There are many reasons one may choose to downsize their home. The family home becomes too big once children leave ‘the nest’ and a smaller roost makes sense.
With economic fluctuations in recent years, finances play a part in the determination for a smaller space. As couples separate, there is a need for two smaller homes rather than one bigger one. With the trend to ‘tiny homes’, many people are choosing to leave a smaller footprint on our world. Whatever the reason may be, moving to a smaller home does not necessarily mean that you have to part with all your belongings.
Pairing down your items to a more manageable amount can be overwhelming. Here are some tips on how to keep clutter at a minimum and make the downsizing process easier.
If you know downsizing is in the near future, give yourself the time to go through, sort and organized items.
Set a calendar item three months in advance of your move to start the process. It will be far less overwhelming than waiting until the week prior.
Consider going room by room, allowing yourself enough time to make it through your house before the big day. Sometimes you simply need to start with smaller places such as the junk drawer. But start sooner than later!
It becomes easy to simply move items from one room to another room in the home without resulting in any decluttering.
Set ground rules for yourself and only give yourself four options:
There are different methods on how to choose the right option such as considering if the item ‘brings joy’. And once you’ve made the decision, stick with it!
There is nothing more satisfying than admiring a well organized closet or desk. There is nothing more overwhelming than considering an overflowing desk or closet in distress.
Find organizational methods that work for you – perhaps a simple file organizer for bills or folding method for clothes. There are an abundance of books, websites and blogs that have helpful hints and strategies. Find processes that work for you!
If you haven’t used it in a year, pass it along. Perhaps a niece will love your worn jeans or your neighbor would appreciate a box of books.
Join Upcycling FB groups that allow members to give away free items to people who could really use them. And of course, there are so many charitable organizations that are willing to take household items, furniture, clothing and more!
Do you have items of value that can be sold?
Perhaps you can make a few dollars from the tires and rims in the garage that are taking up valuable space.
You’ve been told that the china set that you inherited is worth a few bucks.
You have a cool collection of vinyl records but you never listen to them. Can you part with items and pad your wallet at the same time?
You may be sticking with the plan of decluttering and organizing but … how big is your new home? Measure rooms, be aware of the actual capacity once you move in.
Resources like storage solutions are key to small space but sometimes, you just need to be realistic about how much stuff will be manageable in a smaller space. Go back to the drawing board and be ruthless!
As you prepare to move, consider if you are making bigger changes in your life.
And remember that if your downsizing is temporary or you can’t quite fit everything into your new home, consider self-storage for a time frame that fits your budget. Perhaps this gives you the option of changing out your décor, seasonals or clothing as desired.