7 Tips on Downsizing to a Smaller House

Issue: Dec 2018

7 Tips on Downsizing to a Smaller House

Moving into a smaller home is more difficult than a typical move. Not only are you moving all of your belongings from one place to another, you also have to worry about what to keep and what to get rid of since you’ll wind up with a smaller storage space. Learning how to downsize your home will help you make this transition successfully. Use these downsizing home tips to get your move underway.

1. Take inventory

The first thing you need to do is take inventory of what you have right now. You need to know what you have before you can start downsizing anything. Be sure to include everything in your inventory, including those items stored in the back of the closet, in a storage locker, or in an attic space.

You may be surprised at just how much furniture and personal items you have to move. It is easy to accumulate things when you live in a larger home for a lengthy period of time. The inventory list allows you to see the reality of what you have.

2. Be realistic

When you look at a house filled with furniture and personal items, you likely see fond memories and useful items that you want to keep. Downsizing, however, requires that you be realistic about everything. It is one of the most important aspects of learning how to downsize your home.

Which items do you need? A need is something that you require to live life day to day. You need a pot to cook in. However, you don’t need a dozen pots cluttering up a small kitchen.

Which items do you want to keep? Personal items such as mementos and pictures are items most people want to keep.

Which items are no longer useful? Almost every home has a few items that are no longer useful. It might be an old rice cooker that no longer works or a closet full of clothes that you don’t wear. Those are the items that need to go into the recycling bin or be donated to charity.

Which items can you do without? Once you separate the things you want or need to keep and the things that are no longer useful, you need to be realistic about the rest. If it is an item that will not fit into your new house and you don’t need or want it, get rid of it.

modern lounge interior with blank picture frame

3. Sell the items you no longer need

Moving house can get costly. If you have furniture, electronics, or other items that have monetary value, sell them. You can ask if your friends or family members might want them first. If they don’t, you can use online shopping apps or second-hand stores to sell those items to help cover the cost of the move.

4. Measure everything

While you are going through everything and determining what to keep, it is important to measure everything carefully. You may have a sofa that worked well in your larger home. However, it may not fit when you try to move it into your smaller home.

To prevent problems, measure the space you are moving into and the items that you want to move into it. You may have to sell some larger pieces of furniture and replace them with smaller versions. This is something to know before the movers arrive.

5. Plan for your storage needs

In smaller homes, storage is always an issue. When you are going through your personal items and furniture, always keep storage needs in mind when deciding what items to move and what items to get rid of.

Consider where you can add additional storage to your new home. Adding shelving or buying furniture with built-in storage are two options you can use to make the most of the storage space you have.

If you find that you want to keep certain items but don’t have the space in your new home, consider renting a storage unit. One of these units offers you the ability to keep those extra items without cluttering up your new home.

6. Go through everything

You may have personal items stored in boxes or storage containers. It is quite easy to just keep everything in the box and set it aside for the actual move and it’s one more box you don’t have to pack. However, it is important to go through everything when you are downsizing.

Opening up a container that you haven’t looked in for years will tell you whether its contents are worth keeping or not. Every box you store in your smaller home takes up space that you may not have.

living room with couch

7. Stay organised

Organisation is critical in any move. However, when downsizing, it becomes more important. If you plan to have a charity shop come by to pick up some things you don’t need, separate them from those you want to keep.

You also need to know which items you are taking to your new home and which ones need to go into long-term storage. That way, you aren’t moving items twice.

These downsizing home tips will help you transition to your new home with a minimal amount of stress. If you need a place to store your extra furniture and personal items, contact StorHub Self Storage today!

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