring is beautiful but overwhelming.

Jodi Rosko 32:04

So, what would life feel like if you didn't have to think about that, you know, that stuff anymore?

Heather Fisher 32:08

Yeah. Um, what is one small change that would make your home feel lighter this month?

Jodi Rosko 32:14

And what do you want the next chapter of your life to be about? Um, and is this home helping or hindering that vision? Is this if whatever you want your life to look like, can you can it look like that in this house?

Heather Fisher 32:26

Yeah, back to what you just said a minute ago, but always start with that step one, that dream it. Before you go worrying about what's working or what's not working, you have to start with the vision of what you want it to be. And then you can answer the question is where I'm at now supporting that or keeping me from that?

Jodi Rosko 32:49

Right. So just start thinking about these categories. Are you feeling emotional stress? Are you feeling mental load? Are you physically not capable of doing things or financially? Is this house just more than you want to, you know, spend? Not even that you can't spend it, but do you want to? Is that where you want your funds to be going?

Heather Fisher 33:07

Yeah, yeah. Is what you choose giving you more of the life you want and less of the stress that you don't? I mean, that's the ultimate question. And if you decide that um, you know, we can help with uh finding someone to help you find that new place and to sell your current home, we have resources available in our network. Just go to downsizingroadmap.com backslash help. And then um our free downsizing guide is a great place to start and just ask yourself some of these questions that we talk about in our episodes, and that's also available on the website.

Jodi Rosko 33:46

Yep. Yep, and it's nationwide, so anywhere in the country, if you're um thinking about downsizing or you're helping your parents do that, just reach out and we can help you.

Heather Fisher 33:54

Yeah, we look forward to talking to you again next week and uh just let us know how we can help. Bye. Thanks for joining us on the Downsizing Roadmap Podcast. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with someone who might need a little downsizing inspiration. Have questions or ideas for future episodes, reach out to us on our website, www.downsizingroadmap.com. Until next time, let's keep simplifying and moving forward.