3 Best Downsizing Tips For Moving To A Smaller Space

Older adults aren't the only individuals who may want to downsize. While it makes sense for empty nesters to move to a smaller space, anyone who wants to save money or live a simpler life could choose to downsize. It can also allow you to live a less cluttered and more peaceful life. According to US News Real Estate, when choosing to downsize, make sure you set a realistic timeline. At the most, it will take you six months to pare down your items. Starting as soon as possible is very important.

When moving into a smaller space, there are three key things you'll need to keep in mind. You'll first need to know the best way to sort through your belongings. Then, you'll want to get rid of duplicates to avoid clutter. Finally, you'll need to think about how you're going to get the items you do keep to your new home. Below, you'll find more information on these three tips.

Budget Dumpster advises beginning the downsizing process by cataloging all the items you own. Go through your items room by room and sort them into different piles. These could be labeled differently depending on your future plans. No matter what, you'll need a keep bin. If you want to donate, you can create a donation bin. Other bins could be labeled sell, storage, trash, or yard sale. A great tip is getting rid of things you haven't used in the past year. Sentimental items can be some of the hardest to get rid of. If you need to declutter things with fond memories, think about taking pictures of them, turning them into something more useful, or handing them down to other family members.

Rocket Mortgage also says that, when sorting through your belongings, keep your end goal in mind. Why are you downsizing? To save money for your kids to go to college? To be able to travel more? Then, once this has been decided, consider if each item will serve your lifestyle. If it doesn't, it can be donated, sold, or thrown away. 

Next, you'll want to make sure you get rid of duplicate belongings. When living in a larger house, it can be easy to accumulate many of the same items. For instance, you may have an extensive mug collection or multiple similar shirts. Laura Noelle says that many people typically have lots of duplicate items located in junk drawers, office spaces, and linen closets. Narrowing down your items to only those you love the most can help you decrease your belongings significantly. Budget Dumpster says to make sure you get rid of any damaged or worn items you may be holding onto.

Laura Noelle suggests having just one or a few of each item because this will help you know where everything is. To pare down your items, think about if each specific item is serving your lifestyle. For instance, larger families may need lots of mugs. But if they're not being used, it may be time to let them go.

Finally, think about having to move the items you do keep into your new space. Moving Tips says that remembering how difficult moving is may help you pare down your items. Also, avoid buying new items before moving because you won't know how the items will look or if they will fit well in the space. While buying new items before you move would help you set up your living space sooner, it may also be difficult to move your pieces, and they may get damaged in the process. It can also be costly to move lots of large pieces of furniture, for example.

However, make sure you have some essentials when you first move in. Flat Rate recommends purchasing items like a shower liner, toilet paper, disinfectant spray, paper towels, a first aid kit, extension cords, silverware, and dishware before moving in. Larger furniture pieces can be bought after moving in.