Top 8 Tips for Downsizing Your Home

Now that you’ve decided it’s time to downsize what comes next?

Whatever your reasons for downsizing it’s going to be an emotional time. With a lifetime of memories to work through it’s hard to go into the process without some mixed feelings. Some of the items you’ll be saying goodbye to have stories behind them for you and your family, but you can’t keep everything. Here are our top 8 tips on how to downsize your home..

1. Make a Plan Before You Start

Before launching into it head first sit down with your partner and/or other family members and make a plan. Consider why you’re downsizing. Are you moving into a smaller home looking at apartments for rent in Murfreesboro or is keeping up with everything in your home just getting to be a bit too much? Understanding why you’re making this change will make it easier to go about the difficult task ahead of you. Decide which room you’re going to start with and where you’ll go next after that.

2. Emotionally Prepare

If you’re starting out with the mindset that downsizing will be easy, you’re probably going to struggle a bit. Saying goodbye to those bits and pieces of your life is going to take an emotional toll. If you accept that upfront and mentally prepare yourself for it, you’ll have an easier time with the tasks to come. That doesn’t mean you won’t go through a rollercoaster of emotions, but you will be better able to deal with what’s to come.

3. Take Lots of Pictures

Just because you’re saying goodbye to some of your belongings, doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to them altogether. Why not take lots of pictures? That way you can always look back and remember them fondly. If you’re including something in your downsizing project it’s because you know you no longer need it — that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an emotional attachment. Keeping a picture allows you to look back on that moment you’re trying to recapture any time you like.

4. Think About Your Future Needs

As you get ready to start on your journey, think about your future needs and available space. If an item you were thinking about discarding could really help in your future lifestyle you may want to reconsider.

Of course, that also means you may come across some of your things you were thinking about keeping that just don’t serve a real purpose with how you see your life in the near future. Those items should go on your decluttering list.

5. Use Items for Multitasking

We often talk about how hard it is to multitask, but we try to do it anyway. There are things in your home that should be looked at in a similar manner. What items can be used as a multitasking tool?

For example, can you use your dining table as a desk as well? Perhaps it can also be used as your kitchen prep center. That way you can get rid of that office desk and small kitchen island that are just taking up extra space you’ll no longer have.

6. Ask Friends for Tips and Advice

There’s a good chance you’re not the first person in your circle to think about downsizing. Some of your friends may already have gone through the process. Why not pick their brain for advice?

Perhaps they made some mistakes along the way that made the task seem a bit overwhelming, by learning what went wrong for them you can avoid running into the same problems. On the flipside, they may have ideas or approaches that made things run smoothly that they’re willing to share with you as well.

7. Get the Kids Involved

If you have children, they’re probably emotionally invested in a lot of the things in your home as well. It’s a good idea to get them involved. There are likely quite a few things you are planning on including on your discard list that they’ll be happy to take off your hands. That way they stay in the family and there are no misunderstandings that might cause family friction down the line.

8. Set Dates for Everything

A bit of procrastination is normal, especially when you’re about to set out on a tough task like downsizing. If you ever want to get through the process though, you have to get over that hump. The best way to do this is to set dates for everything. Set a start date and a finish date. Give yourself lots of time, but create a realistic timetable that you can work with.

This applies to other family members as well. If a child or other family member has told you they want something, give them a date. Make it clear if they haven’t picked it up by then it will have to go.

Pat Yourself on the Back

Once you’re done with your downsizing task don’t forget to take the time to give yourself and your spouse a big pat on the back. That’s a big job you’ve just done and you should be happy and relieved that you got through it.