Did you know that around 46% of home sellers sell their houses because of a change in family size? If your child is moving out, you got a divorce, or you are ready to retire, it could be time to consider downsizing.
Downsizing your house may allow you to save money on mortgage, insurance, utilities, and maintenance. It also can reduce stress, make it easier for you to travel, and reduce daily cleaning tasks.
Are you wondering how to downsize your home? If so, keep reading to learn more about moving and downsizing.
Set Goals
If you want to downsize your house, the first step is to set goals. You should give yourself plenty of time to downsize, and you should make a plan to pace yourself to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
If possible, you should give yourself 3-6 months to downsize your belongings. Your goals can include sorting through a few items daily, determining a plan, and getting rid of duplicate items.
Measure Your New Living Space
Before you start downsizing your current house, you should measure your new living space. Measuring your space will give you an idea of how much stuff you can bring and which pieces of furniture will fit.
If your furniture won’t fit in your new space, you can choose to sell or donate it. Try to avoid cramming lots of large furniture in a tight space.
If you aren’t sure how big your new living space will be, you can start by getting rid of items you no longer use. You can sort your furniture once you know how much space you will have.
Consider Your New Lifestyle
In addition to measuring your living space, you should keep your new lifestyle in mind when determining what to keep and what to get rid of.
Downsizing gives you the chance to have a simpler lifestyle, so don’t try to keep everything that will physically fit in your new space.
Try considering why you want to downsize, new hobbies you want to try, things that make you nervous about downsizing, and the benefits of downsizing.
When determining what you want to keep, consider if that item fits your lifestyle. For example, if you want to start traveling more, having several houseplants might not fit into your new lifestyle.
Try the Four-Box Method
Did you know that around 54% of Americans feel overwhelmed by the amount of clutter in their home? If you are ready to reduce clutter and downsize, you should try the four-box method.
The four-box method makes decluttering easier because you only give yourself four options when determining what to do with each item. You can sell, donate, trash, or keep each item.
While your four options can vary, you should avoid allowing yourself to create a “maybe” pile. The items you are unsure about will accumulate fast and make the sorting process take longer.
If you are unsure about an item, consider the last time you used it, if it will fit into your lifestyle, and if you have space for it.
Focus On One Room at a Time
Because downsizing can feel overwhelming, it’s a good idea to focus on one room at a time. When creating your timeline, give yourself a set amount of time to sort through each room.
Once you start decluttering a room, try to focus on one task at a time. For example, set aside an hour to clean out an old desk, sort through old movies, or determine which shirts you no longer wear.
If you have plenty of time to downsize your house, try completing at least one small task per day.
Give Away Sentimental Items
One of the hardest things about downsizing is getting rid of sentimental items. Whether it’s your child’s old homework or your mom’s old kitchenware, sorting through sentimental items can feel overwhelming and emotional.
While you should keep important sentimental items, you may not have enough room for everything in your new living space. Instead of throwing those items in the trash, you should consider giving them to other family members.
Giving family members items that are important to you will help you feel better about downsizing. Keep in mind that some family members may prefer not to take sentimental items because of a lack of space.
If you have to get rid of items that are important to you, take pictures of them. You can take pictures of your child’s artwork, an old piece of furniture, and birthday cards.
Digitize Important Documents
One of the most important tasks on a moving checklist is to take care of documents. Documents can take up large amounts of space in your house, but some of them may be important to keep.
If possible, consider digitizing some of your documents. Scan your documents and keep them on your computer or your phone.
Not only will digitizing documents save space, but it also will make it easier to find them when you need them.
Maximize Storage Space
Before you move into your space, determine how you can maximize your storage space. Does your new house have an attic, basement, or shed? Are there plenty of closets or wall space?
By maximizing storage space, you may be able to keep more items than you think. You can use storage pods to store clothes under your bed, install floating shelves to make room for extra books, and use wall space in your closet to hang accessories.
Ask For Help
Because downsizing is a difficult process, you should consider asking for help if you feel overwhelmed. Family and friends can help you sort through items, give you a second opinion, and help you take care of items you no longer need.
Hiring moving and storage companies can also make downsizing easier. While a moving company can help you pack and take your items to your new house, a storage company allows you to keep items that you aren’t ready to get rid of.
Now You Know How to Downsize Your Home
Downsizing your house is a good option if you want to save money, reduce stress, and change your lifestyle. When decluttering a home, make sure you measure your new space, set goals, create a method, and ask for help.
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