There comes a time in your life when you realize that you have too much stuff around. Usually, people will realize that they don’t need to be surrounded by all of those things as they are just a waste of space. Once you take out those unnecessary items, you realize that you could lead a much simpler and cheaper life in a smaller home. And once you decide that downsizing to a smaller home is the right way to go, you will need some pointers. Whether you are a first-time home seller or a first-time home buyer, deciding to sell your current home and move into a bigger one will require a lot of effort.
Take measures of the new space
Making a proper downsizing plan is impossible if you don’t know how many things you have to get rid of. You need to know the number of rooms in your new home, the square footage of your rooms, as well as the general layout. That’s why we suggest you take measures of all the available space in your new home and compare the measurements with your focal furniture pieces. If your furniture doesn’t fit into the new space, you’ll have to sell it, donate it, or keep it in a storage unit. The good news is that these days, you can find moving and storage assistance everywhere. If you have browsed through the tips in Master Moving Guide, you must have seen that there are many ways to make this process easier. Also, the Internet is your best friend when it comes to finding the right help for your needs and budget. You might not have to do more than simply visit a website and fill out a form.
Pace yourself when downsizing to a smaller home
The problem with moving, downsizing, and decluttering is that people want to get it done as soon as possible. The need to get this process over with is entirely understandable, but nothing good ever comes out of rushing things. You’ll have to pace yourself, create a good plan, and take it one day at a time. In the meantime, we suggest you focus your attention on one of the three popular decluttering methods that will help you work quickly and efficiently.
- One-a-day method – some things are pretty much self-explanatory. Throw away one item per day, or take it up a notch and get rid of the number of items that correspond with the date.
- Four-box method – keep, donate, trash, and sell are your only four options. Decide which of these four categories your items belong to, and you’ll know what to do with them.
- KonMari method – categorize your items (for example, clothes, books, sentimental items, toiletries) and decide which items in a category are no longer useful or give you joy.
No matter which of these methods you choose, bear in mind one thing – leave sentimentality behind. The whole point of downsizing to a smaller home is to get rid of excess items. You want to lead a simpler and more sustainable life.
Think about your brand new lifestyle
Moving to a new home involves much more than just a change of address – it’s also the start of a new life. So when decluttering your items for the move, you need to keep that new lifestyle in mind. Once you find your ideal home, you need to consider the changes you want to make. Do you plan to be more active? Do you wish to put an end to your hoarding habits? Are you interested in taking up some new hobbies? By downsizing your home and getting rid of the surplus items, you are getting a chance to completely change your habits and way of thinking. So use this moment to get rid of things that won’t fit into the new lifestyle that you are hoping to lead. It’s as simple as that.
Declutter one room at a time
Once you get down to the actual decluttering of your home, you are bound to be confused and disoriented. You won’t know where to start, and you’ll be in a hurry to get everything done as soon as possible. The truth is that without a proper plan, you will most likely fail. At the very least, you will struggle a lot, which isn’t something we want to happen. To avoid all the confusion, it’s always a good idea to tackle one room at a time. Whether you start with the kitchen and end with the bathroom (or vice versa) is entirely up to you. Just don’t jump from one room to the next until you aren’t done with the initial starting point.
Find a new home for items you are attached to
Even though you shouldn’t be sentimental when getting ready to downsize to a new home, we have to be realistic. There will be items that you will feel connected to and that you will not want to part ways with. After all, moving isn’t just a physical nuisance, as you will also be experiencing emotional difficulties when selling a home. Once you run into such items, think hard about what you want to do with them. The best idea is to find a new home for them and preferably keep them in your family.
Digitize your documents and paper files
Even though you live in a home and not a commercial building, at times, it might seem like you reside in an office. From countless receipts to bills, marriage licenses, and records, you most likely have piles of documents sitting somewhere inside your home. While you can’t get rid of all of them, you can certainly digitalize most of them. Scan the most important documents in your home and discard the outdated ones. As soon as you start going through your paper files, you will notice how many documents or contracts are no longer valid.
Downsize your home with ease by getting an early start
We have already mentioned that you shouldn’t rush things. But how much time do you actually need to declutter your home in a relaxed and easy manner? The answer will depend on several factors, but you can’t go wrong by starting to eliminate items 90 days before the moving day. The correct answer is somewhere between 45 and 90 days before your move. Downsizing to a smaller home doesn’t have to be stressful and problematic, but only if you get things done in time.
