Downsizing reduces your monthly cost of living, saves on mortgage payments, and reduces the cost of home insurance and property taxes. It simplifies your lifestyle, gives you the chance to be closer to family, or lets you relocate to a state with better weather.
Whatever your reason for downsizing, the process can be difficult and emotional. If you feel overwhelmed by your to-do list, or aren’t sure if downsizing is the right step for you, read on for the complete guide on downsizing your home.
When to Downsize Your Home
Deciding to downsize or move is rarely a simple decision. Fortunately, there are tell-tale signs that downsizing is the right move for you.
To check if you’re ready for something new, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I have unused rooms in my home?
- Can I afford to stay in my current home for 10 or 20 more years?
- Do I struggle to maintain my house and/or yard?
- Do I feel isolated or lonely?
- Do I have a lot of equity in my home?
If your home has a lot of unused space, clutter, and monthly expenses, it may be your sign to downsize.
Preparing for the Move
You don’t have to move immediately after you’ve decided to downsize. It’s better to give yourself ample time to plan the move. This also allows you to adjust to the idea of living in a new space.
The first step is to decide where you want to move to. This gives you a guideline of how much stuff you can keep when you move. Apartments or senior living facilities, for example, typically have less space than a detached house.
Once you have a place in mind, set a timeline for the move. When do you want to move out of your current home? If you’re moving out of state, moving trucks may need to load your things a few weeks before your move-in date. Work back from your ideal move-in date, including time to load the moving trucks and time to declutter, downsize, and pack.
Decluttering before Downsizing
When moving into a smaller space, it’s a good idea to declutter before you get there. Squeezing all of your belongings into a smaller home is nearly impossible! Once you’ve set your timeline for the move, you can slowly and steadily downsize your belongings. One of the benefits of selling your old house is getting rid of stuff you’ve forgotten you have!
Start downsizing at least three months before your move-in date. This gives you time to gift precious items to your loved ones, organize the stuff you want to keep, and sell or donate the things you’re ready to let go of.
When choosing what to keep, it can be helpful to have a floor plan for your new home. This helps you visualize the size and layout of the new space. This way, you’ll know which furniture pieces will fit, which pieces won’t, and how you can arrange each room before you move in. There are also helpful apps for room design that can help you visualize your new space.
Start With the Essentials
What items and furniture pieces do you need to have for everyday living? Take these practical items first. Bathroom and kitchen supplies, your mattress and bedframe–if you can’t do normal life without it, pack it in!
Save the emotional items, like artwork and heirlooms, for later on in your packing process. Starting with the practical must-haves is the best way to get into the downsize-mind frame.
Go Room by Room
Pack one room at a time. Keep your floor plan handy and decide what you’ll bring to your new home. If your current home has multiple bedrooms and your new home only has one, bring the essentials (bed, dresser, bedside tables, etc.) for that room.
Tackle the Problem Areas
Some areas are more difficult to pack and declutter than others. Now that you’ve packed your essentials, tackle at least one problem area. This could be your attic, office, garage, or closet.
When tackling these tough areas, it’s a great time to enlist some help from friends or family.
Categorize Your Belongings
When organizing your things, sort them into three categories: keep, toss, and donate. As you work through each room, place items into labeled containers of things you want to keep, things you want to throw away, and things you want to gift or donate. Try to avoid having a “maybe” category. Too many “maybes” can hinder your process as you focus on each item for too long.
Pick Your Favorites
Besides clothing items, you won’t need duplicates in your new home. If you have three whisks, keep your favorite and get rid of the others!
When organizing your clothing, set a limit. If you have 20 dresses but only enjoy wearing 4 of them, just keep your favorite 7.
If you’re struggling to let go of your items, ask yourself the following questions:
- Have I used this item in the last year?
- Does this item make me happy to look at?
- Is this item useful or helpful?
If the answer is yes – give yourself permission to keep it. Just be honest with yourself as you move through your home, and only keep the stuff that you truly value.
Digitize Your Precious Memorabilia
Photos, letters, your children’s certificates, and your grandkid’s artworks are emotionally valuable items. But, they take up a lot of space.
Instead of throwing away these precious memories, hire a company to digitize your favorite pictures and videos.
Make Downsizing Your Home a Joy
Downsizing doesn’t have to be stressful. With some planning and organizing, you’ll be prepared (and even excited!) for your move.
And once you’re ready to move to a smaller home, we can help you with selling your big house. We Buy Houses is a local estate investment business that will buy your house for cash. No fees, surprises, and no headaches! Contact us today for more information on how to sell your home.
