Whether your children have left the nest, you’re simply tired of taking care of a bigger footprint, or whatever your reason, downsizing home and decluttering can seem like a big, impossible to do. However, it’s your chance to start getting more with less. We accumulate a lot of stuff over time and downsizing home is the perfect time to purge.
It’s common for some people to think of downsizing your home as a downgrade – but that’s simply not true! Buying a smaller home can be your opportunity to focus on the finer details and transform your home into a stylish oasis that’s easier for you to manage. A smaller house means less time expended to clean and maintain.
As you make your way through our list of tips, keep in mind that the trick to downsizing home is to be smart, efficient, and thorough.
Address the Big Stuff First
If you’re moving from, say, a five-bedroom home to a three-bedroom home, there’s no need to take all 5 of your beds with you on your move to your new house. Not only is there no room for it, but ideally, you’ll want to avoid the hassle and cost of getting a storage unit.
Maybe you’re moving to a home with the same number of bedrooms, but with less square-footage. This can be a bit trickier, as some of the bigger pieces of furniture you had before may no longer fit into your new layout. Be practical! Bust out the tape measure and figure out if your big pieces of furniture will realistically work in your new space. If not, don’t be afraid to let go! Save yourself the trouble and either work with less, or find a newer, smaller version of the piece of furniture you’re getting rid of.
Often, there’s a smarter way of storing things. Do you have a big bulky dresser? A large console with cabinets? If your new place is lacking in built-in interior storage, you can opt for smart vertical storage that hangs directly on the wall, thus freeing you up to go ahead and get rid of your bigger, bulkier storage options.
On to the Smaller Items
There are a few things to keep in mind here:
- Is it sentimental?
- Is it useful?
- Is it replaceable?
- Is it under X amount of money?
- Does it bring you joy? (Shout out to Marie Kondo, pro organizer!)
Clothes
There are many reasons to purge your clothes on the regular. Maybe your style tastes have changed, an item is no longer comfortable for you to wear, or maybe it’s been over a year since you last wore that one shirt, either way, it’s time to downsize on your clothing items. If it helps, dedicate one storage tote to items you just don’t feel ready to part with. Or, re-home items to friends or family that you’d like to see live on. (This is actually good for all your possessions that aren’t big items.)
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