If you are looking for downsizing tips for your move to a smaller home, you've come to the right place. Whether you're moving to a condo, apartment, townhouse, or a family home with less square footage, we fully understand how stressful and challenging this process might be. Therefore, we've gathered helpful information to help you prepare and go through this significant transition more easily.
Downsizing tips for your move to a smaller home
Moving to a smaller living space is a major transition that will impact your lifestyle and probably cause a rollercoaster of emotions. To help you deal with it in the easiest way possible, we've prepared useful tips and advice.
Start preparing early
A last-minute move is never a good idea. So, as soon as you know that you will be moving to a new home, start preparing both mentally and physically.
Mentally prepare for downsizing to a smaller home
As moving to a smaller home can be a huge change and a stressful experience, it's essential to mentally prepare for what's coming:
Know why you're downsizing - Whenever you feel overwhelmed and emotional about the change that's awaiting you, remember the reason why you're doing it. Whether you are retired, want to save money, or lower your environmental footprint, let it be your primary motivation to handle the emotional side of the process.
Focus on the positive sides - Whenever you feel unsure about your decision, a good way to increase your level of excitement is to remember the benefits of downsizing. You wouldn't decide to downsize if it wasn't for your best interests, right? Moving to a smaller place will give you an opportunity to save money, create a healthier home, help the environment or spend less time on maintenance.
Set your budget
There is no question about it - you will indeed be saving money when moving to a smaller home. However, you still need to keep in mind that downsizing comes with expenses, both obvious and hidden ones.
First of all, think about the potential expenses related to your new home. For example, there could be repairs you need to handle, or property taxes might be higher. Additionally, as you'll be downsizing your living space, you might need to rent storage to keep your excess things.
You also have to factor in the costs of your relocation. The relocation team from movage-moving.com advised that setting the proper budget for moving can save you a lot of headaches during the process.
Consider the available space
Before packing anything from your old home, consider the available space in your new one. This way, you'll know exactly how much you can pack without the risk of moving into your new home and not having enough space for everything you brought. The key to successful downsizing is always having in mind the square footage you have available.
Declutter
As you'll be moving to a smaller living space, you won't have enough room for all of your things. So to prepare for the move in the best way, you should go through your belongings and declutter.
There are many decluttering methods you can use to make the process quicker and easier. In our opinion, the simplest option is to sort your things into four piles:
Keep only things you truly need and have space for in your new home.
Donate or sell anything that's still in good condition but that you don't want to use anymore or can't fit in your new living space.
Toss or recycle everything that's unusable, broken, or stained.
Store the things you want to keep but have no room for in your new home (for example, camping equipment or luggage).
The most challenging part is probably decluttering your furniture. If something definitely can't fit in your new home, make sure to sell or toss it, depending on its condition. Some pieces of your furniture can be repurposed, so make sure to thoroughly think of ways to use them before putting them for sale.
Many people find it very difficult to declutter their kitchen appliances, especially if they were very expensive. However, if they're collecting dust and not being used regularly, they will only take up room in your new, smaller home. Selling them or donating is probably a better idea.
Maximize the space in your new home
When moving to a smaller home, you want to maximize every square foot of space. Here are some of the options you can consider:
Wall-mounted storage or floating shelves are a great choice because they don't use any floor space.
Think vertically and use the space above the doors for additional storage. You can also order custom closets or shelves that go from floor to ceiling.
Boost kitchen storage by using simple tricks. For example, you can add hooks to the bottoms of your cabinets to hold mugs. Also, don't forget to use the space above your fridge or the tops of your cabinets.
Buying multifunctional furniture can help you save space. For instance, you can buy a Murphy bed or invest in an ottoman with storage space below the seating.
Think about installing sliding doors as they don't require as much floor space as traditional doors.
There are also plenty of tricks to make any small space seem bigger. For instance, if you paint the walls in a light color, you will not only make your rooms seem wider, but you'll also liven up your new home. Or you can strategically place mirrors as they can make any room look larger and more open.
Final thoughts
We hope you found our downsizing tips for your move to a smaller home helpful and that we could make this transition easier and simpler for you. Best of luck with your move!
