So, You’ve Made the Decision to Move. Here Are Some Tips on Downsizing Your Home

So you’ve made the decision to move, but now, you face the seemingly insurmountable task of downsizing your home. But where do you even begin? Fortunately, there are ways to make the transition easier. Here are some tips on downsizing your home. 

Don’t Procrastinate

It’s easy to put off tasks that seem too difficult. But downsizing is something you really should begin as early as possible, because it does take time. And starting early will keep you from feeling rushed. Give yourself at least a month before you plan to move in order to have plenty of time to sort through your belongings and make decisions about what to take with you.

Make a Plan

Having a strategy for going through your possessions will help make downsizing feel more manageable. Some experts suggest starting with the rooms you use most, like the kitchen and living room, then moving outward to the places containing items of least sentimental value, like the garage or attic. That way, you can focus on the items you cherish first, so making decisions about less sentimental items will be easier. You’re also less likely to need items stored in the garage, like lawn mowers, in your new home.

Knock Out Unnecessary Rooms

Think about your new home. Which rooms won’t you have in your new place? If you won’t have a garage, basement, or guest rooms, you probably don’t need to keep anything from those rooms. If there’s something particularly sentimental, set it aside to keep, and get rid of everything else. 

Talk to Your Loved Ones

If you have children or grandchildren to whom you planned to bequeath certain items, consider gifting those items early so you don’t have to hang on to them. You should also consider asking whether they want those items. Sometimes, regardless of how much sentimental value we personally place on our possessions, our family members don’t feel the same way. If that’s the case, it may be better to donate or gift those items to another person or organization.  

Sort Into Piles

Divide your possessions into piles, such as keep, donate, toss, and give to family. Don’t include a maybe pile. It’s too tempting to keep everything, and you’ll just have to sort through it again later. Think about which items you use and which bring you joy. Eliminate items you don’t truly need, and get rid of any duplicates. 

Be Creative

Sometimes, we have items of great personal value, but they just won’t fit into our new space. So what can you do? If you have boxes of photos, consider transferring them to DVDs which will take up less space. And if you’re a collector, keep only the most special items and photograph the rest. You’ll be able to remember the entire collection without taking it with you. Then, you can gift your collection to a family member, donate it to a museum, or sell it to another collector. 

Measure

As you downsize, keep the measurements of your new home in mind. There’s no sense keeping a sofa that won’t fit in your new living room, for example. You can also draw diagrams of your new room so you can see exactly how much space the items you’d like to bring will take up. 

Downsizing can feel daunting, but if you allow yourself ample time and follow the above tips, you’ll be able to get through it and be ready to move into your new home with a more manageable number of possessions.