How to Downsize Your Home the Right Way

Many people dream of buying a big house someday. But 60% of people living in homes 2000 square feet or more would downsize if they had the chance.

There are many benefits to downsizing your home, especially later on in life. One of the biggest is having less stuff to maintain.

As a general rule, people are much happier and at peace when there is less clutter around them. Unfortunately, if downsizing is not done properly, it can create more clutter than you had to begin with.

Use these tips to downsize and declutter to enjoy the next phase of your life!

Start with the Big Stuff

The easiest way to prepare yourself for downsizing your home is to take a critical look at your big pieces.

If your new home doesn’t have a formal dining room like you currently have, you don’t need to bring that table and chairs with you. Likewise, you should only keep one bed for each bedroom you’ll have.

This may seem obvious, but often during a move, we make up excuses to keep these bigger items. We may need them later on. Or maybe we’re planning on selling them but don’t get around to it beforehand. Perhaps you want to pass it on to your child.

Whatever the excuse may be, it is important to only bring the big things that will fit in the new home comfortably.

Sometimes these bigger items are harder to part with because they were an investment. So figure out a way that you feel comfortable getting rid of them and follow through before the move.

Touch Everything

Packing and preparing for a move is often a very chaotic time. There is so much to be done, and it all takes a lot of time.

With so much going on, it can be tempting to skip going through your things before packing. But this is a critical error! It is so important to touch everything before it gets moved to your new house.

This sounds like an obvious statement that has to be done. Things have to be touched when you put them into boxes. But that is not the full extent of what we’re talking about.

We’re specifically talking about those things that are already in boxes that you want to just put on the moving truck without going through.

Those boxes in the garage that never got unpacked. That box from high school in the back of your closet. And those never-opened presents from grandma your holding onto.

You need to open all of these things and go through them before downsizing your home. Space will be precious, and you don’t want to waste it with things you don’t want.

Secure Secondary Storage if Necessary

Let’s just face the facts; sometimes, we don’t have enough room for all of the things we need or want.

An important thing to remember is how to downsize your home is to be realistic about your situation.

If you have taken the time and effort to go through your things and there is just more than you want to have then will fit in your new home, you need to look into some secondary storage options.

Secondary storage could be an extra shed in the backyard, self storage, or another storage location off-site.

The key to making this type of extra storage successful is by determining what you need before the move. When a plan is made for where the extra storage will be and what exactly will go there, those things already have a place and will not clutter up your new home.

So, what types of things should you keep in a storage unit?

You don’t want to pay for an additional storage unit just for things you don’t want to go through. Try to be very intentional about the things you put in there. Important things you want to keep but don’t need access to regularly.

An extra storage unit is helpful but shouldn’t replace the process of decluttering and going through things while packing.

Take a Second Look While Downsizing Your Home

When you are packing and moving into a smaller home, it can be tricky to know what will really fit into your new space and what will not.

To avoid having to repurchase a lot of things, it can be helpful to plan on going through items a second time. Keep things you think you will need and then take a critical look at what you’ve kept once you are home.

Don’t just keep things because you packed and moved them to your new home. Instead, unpack everything and only keep what fits nicely.

It is really overwhelming to pack up your house and move to a smaller one. It’s okay to take a few extra things just in case they fit. This second look through your items is a very helpful one for setting up your new life well.

You may be surprised by the things you decided to keep but don’t actually want or care for.

Enjoy Your New Home

Downsizing your home is a great chance to get a fresh start. It’s an opportunity to let go of extra things that are not bringing you joy.

Extra stuff and clutter cause major stress and anxiety in the majority of people. When our spaces are simplified, our brains can function better, leading to a happier life.

When it is time to downsize your home, it can go two ways. The first is you bring everything with you and now have an ultra-cluttered space that makes you angry to be in. The second is you declutter before and while moving, and your new space is uplifting and peaceful for you.

It does take some time and effort to downsize the right way of maximum benefits. But the overall improvement in the quality of life is definitely worth it.

If you are interested in other ways you can improve your overall mental health and wellness, check out more of our website!