How to Prepare for Downsizing
People downsize for several reasons: their children have grown and moved away, they have aged and are moving to a senior community or they just want the freedom of living in a smaller space. Smaller homes usually use less energy and need less maintenance. Downsizing your home will save you money and time. Families may become closer after downsizing and spend more time together. There will be less stress in your life when the clutter and unused items from your home have been removed. Careful planning of what to keep and what to discard will take discipline. The hardest part of downsizing is making your belongings fit into a smaller space.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Set up a system to sort your belongings. Use boxes to get organized. Label the boxes charity, garage sale, garbage and keeping. Place items in the boxes as you organize your belongings.
-
2
Sort your belongings starting with the room you use the least. Discard items that you have not used in the past year. Donate items that you do not need to charity, friends and family. Sell or give away large pieces of furniture that will not fit in the new home.
-
-
3
Hold a moving sale to get rid of things that you do not need. Donate all of the unsold items to charity. Sell furniture or other large items on Craigslist, eBay or consignment shops or hold a house auction. Use the proceeds from the moving sale and invest in smaller multifunction furniture such as a smaller bed with storage drawers underneath.
-
4
Make a list of the furniture and accessories you want to move to the new home. Measure the furniture. Plan where this furniture will be in the new space. Measure each room and draw a floor plan. Use an online room planner to arrange your furniture. Leave at least two feet of clear space around each piece of furniture. Leave about three feet or more clear space for a wheelchair.
-
5
Hire an interior designer to help plan the furniture layout for your new living space. Plan to buy new furniture that will fit in a smaller space. Plan to use some of the rooms for dual purposes, such as the dining room that doubles as an office.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Remove all the clutter from your home.
Do not rent a storage unit to store your clutter.
Check with the local garbage company for policies on throwing out large items.
Sell your old home first before buying a new one.
Take a tax deduction for donated items.
