When it comes to your home, bigger might not always be better! As you may remember from my previous post- I’m moving! I’m going from a large one bedroom apartment to a smaller unit above a garage. In many cases, less is more these days! Think of small tiny homes that are trending and whether you are downsizing for a variety of reasons, one of the most common ones is that they want to save money and get rid of unused space. It could be the right move at any stage of life depending on what your goals are. You can find that having a smaller home might make more sense when your children are finally out of your home or if you are wanting to save money and retire early. There are a few tips to help you downsize your home efficiently and live clutter free.
- Start ASAP: When you begin to downsize, you want to give yourself as much time as possible without feeling overwhelmed. A general idea could be that you’ll want to start at least 3 months before you plan to move but really, the sooner the better in the long run. Keep your home as clutter free as possible which means getting rid of items you no longer need. Of course there are many different organization methods such as the KonMari method but find a goal to at least balance your workflow and find possessions that you actually want to keep for years to come. Let go of one item per day or let go of the number of items with the date such as 7 things on the 7th day of the month.
- One Room At A Time: The thought of organizing or decluttering your entire home so just take it one day at a time. You are more likely to complete the process if you break it into multiple projects. Create a plan that is broken down by smaller projects within a room to make sure that you stay on track but do not get overwhelmed. Some examples can include junk drawers, small kitchen items, matching up containers with pots and pans and their matching lids, pick shoes to give away and to keep and trim down clothing in your closet. I’ve made my project manageable by tackling my kitchen one day– then working on my office area the next!
- Digitize As You Go: As you leave your space more organized as you found, it will not only improve your day to day but it will also make packing much easier. Organize small items in your drawers using boxes and trays – this makes the transfer easier from your current home to your new home or moving boxes. Papers and files can build up so get a shredder to thin out your fabinet. Other documents that need to be scanned and organized can go into neat digital files. Back up these files on a separate drive so you have a safe space to keep the actual physical copy in your new home as well. This tip is HUGE. I have so many old photos that are taking up SO much space- literally drawers.
- Measure Out Your New Space: You need to know the size of the space if you are aiming to fit into. Ideally, you know the square footage and shape of each room. This will help you figure out which furniture pieces you should get rid of before the move. If you don’t have the exact measurements of your new place you have a new place selected yet, focus on decluttering and get rid of items you know you won’t need. Know what current furniture you will be bringing so you can make sure everything has a spot when you move in.
Image: Weston Moving and Storage
- Calling In Professionals: When you are needing help during the process, make sure you call in the professionals. A quality company is called Weston Moving and Storage. They provide a variety of services to help you including safe moving in Broward County, apartment moving and college student moving. Be sure to call them for any help you need when downsizing your home.
There are many more other great tools and tips to help you downsize your home. Do your best to take your time, go through each room, realize what you need and what you don’t and then enjoy the moment when you can enjoy your new home.
What tips do you have? Let me know with a comment below!
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