Downsizing your home is a great move at any stage of life. No matter what your reasons are, here is a guide to help you downsize your home efficiently.
Know Your Space and Consider Your New Lifestyle
When decluttering, you need to not only consider if an item will physically fit into your space but also fit into your new lifestyle.
To start deciding what to keep and get rid of, you need to know how much space you have. Measure your new home and open closets, cabinets, and drawers to get a sense of what you’re working with. As you consider the space in your new home, also think about the bigger picture of what you want to gain from downsizing. Downsizing is a chance to reset – so take advantage of this unique opportunity!
When you understand the reasoning behind your goals, it makes it easier to stick to your plan. Common answers might be to save money and space, but there’s usually a deeper reasoning behind it. Do you want to save money so you can travel more? Do you want less stuff so you can have an easier home to maintain, meaning you can spend extra time doing something you love? The more specific your goals, the more effective they are at motivating you.
Start as Soon as Possible and Pace Yourself
With your goals in mind, start the process as soon as you can. This will give you enough time to properly sort through everything without feeling overwhelmed.
It can be difficult to know where to start, so starting with decluttering items you no longer need is a simple way to ease yourself in. There are a few methods to start with, but the goal is to find a balanced workflow and end up with possessions you want to keep around. If you need a little help, here are some methods to try:
- One-a-day method. This is where you let go of one item per day, or if you want to challenge yourself, you can let go of the number of items that corresponds with the day of the challenge. For example, on day 10, you get rid of 10 items.
- Four-box method. This can help if you’re feeling indecisive. You restrict your options for what to do with items by only giving yourself four choices – keep, donate, sell, or trash.
- Marie Kondo method. Take on clutter by category, and if an item no longer brings you joy, then you know it’s time to say goodbye to it.
Tackle One Room at a Time
Decluttering a whole home can seem like a daunting task, so it’s important to take it one step at a time. It’s easier mentally and physically to break down this process into bite-size pieces. First, start by taking on a single room. Then make smaller projects within a room to ensure you stay on track but don’t get overwhelmed. Some tasks you can take on include going through DVDs and video games, picking shoes to give away or keep, and organizing small kitchen items.
Pack Meticulously
Packing things right can help in a lot of ways, including decluttering your home. It gives you a second chance to really think about what you’re packing and bringing with you into your new home. It will also help you decide if something you thought you should keep might be too big and should be donated or tossed instead.
To help streamline the process, pre-arrange all the packing supplies, like tape, boxes, and markers, and pack everything simultaneously. Don’t forget to label your boxes to further help with the moving and unpacking process.
Consider a Small Storage Unit
If you’re downsizing, it can seem like getting a storage unit is a step in the wrong direction. But a small unit, like a 5’x’5, can be the perfect place to store just a few items out of the way.
While decluttering, it can be impossible to get rid of sentimental items. You may not have space in your home for photo albums or paintings your kids made when they were in 1st grade, but throwing them away? Not a chance. A small storage unit gives you the chance to hang onto those important keepsakes while keeping your home clutter-free. It also gives you a place to store your holiday decorations and other extra items you don’t want to get rid. And with the 25 square feet, you’re set with tight parameters to help you keep your items to necessities only.
Whatever your storage needs are, Bay Street Storage is here for you!
Bay Street Storage is Here for You
Whether you’re moving and want to store items in a unit during that chaotic time or need a small unit to store sentimental items during the downsizing process, Bay Street Storage is here for you. We have two convenient locations in Post Falls for you to choose from, and we’ve got all your storage needs covered. We’re here to make your storage experience easy. If you need any help, let us know!
