Whether you are downsizing your home in order to help you save money, or you’re simply sick of taking care of more property than you need, making the move isn’t necessarily going to be easier simply because you have a smaller space to decorate and move into. In fact, there are some additional considerations that you need to make with a move to a smaller home and here, we’re going to look at a few of them.
Start downsizing early
If you have enough possessions to fill up your current home and you’re looking into a smaller space, then you might need to start thinking of how you’re going to get rid of what you no longer need. Crowding your new home with unnecessary things isn’t going to help you fall in love with it. There are lots of ways to get rid of unwanted items, from running a garage sale to selling things online to donating them to friends, families, charities, and even local recycling efforts. Start downsizing early as it can take some time for you to get rid of certain items. You don’t want to end up having to dump items that could find a new home or, even better, make you some money.
Size matters, not just volume
You might need to cut down not only the number of things that you bring with you, but you have to consider the dimensions of the furniture and accessories that you want to bring as well. For instance, you might not have the space in a room to conveniently fit a large couch that you own. Get the measurements of your new home and compare it to the furniture that you have at the moment. You have to consider not just whether a piece of furniture is able to fit into that space, but whether it’s going to look good and provide comfort in that space. Those big spacious chairs might fit okay, but if you can barely move through them or they take up too much space, they’re not going to work the new home.
Don’t get rid of things too hastily, however
There might be plenty of possessions you could quite happily be rid of one way or another. However, there may be some items that aren’t going to go into your new home as-is, but might be too valuable or take a little extra effort to sell. Until you have decided what you can do with them or can find a buyer that will pay what they are worth, you should consider keeping them in storage space, whether it’s a friend’s home or a space that you rent. Just be sure to consider the cost of storage while you’re using it. If, at any point, the storage space is likely to cost you more than you can make by selling off that item, then it may be more cost-effective to simply sell or even donate it.
You need a moving company to meet your needs
If you’re moving everything yourself, then you can skip this tip (though that still takes plenty of planning.) Professional movers can be a big help, but you need to make sure that they can meet your needs. If you have successfully downsized your possessions, you won’t have as much to move, so you might not need to pay to fill a whole moving truck. When you get in touch with local moving companies, make sure they have the appropriate vehicles and transport space to suit you. You shouldn’t be paying for extra space that you’re not using, so consider those that offer smaller vehicles or allow you to share space with other customers that are having their possessions moved.
Plan in advance where everything is going to go
One of the tips above involves measuring rooms to see which furniture can fit in what space. While you are going that, you should also be thinking about planning out a list of where each item should be moved to. When you’re packing, try to pack boxes by which room they’re going into, not which room they are currently in. Be sure to visit the new property before the move to double-check any measurements and get a good idea of what is going to go where and how it might look in that space.
Maximize storage space in the new place
You want to avoid cluttering your new home and, even after you have gotten rid of items you no longer want, need, or can bring to the new place, you might still find the existing storage options overflowing. As such, look at some ways to add storage space to existing rooms. Make use of vertical space or recesses that could house storage areas. If you’re planning on renovating the new home, consider what changes are going to allow you to neatly store all of the items that you want to move in there.
Get ready for it emotionally
Even if a smaller space better suits your lifestyle, you shouldn’t be surprised to find that it takes a little while to get used to. Downsizing our belongings has been found in studies to make us happier. However, that can still take a little time to get used to. What’s important is that you don’t follow the initial tug in your gut that might encourage you to clutter the home up or even to start looking for other places. Give yourself time to get used to that new space and feel at ease in it. You can take some steps to make your home feel more “you,” from decorating it with personal effects to throwing a dinner party there with a few guests to start building up positive associations with the space.
There’s nothing to stop you from falling in love with a smaller space. Getting things started off on the right foot can be a big help, however. The tips above can help you figure out how to do that.
