Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Downsizing your home is a good idea for all sorts of reasons. It helps save money, reduces monthly outgoings, and makes living more manageable.
But how do you do it without losing your mind? That’s the topic of this post. We understand how moving out of an existing home can be stressful. But we also have some strategies to make your life easier and improve the entire process.
Break It Down Into Sections
The first step is to break your downsizing down into sections. Tackling one room at a time is often the best approach, and makes everything feel less overpowering.
Start with the rooms you use the least and work your way around your home from there. Begin with the spare bedrooms and attic and then move onto the living room, bathrooms, and ultimately, the kitchen.
Once you go through these rooms, create a checklist of everything you need to do. Having a clear understanding of the sequence will help motivate you and allow you to focus on the next task (when it arrives).
Sort Everything Into Boxes
The next step is to start sorting through everything and putting it into boxes labelled “keep,” “donate” and “recycle” or “trash.”
When you move, you’ll discover that you want to keep quite a lot of things. But you might not have space in your home. In these situations, self storage makes a lot of sense. You can keep your furniture safe, even if you don’t have space for it on your new property.
Some items you’ll want to keep because of their sentimental value. However, be mindful that you’re not just holding onto things in the vain hope that you’ll require them in the future. You probably won’t.
Get People To Help You
You can also make your downsizing project easier by getting other people around you to help (instead of believing you have to do everything yourself).
Friends and family are almost always willing to help you if moving is a one-off. Getting them onboard can be a great source of assistance and advice, especially if they’ve done it before.
Be More Minimalistic
If you’re moving from a large mansion to a smaller apartment, it helps to be more minimalistic. You don’t have to make your new place Spartan, but it helps enormously if you can whittle your material life down to its essential components.
For example, you could try opting for fewer high-quality items in your new home. These prevent you from running into trouble later when you try to cram everything in.
You could also sell some of the items you don’t need anymore online. Again, this can help you with your clear-out.
Measure Your New Space
Finally, always take the time to measure the new smaller space you’ll be moving into. Knowing its dimensions tells you whether you should bring your existing furniture with you or not.
Also, plan the layout of your furniture in advance using the space available. Don’t forget to consider the space taken up by doors as they swing out.