Downsizing can mean less housework, minimal home maintenance and lower electric bills. Moving can mean stress, change and excitement. Here are 8 secrets in combining the two and making downsizing a breeze.
Decide What Stays and What Goes
Even if you only have a month to pack, decide what stays and what goes before you move into your new place. Too often people pack everything up with the intention of sorting possessions when they unpack. You are more likely to find a place for something you don’t need when you are unpacking. Don’t do it. Throw away, donate or recycle items now. Grab a bag and get rid of everything that no longer has a function or value.
Stow or Throw
If you decide there are some things you just can’t part with — like Mother’s Day cards from your son or camping gear you use once a year — use self storage units to stow these items until you find a place for them. If you are afraid your new place is too small for anything but everyday items, invest in dual-function furniture to serve as somewhere to sit and somewhere to stow.
Weed Out Your Wardrobe
Sort through your closet and if you find articles of clothing that haven’t been worn in the last year it is time to say goodbye. Donate old or never worn clothes to someone who will get more out of them then you.
Have a Yard Sale
Sell bulky furniture or appliances you won’t need to earn a little cash and downsize what you won’t have room for. Items you don’t sell can be donated, recycled or even given to friends or neighbors as a parting gift.
Cull the Library
It’s possible you’ve spent years adding to your library and feel proud of what you accomplished. Unless you plan to have shelves instead of walls, cull your library. Find the books you won’t read again or haven’t read in a while and donate them to a school, public library, charity or thrift shop. If some novels or story books seem too sentimental to part with, give them to your friends or children.
Clean Out the Kitchen
Most people don’t need 10 mixing bowls and won’t lose sleep over parting with an extra spatula or two. Analyze your kitchen and decide what you do and don’t need. Determine if you will be hosting many parties in your new, smaller place. If not, consider passing your china or fine silverware onto family or friends who could use it more.
Let Things Go
If you are on the fence about an item, let it go. Chances are you won’t even realize it is missing, let alone miss it when you move into your new home. Even if a craft project or 15-year-old ottoman doesn’t have an expiration tag on it, these items do have expiration dates. Weed out projects that you never got to — and still won’t get to, don’t fool yourself.
Get Excited
Not only are you moving, but you are downsizing. It can be stressful; we get that. But take time to relive the memories, photograph the stories and comfortably close that chapter in your life — smiling. You have a new, smaller space waiting for you. Get excited about decorating it.
Lastly, remember, you don’t have to do everything by yourself! When you need help, call moving and storage professionals at TalkLocal!
