7 Steps You Should Take To Make Downsizing Less Stressful
The word downsizing can be scary for some. For others, bold (or crazy) enough to take the plunge, downsizing can benefit people in all stages of life. It never hurts to pause and evaluate what you have and why you need to keep it. Here are a few steps you can take to make downsizing less stressful.
- Declutter Before Not During the Move
Downsizing your home means decreasing your stuff to fit your new home. If you have time, decluttering before you move means not having to move as much stuff. It also means a better understanding of how your new space will work for you. You will also find that having less stuff to contend with is a great stress reducer.
- Get Details of the New Space
Get as many details about the new space as possible. Document the rooms and their size. Also, note things like storage, closet space, and crawl space. Knowing these details will help you determine what you will have room for and what not. And because you are downsizing, you may not be able to take your favorite comfy sectional couch, but you will likely be just as or more delighted with a new sofa that properly fits the space and matches your style in your new home.
- Work from large to small
Tackle the larger items first. Focusing on the big things will help you make decisions for the smaller articles later in the process. If you have a good sense of the size of the space you’re moving to; you can make decisions on what furniture will fit and work in the new space. Knowing what you have to work with makes the process a little easier. For example, keeping your grandparent’s china and glassware cabinet means you have space to store your china and glassware.The question you’ll want to resolve is, does your new home have room for the cabinet? If not, it could affect what you decide to do with your collection of glassware and china.
- Clothes
As you evaluate your clothes, be mindful of each item’s purpose when deciding whether to keep them or not. For example, you might have five fancy suits or dresses. Does your new lifestyle require you to dress up often? If so, keeping them is a no-brainer. If not, you’ll have to determine what you need and donate, sell, or discard the rest.
- Collections, Books, Music, and Decorations
Items like this can be challenging to sort. You may not need as many decorations as you currently have. You may not have enough room for all your books, music, and collections. These are some of the items that can sneak up on you if you don’t address them upfront. Again, start with the space you have to work with and go from there.
- Avoid Discarding All or Most of Your Possessions
It can be difficult to downsize. Throwing things away that you feel could still be useful can be challenging. Getting to know your local donation, consignment, and thrift store network can make that part easier. Also, if you need additional help, some companies will help you downsize and sell the stuff you won’t have room for. Having several different avenues to work with ensures you can get your usable items to people who need them, which can bring you peace of mind in knowing your possessions are still being used and enjoyed.
- Invite Your Children to Come and Sort Their Stuff
When your kids move out, there are always a number of their boxes that never seem to leave you for some reason. Downsizing can be a perfect time to have your kids come by and get their stuff, so nothing important gets thrown away. It is also a natural opportunity to get them to finally take those boxes off your hands. After all, you won’t have the space to store them any longer.
If you are moving to the greater San Diego, California area, consider our team’s years of experience and local knowledge. Call us today, and we’ll be glad to help you with any home buying, relocating, or downsizing questions you may have.