It might be hard to move homes. The idea of needing to declutter and reduce may make you feel overwhelmed if you’ve decided to downsize. Don’t rush; as Alexander Graham Bell famously stated, “Preparation is the key to success.” Prepare ahead and get ready to meticulously go through every area.
Photo courtesy of: Cottonbro Studio
Reduce the large things
Even while you may still require the same quantity of bedroom furniture, you might not be able to fit it all in if you’re reducing on space but not bedrooms. Examine the layout of your new space carefully. To truly get a sense of where you may position your larger furniture pieces, such as tables, sofas, and beds, it is ideal to go around with a tape measure.
If you’re cutting space but not bedrooms, even though you might still need the same amount of bedroom furniture, you might not be able to fit it all in. Examine the layout of your new space carefully. It is best to go around with a tape measure in order to accurately determine where you may place your larger furniture items, such as tables, sofas, and beds.
Bring the little things with you
It is tempting to give away or sell many of your smaller goods, such as clothing, trinkets, décor, and kitchenware, while decluttering for a move. Do this step cautiously, though, as you should look through your belongings to get rid of any general garbage that has accumulated in your home. Start holding off on getting rid of things you frequently use or adore just yet.
Instead, preserve whatever you now use, use sometimes, has emotional significance, or serves a useful purpose, even if you don’t use it frequently. A relocation, for instance, is a fantastic opportunity to get rid of baby items, outdated toys, or pregnancy clothing if you’re done having kids. With some of these items, there will undoubtedly be nostalgic feelings. Hang on to those specific goods for the time being, and dispose of or sell those that are no longer useful in your life.
Examine every box
This one may sound really reasonable, but it is frequently ignored. How many boxes of “keepsakes” do you have that you haven’t opened in a long time? Examine the contents of these boxes before shifting them around needlessly. Children’s artwork, photos, cards, and scrapbooks that are stored in boxes can be digitized and condensed. You will gain important and useful room in your new house as a result. If you haven’t looked inside the boxes in a while, chances are good that they contain items you are unaware of and won’t ever need.
Since “it could be helpful someday,” a lot of stuff ends up on shelves and is stored away. Sometimes you just don’t know what to do with it, plain and simple. The largest problem appears to be obsolete tech devices, wiring and laptops! Clean up hard disks, and sort usable cables from discarded trash. Recycle electrical devices to free up more space.
Rule of one year
I am aware of how alluring it might be to hold onto things you previously liked but are no longer using, especially ones you anticipate using in the future. The fact is that you are less likely to utilize something in the coming year if you haven’t used it in the previous one. This suggests that it could be time to go with your pre-baby thin pants, old craft project paints, and exercise gear. Of course, every rule has exceptions. Use cautious when donating items that are extremely precious, emotional, or serve a specific function.
The key is to be realistic when deciding what to keep and what to throw away. Consider your use and your needs for the now and the future. Holding onto something “just in case” could take up space in your new house, so let it go.
Move special things back home
When downsizing, it’s important to only keep items that are truly necessary and serve a purpose in your new home. For sentimental items that you can’t part with, consider donating them to a local charity or museum to give them a new life and share their story with others. If you are living in Louisiana, with the help of professional movers like Mandeville Movers, you can ensure that your belongings are safely transported to your new home, making the moving process less stressful.
Digitalize anything you can
Did you know that you may digitize all of your critical papers and store them to the cloud or a hard drive to free up space? You should maintain tangible copies of some papers, such as birth certificates. You can scan and store other financial or personal papers. The majority of papers may be scanned and stored as PDF files, or they can be transferred to the cloud using programs like Google Drive or DropBox. Please remember to destroy any paper papers with personal information after digitizing them.
Prior to further downsizing, plan your storage
Even after getting rid of things you don’t use or need, you can still have more things than you can store in your new house. It might be tempting at this point to start getting rid of things to make room. But, evaluate and arrange your storage before you start donating anything that you genuinely use, need, or want.
Make plans for how and where you will arrange your belongings in your new house. When downsizing, consider your storage needs first. To ensure that you maintain the most crucial items, put your must-haves into storage after the most crucial items. It is simple to choose the least necessary or least utilized items from what is left if you do need to further reduce your possessions. By using better storage options, you may also figure out how to maximize your available space. They might be straightforward, like adding more shelves and hooks to an existing space. Using organizational products that increase your storage in cupboards and closets is another option. For instance, wire racks, shoe storage behind doors, drawer separators, or under-bed storage bins.
Clean
Be sure to clean while you pack your stuff and get ready to reduce. With each room you finish, you’ll feel energized and prepared to move on to your new house. Have a crew of workers ready for moving day so they can thoroughly clean your new house before you start unpacking.
It’s crucial to control your clutter once you’ve moved into your smaller house. Amazingly, items may pile up so rapidly that a smaller place seems much smaller. When disposing of clothing, shoes, and accessories, use the one-in-one-out method. Give up something you currently own when you get a new item to make room for it.
So there you have it—a few of my suggestions for clearing up clutter in advance of downsizing your house. Further advice on how to organize your home before moving may be found here. These pointers should assist you in planning and ensuring that you only bring what you actually need.