There comes a time in many people’s lives when they realize that they don’t need tons of space to live happily anymore. Downsizing is a very common process that many people go through to save money and purge their homes of unnecessary junk. If you plan on moving to a smaller home than your current one, you should keep a few things in mind. We’ll give you some tips for moving to a smaller house so that you can make the transition smoothly.

Declutter Every Room

Almost everyone has at least one room that they need to take down a notch—the place where knickknacks go to spend the rest of their days. Resist the urge to add more stuff when you move out. You’ll be in a smaller space, so you’ll need to pare down if you want to fit in your new home. Be firm with yourself as you do this. Don’t hang onto things you don’t need just because you don’t like the idea of throwing them away.

Map Out Your New Storage Areas

One of the best tips for moving to a smaller house is to look for and measure all your new home’s storage areas. These measurements will help you figure out how much space you’ll have to work with when you move in. Failing to do this beforehand could result in a very cluttered and messy home since you won’t know where to put everything. Knowledge of your space is the key to avoiding any mistakes in packing.

Measure Doorways and Furniture

Furniture is one of the worst parts about moving into a smaller home. Fitting your precious furniture into a small space may be an exercise in futility, but the important thing is to know that before you begin. Measuring doorways, stairways, and entryways will allow you to know how much room you have to work with when bringing in the furniture.

Choose Larger Items Early

Make sure you know what larger items you’ll be moving into or buying for your new home. If you can pick these items out as early as possible, you’ll have a better idea of how much room you have left for everything else. This list includes appliances such as: