Moving to a new house is a large project that requires a lot of foresight and planning. This already taxing task is even more stressful when you’re moving to a home with less square footage than your current residence. Whether you’re getting in on the tiny house trend or simply moving to a slightly smaller space, downsizing your life and your belongings can be a large undertaking. These tips for downsizing your home will help you sort out trash from treasure as you prepare for your big move to a tinier space.
Prepare to purge
Downsizing your home and saying goodbye to the majority of your belongings can be both physically and emotionally taxing. Emotionally preparing yourself to say goodbye to your once-cherished treasures can be very difficult, so it’s important to surround yourself with a strong team of people who will support you throughout the process. Additionally, depending on the scope of your downsizing, you may need to get rid of a lot of items. Put yourself in the best position possible and rent a dumpster at the onset of your downsizing project. Renting a small dumpster will allow you to easily dispose of any unnecessary items without the need to make a lot of trips to and from the dump. A small dumpster, usually between 10 and 15 cubic yards, should provide ample space for you to dispose of your items. For more information regarding dumpster rental procedures and 15-yard dumpster rental costs, contact our team at Vine Disposal today.
Go through everything
Yes, everything. This includes any boxes or bins you may have stowed away in your attic, basement, or crawl space as well as clearly labeled boxes that you’re almost certain contain only knickknacks and holiday decorations. Sorting through every single box or bag in your home will help you better clear your space of this clutter, and you’ll be able to make the move to your new home without being bogged down by unnecessary items. Looking at every single item in your possession is the best way to ascertain which items you use frequently and which items will meet their downfall as you’re downsizing.
As you sort through these boxes, you’ll likely come across a few random items you should ideally store elsewhere. However, you probably haven’t used or thought about these items in quite some time, so there’s really no reason for the items to make the move to your new home—you can likely dispose of them without too much fuss.
Separate wants from needs
The trickiest part of downsizing is separating the items you want to keep from those you absolutely need to keep. The best way to go about this assessment is to decide which items you use on a regular basis in your home. Items that you haven’t used in over a month and clothing that you haven’t worn in over a year will likely only clutter up your new space, and you should kick it to the curb when you’re downsizing.
Purpose and frequency of use aren’t the only things you should consider when separating wants from needs: joy is equally as important as functionality when you’re choosing which items make the cut. Your home should be the place you feel most at ease, and infusing the space with items that bring you joy is an absolute necessity. These items that bring you joy, whether they come in the form of a beautiful painting or a silly knickknack, will take your space from a house to a home. You should definitely separate these into the “need” category. However, it’s easy to fall into the belief that every item brings you joy, so be sure to only select items you absolutely love and cannot imagine life without.
Ditch duplicates
Over the course of your life, you’ll likely acquire duplicates of several items, sometimes intentionally and sometimes without even realizing it. Ditching your duplicates will help you cut down on the number of unnecessary items in your possession and make the entire downsizing process much smoother. This tip for downsizing your home is particularly useful for individuals who like to buy in bulk. Buying in bulk can be cost-effective, but it can also be a large contributing factor to your home’s clutter and make the downsizing process that much trickier. Pare down your items as much as possible, and consider donating any duplicates to family, friends, or charitable organizations.
Digitize files
Paper products are a leading source of clutter for many homeowners. When it comes time to downsize, these homeowners know they ought to get rid of the piles of paper, but they’re often wary to do so, as the papers often comprise important documents and files. Digitizing your files will allow you to keep all these important documents readily available without utilizing precious space for their storage. Scanning documents and files and uploading them into a digital storage system will enable you to easily organize and access your files from any location. Digitizing physical prints of photographs is also a great way to downsize your home and belongings without sacrificing any of the sentimental value they hold.
Measure everything
Space will be the most important commodity when you’re transitioning into a smaller home, so it’s important that you measure everything prior to the move. Measuring larger furniture and storage items will ensure you don’t clutter up the new space with more belongings than it can feasibly fit. Measuring the dimensions of your new home and the items you wish to take will help you organize the new space in a manner that maximizes both size and style. If you find yourself sorely lacking space, you may need to consider replacing large, bulky furniture items with more compact styles. Downsizing your furniture to smaller, yet no less comfortable, models will help you save space in your new home. Your measurements for your new abode will help significantly when it comes to arranging the area and creating rooms with ample space for activities.
