There comes the point for most people when they want to downsize their house. There are many different reasons why people downsize. Each individual has their own end goal. These goals range from saving money, reducing space, and moving to a new location. Regardless of the reason for you, there are some steps you can take to make this process easier. Downsizing can be a great way to improve your life, but the actions you take to get there may be stressful. Continue reading this article to find out all the ways you can make downsizing easier for yourself.
Do Not Delay
One of the most important downsizing your house tips to consider is to start early. You want to give yourself plenty of time when you are trying to downsize. You have to keep in mind that you are moving to a smaller house and you will not be able to take everything with you. The items you have now are not going to fit in your home. Depending on the size of your new house, your existing furniture may not fit in the new space. When you are downsizing, it is the perfect time for you to get rid of all the things you do not need. You do not want to bring clutter with you to your next house.
There are a couple of methods you can use to determine what items you should keep and which one to let go of. You can pick one thing per day that you are going to get rid of. You can also get rid of the number of items that are equal to the date. For example, on the 15th, you get rid of 15 items. When you are deciding what to do with items, you should have a set number of places where the item can go. You should have a keep, trash, and donate pile. If you plan to sell items that you no longer want, you can also have a sell pile. You want to make sure that you do not put anything in storage. This will encourage you to keep items you do not want, need, or have room to keep.
Understand New Space
Before you begin to make real decisions about what to do with the items in your current home, you must understand the space where you are going. This is one of the necessary downsizing your house tips. If you are moving to a townhouse or condo, or a single-family home that is just smaller than your current space, you may have rooms in your existing home that will not be in your next house. That means you have a room full of items and furniture that are not going to fit in your new space. You should make sure that you know the size of the rooms in your new house. Understanding your new home will help you determine if your furniture is able to be moved to your new space. That Amish Heirloom furniture set that you love may not have room in your new home. You may have to visit a furniture store to see what furniture may fit in your new space.
One Room at a Time
When you are attempting to downsize your home, if you try to do too much at one time, it may feel overwhelming. Instead, pay attention to top downsizing your house tips and focus on just one room at a time. You may find it challenging to decide which items to keep and which ones to let go of. If you have been holding on to these items for years, it may be hard to let go. Instead, remember what you want for your life, and keep your focus on your goals. If you set your goals and intentions ahead of time and remind yourself of them, it can help you get through the moments where you feel stuck.
You may need to remind yourself why you want to downsize. You have to remember that while downsizing right now feels difficult; it will provide you with future opportunities. For example, you may have more money with a smaller home mortgage, time, and resources to do more things like travel or focus on doing the things you love, like welding classes or winemaking.
Set Clear Rules for Yourself
You are going to have to make decisions about every single item you have in your house. Before you get started, you should create set rules for yourself. One of the best downsizing your house tips you can keep in mind is to set rules and stick to them. You do not want to hire distance movers to pack and move your items to make decisions about what to keep and get rid of in your new space. That is a waste of time and money to move something that you are going to donate, trash, or sell.
Use Yes or No Only
One of the top downsizing your house tips is to create a pile of yes and another pile for no. When you are considering what to do with an item, you must decide if you want to keep it. While you are looking through your items, you will be tempted to create another pile of items that are a maybe. This pile could be perhaps you have space for these items, or maybe you can find room for them. Do not do it. It would be best if you stuck with yes or no. You are deciding if you want to take the item with you to your new house. If you do, you put it in the yes pile. If you do not, you put it in the no pile. If it is an item that you use regularly, you want to put them in the yes pile. If you have not used the item in six months, you should put it in the no pile.
Downsizing Chart
When you are considering some downsizing your house tips, you may have some difficulty making a decision about what to do with your items. A great way to help yourself make decisions about your items is to follow a chart. First, determine if you have used this item in the past six months. If yes, decide if there is a place for it in your new home. If yes, keep it. If you have not used it, determine if it has any sentimental value to you. If yes, determine if it has a space in your new home, then keep it. If the item does not bring you pleasure, and if it does not work, you can throw it away or recycle it. If you get yourself a trash dumpster rental, you can throw those items right in there. If the item does not make you smile, but it still works, you can donate or sell the item. For example, if you come across office furniture that is in great shape, you can consider selling it. This chart is handy for every single item that you have in your current home.
Pack What You Want to Keep
One of the significant downsizing your house tips is that once you have decided what to keep, pack it right away. Leave the other stuff for now. You will come back to that. This way, the items that you know you are taking with you are packed. If you have duplicates, get rid of them. This is a common problem in the kitchen. How many sets of measuring spoons do you have, and how many do you actually use? If you have collections, do you really need to keep all of them? Once people find that you collect an item, they are constantly giving them to you, and you feel compelled to keep it. Now is not the time to keep items out of guilt. If that is the only reason you have it, it is time to let it go. You are making some hard decisions; allow yourself some time to pause and think about the memories. You can give yourself a little time to cry, feel sad, happy, or any other emotion. If you need to, move on to another room and come back to this one. This is why it is a great idea to start early.
Sentimental Items
This is one of those downsizing your house tips that you want to pay attention to. You are going to come across items that are sentimental for many reasons. If you do not want them or they will not fit in your house, reach out to family members to see if they want any of these items. This is a great way to keep things in the family. If family members do not want the item or are too young to take the item, you could sell it and put the money away and give it to them when they are older. If it is an item that you know will be difficult to part with, you can make something creative from it. You can take picture of it and create a memory book or turn it into a piece of art. You can design pillows or custom printed tshirts with the item. The options are limitless if you think creatively. That is precisely what you have to do when you are reducing your space.
Items That are Not Sentimental
When you are looking for downsizing your house tips for items that are not sentimental, the answer is easy. If items are not sentimental to you and are in good shape, you can donate or sell them. Even if the item seems like it is not in the best condition, you may be able to donate it, and someone can restore it or make another item from it. You never know. Do not be too hasty and throw away something that could be of value to someone else. If you know that you have items that are valuable, but you do not want them, you can sell or auction them. If you plan to sell them at an auction, you should first have the item(s) appraised, so you know their value. These items may no longer mean anything to you, but they may mean a lot to someone else.
Ask For Help
When you are interested in downsizing your house tips, you may need a little more than help with deciding what to take and what to leave behind. This only focuses on the packing part of your move. You are selling your existing house to move into a new one, and you may need some items addressed in your current home to prepare it for sale. You may need to consider some roof repair or other repairs in your house. If these repairs and upgrades must happen, you are going to need someone to come in and help you. You may need assistance packing, moving, and deciding what needs to be fixed around the house. You may be interested in making solar energy upgrades before you sell. All of these items must be considered while you are preparing your home and your items for the big move. Be sure to ask for help when you need it.
Conclusion
You have all the tips you need to begin downsizing. The emotions you feel at this stage are a combination of excitement, relief, and sentimentality. These are all typical feelings to have during this process. You do not want to let anything hold you back from the goals you have outlined for yourself. Once you understand why you are taking these steps and making these moves, it is easier for you to stick to them when the decisions become difficult.
