Time To Downsize: Tips For Moving From A Large House To A Smaller Home
The kids are grown, and maintaining the larger house is getting to be a bit much. Moving to a smaller place, possibly a garden home or an apartment, will mean making some tough decisions about what to take and what needs to go. With a little help, you can get rid of the extras before the movers show up and still have everything necessary to make the new place comfortable. Read this article to learn more about downsizing effectively.
Knowing How Much Room You Have to Work With
Your journey to downsize does not actually start with your present home. It begins with your new place. Grab a pencil, pad, and tape measure and head out to the new house or apartment. Your goal is to take measurements in every room.
You want to know exactly how much square footage is found in each room. While you are at it, measure the space in each closet. It wouldn't hurt to make some quick sketches so you have an idea of how the windows and doors are placed in each room. Doing so will provide some insight about which pieces of furniture will fit comfortably in each room. You'll also have a better idea of what you can store in each of the closets.
Tag Belongings Your Definitely Need
There are some things you cannot do without. Those have priority during the moving process. To make things easier, tag each item that will go with you to the new place. This includes the major appliances for the kitchen, furniture for the living room, the dining table, and any other larger piece that will fit and will be used regularly. The benefit of making these choices first is that you will have a better idea of how much room you still have to play with at the new place.
Hire a Decluttering Specialist
They work under all sorts of names, but the result is the same. You need to hire an objective third party who can come into your home and decide what remaining items will make the move and which ones will have to go elsewhere. The reason you need this help is simple. You are too attached to those belongings. A decluttering specialist has no such attachments and is capable of making those hard decisions.
Letting go of your vinyl record collection will be harder than you think. The same is true of old family photos, even though you've not looked at them for years. An expert can introduce you to contemporary methods for digitizing your music. Instead of several shelves of vinyl, you now have all the music preserved in a single MP3 player that fits in your pocket. All those old photographs are scanned and safely stored on a hard drive or in a cloud environment. The point is, you still have them, but they no longer take up any space.
Letting Friends and Family In
Now that you know what is not going to make it to the new place, let your friends and family have a look at the rest. Somebody may love the idea of giving that old recliner a new home or delight in being able to install your porch swing on their back patio. Even odds and ends like picture frames, glassware, and other things you haven't used in years may be of interest. Remember, this also allows them to have something of yours to cherish in the years to come.
The Big Yard Sale
Move everything that will go to the garage. Set up a date or maybe a whole weekend for a yard sale. Price everything to move quickly. Your goal is not making a pot of money; it is to get rid of things you no longer want. With a little luck, there will be very little to dispose of once the sale is over. Assuming those items are clean and still functional, they can easily be donated to a local charity.
Don't try to manage the downsizing on your own. Professional help will make the task much less painful. Once you are in the new place and everything is put away, you'll be having too much fun in your new digs to mourn the loss of those other possessions. For more tips on downsizing or the actual move, contact local moving companies.
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