4 EASY Tips to Make the Downsizing Process Smoother

This is a Guest Post by Megan Hazelwood

Making the decision to move into a smaller property may feel natural to you, or it may feel like a huge step. What might make you consider downsizing and what can make the downsizing process smoother?

For some people, downsizing is a logical decision once their children have left home, or once they start to get older and want a lower-maintenance, more energy-efficient home. For others, moving can be a challenging time, especially if you’re leaving a property you’ve lived in for many years.

No matter your situation, there are some things you can do to make the downsizing process easier. In this post, we share four tips that everyone can take when embarking on downsizing for this next stage of life.

Start Decluttering Before You Move

It can be hard to face going through everything you own, and so many people put it off right until the last minute. This can lead to you panicking and packing everything, resulting in you moving in with far more than you actually need. Then, when you arrive, you’ll feel cramped in your new space, rather than settled and serene.

Once you’ve made the decision to move, start by clearing out one room at a time, going through your things and deciding what to keep. If you’ve been holding on to anything for other people – children’s toys or photos, for example – now is a good time to get your family involved so they can take anything they want to keep, and store it in their own home. Try sorting everything into three piles: keep, donate, and discard.

Think About What Works With Your New Space

Moving house is a chance to choose a new style of home, if you’d like to. Unless you’re simply buying a smaller version of your existing property, the chances are the furniture you currently have may no longer work in the new space. This is especially true if the rooms are smaller, rather than just decreasing the number of them.

While you shouldn’t necessarily get rid of everything, being selective and only keeping items you really cherish can help you have a fresh start in your new place, paired with some familiar comforts. If there’s a chair you’ve always disliked but have kept so there’s somewhere for people to sit when they visit once a year, now is the time to donate it to a charity store. Look at the move as an opportunity to curate a space that you really love and are looking forward to living in.

Give Unwanted Items A New Lease Of Life

Once you’ve decided which items can be donated, the next step in the downsizing process is to get those items to the right place. Firstly, you could ask family and friends if there’s anything they’d like – younger family members in particular may be looking to furnish their first homes, and so getting items from you is ideal.

After that, look online for local charities who you can either drop donations off to, or who will come and collect them from your home. Remember that items need to be in a usable condition; anything that can’t be used should be recycled, with throwing items in the trash as a last resort.

The key to this is leaving plenty of time, so that you can arrange for items to be disposed of. Time is key if you want to make the downsizing process smoother. If you’re rushing, then it’s more likely that you’ll simply throw everything away just to avoid having to put it in the moving truck.

Give Yourself Time And Ask For Help

Going through your things can be tiring and time consuming, but it can also be emotionally demanding as you look back through the years. Giving yourself as much time as possible means you only have to tackle it when you feel like it, rather than having to open the door to memory lane when you’re not feeling your best. Of course, looking at items from the past can also bring happy memories, and then you may have the opposite issue – caught up looking at everything and unable to let anything go.

If you’ve got a loved one close by, working on this task together can help you think clearly about what makes sense to keep, and what can be passed on or disposed of. You likely have an emotional tie to everything in your house, whereas others don’t, so their opinion and help can make the downsizing process smoother, making decluttering sentimental items a lot easier for you. Especially if you have family, a clearing out day can be a great way to mark the end of this chapter and the start of your exciting new one.

Make the Downsizing Process Smoother and Enjoy Your Next Chapter

I hope this post has helped you make the downsizing process smoother. Decluttering a lifetime of stuff is no small task but your next chapter is going to be amazing! It is well worth the effort to declutter your home and move into a smaller property allowing you more freedom to enjoy life.

For more help breaking through your decluttering excuses and fears grab the Fearless Decluttering e-book today!

Author bio: Megan Hazelwood

As an adult with two separated parents, Megan has already been through the downsizing process several times. Her writing aims to provide actionable advice to make the transition easier for the person moving, and for the family supporting them.