Downsizing is an excellent idea if your current home is too large for you.
This might happen if your children have flown the nest, if you’ve recently become single, or you’ve just started to feel like your home is too much for your needs. But moving to a smaller home can be tricky if you’ve expanded your life (and your stuff) to fit into a larger space. You need to take stock of what you have and think about what will be coming to your new home with you, on top of finding a smaller home that’s the right fit for you. Here are some downsizing tips to help with your move.
Make Use of a Storage Space
Renting a storage space can be very useful when you’re downsizing. It gives you somewhere to put your stuff, and you can use it in several different ways. When you rent a self-storage unit, you can use it to take a good look at all your things. Spreading everything out in one place can make it easier to sort through it.
You may also simply want to store some of your stuff because it won’t be coming to your new home. It might be there temporarily until you sell it or give it away, or you might store it on a more permanent basis.
Pare Down Your Stuff
A smaller home usually necessitates having less stuff. Decluttering and paring down your things will mean you can fit your remaining possessions into your new home. Start by getting rid of any duplicate items that you might have.
While there are some things that you need multiples of, like cutlery, there are other items that only necessitate owning one or perhaps two. Another thing to do is consider which items are useful and which ones make you happy. If you haven’t used it in the last six months and don’t have any strong feelings about it, it can probably go.
Don’t Downsize Too Much
When you’re thinking about downsizing, consider how much downsizing is appropriate for your needs. Moving to a smaller home can have lots of excellent benefits, from less cleaning to cheaper energy bills. But before you move into a tiny house, think about whether you’re really that type of person.
Even though you want to downsize, you still need enough living space that you feel comfortable. Going from a four-bedroom home to a two-bedroom home is still downsizing, and you could still feel comfortable without restricting your space too much.
Consider Starting Over
One thing that can present a problem when downsizing is your furniture. You might have some pieces that you love, but fitting all of your furniture into your new home could be a challenge. Instead of attempting it, you might want to consider starting over.
If there are some items you can’t let go of, they could still work in your new home. But trying to get it all to fit could result in a disaster and no space left for anything else.
Downsizing could change your life, but make sure you’re ready for it. It might take some time to adjust once you’re in your new home.
