If you've sent your youngest child off to college, you may soon experience what is lovingly referred to as empty nest syndrome. This is when parents start feeling lonely when their children leave home. Here are a few ideas that can help you cope with having a big house all to yourself.
Downsize to a smaller house
One way to cope with empty nest syndrome is to downsize the nest so it doesn't feel so empty. Obviously, if your children are all grown and it's just you and perhaps your spouse, you won't need such a large home anymore. You could save money on property taxes and energy costs by downsizing to a smaller house. You could sell your current house and buy or rent a smaller abode.
Of course, you'll need to pack everything up and move it to either your new home or to a storage facility. It's a good idea to let your children go through their own things to determine what can be thrown away, donated to charity, or kept. Don't do this yourself because you may accidentally throw something away or donate something that your child has a strong sentimental attachment to. Either wait for your children to come home or have all of their things moved to a storage unit that is only for their belongings. That way, they'll be able to go through their things at any time.
Hit the roadways as an RVer
Another way to deal with having an empty nest is to hit the roadways and travel, which is a great idea for those who are retired and have no obligations to stay in town and report to a boss. If hitting the roads in an RV is the direction you'd like to take, you could rent out your current house for a specific amount of time or put it on the market and live in the RV full-time. Or, you could just leave your house sit, but that's an open invitation for burglaries.
Anytime you decide to go RVing for an extensive period of time, such as a half a year or a full year, it's a good idea to move your valuables and furnishings to a storage unit. The reason for this is because storage units have security and surveillance cameras, which means your belongings will be safe. You can also choose to have climate control in your storage unit, which can help prevent damage to your valuables and furnishings from humidity and temperature extremes. This page and others have more information on movers.
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