There’s a good chance that you enjoy your home and what it has to offer. However, there are situations where homeowners or renters might feel like it is time to declutter and start downsizing their homes. It may be because their children have grown up and moved out on their own, or their home may be larger than they need, or perhaps they are concerned about the size in regards to their health or finances.
Another possibility is that you may be in a situation where you are moving from a large home to a smaller one and want to make sure that you are only bringing the belongings that you need the most. Here are six tips that can give you more insight into how to downsize your home.
Declutter First
Step one is always to declutter. This is a difficult, but very important step. You might be interested in understanding how to downsize your home without understanding where to start first. Start thinking about what you want to get purge and begin getting into the mindset of freeing yourself of items you do not use or need. Start by decluttering one small project or area at a time and will see that you will make progress after a week or two.
Organize Your Things
Downsizing your home is about more than just deciding what to keep and what to throw away. It’s important to note that you can sell some items for extra cash if you feel like it will help you financially. This might include larger objects like musical instruments or furniture that you no longer need.
Also, always make sure that you consider a donation for anything that could benefit others. If you do have donations, please remember to make sure you save your receipts for tax purposes. If you find this process difficult, a professional organizer can assist you to organize your things.
Digitize Your Documents
One of the greatest things about technology is that it can help immensely when it comes to downsizing. You might have old cassettes or DVDs that you still appreciate and digitizing them can help you save space when it comes time to move to your new home. If you are serious about downsizing, you should recognize that paper can take up a lot of space. Paper documents can add up to many boxes - especially if you have a large family and each member has important paper documents of their own. Consider digitizing as much as possible when downsizing. In addition to saving a ton of space digitizing your important documents will prevent damage or loss.
Do You Need A Storage Unit?
At this point, you should have done enough downsizing to be ready to move into your new home. However, what if you still have too many things to fit in your new home, even after downsizing?
If there is no other option, then you might want to consider paying for a storage unit. This will be a downsizing expense, but it may be worth it if you are moving soon and do not have room to fit all of your items in your new home.
Get Help from Family and Friends
If you are not in a position to use a professional to downsize your home, then you may want to consult with friends and family to assist you in downsizing. They may have some innovative ideas to help you with your downsizing that you didn’t previously consider.
Consult a Professional Organizer
Downsizing can be a very difficult and emotional experience, but consulting with a professional organizer can make the process run smoother for you and your family. If you cannot use a professional organizer for an entire job, perhaps hiring one to provide you with broad ideas and suggestions that perhaps you didn’t consider previously. Or bring in a professional organizer for one area at a time.
If you need help getting organized feel free to contact me.