Completing a downsizing move isn’t like a standard home move, as you’re not only moving to a smaller space but also working hard to donate, give away, or sell unwanted items in the process.

If you are going through the transition of moving to a smaller home and bringing with them fewer belongings, learning ways to effectively downsize will make this an easier process on your way to the next chapter of your life.

Whether you’re downsizing because your children have moved away, you’ve adopted minimalism or would like to save a bit of money, downsizing can be a great option.

We recommend downsizing well in advance of your move, as you will need plenty of time to handle the tasks, as well as to promote a garage sale if you plan to sell any of your items.

Below is a list of some of the best practices that we recommend.

Downsizing Best Practices

Planning

Establish a plan for how you will begin the downsizing process. We recommend going through each room, one at a time, and determining what will get packed and shipped to the next house, what will get thrown away, and if there are any items that you would like to pass on to friends or family.

Effective planning is not only essential for downsizing your items it is also important to make sure to give yourself enough time for the moving process, which we find is usually two to four weeks in advance.

Don’t Organize Everything All at Once

No matter how hard you try, downsizing and packing cannot be done in a few hours. It takes plenty of time and patience. Set goals beforehand and by accomplishing each of them what seems like a big undertaking will quickly become quite manageable.

Will It Fit Into Your New Home?

What’s with you now, may not be good for you later. This is a hard but essential question to ask yourself when going through the items in your home. If the item doesn’t make logistical sense and won’t be of much use at your next home, it’s best to part with it now. Taking it along to the next location will only take up space and effort.

Is it Broken and Can it be Fixed?

Some items you own may be on the fence between “useful” and “garbage”, and this is another tough decision that needs to be made when downsizing.

If something can be fixed or repaired before your move, keep it! If there’s no chance of either of those ever happening, send it to the curb.

How Often is it Being Used?

Many of your belongings may seem important at first glance, but in reality, might not be of any use. As you’re going around organizing and determining what gets packed, ask yourself how much you’ve been using each item.

If you haven’t used it in a year, there’s a good chance that you should toss it. This will save you the hassle of dealing with it at a later time, and will also be making the moving process much easier.

Stay Flexible!

With any type of move, whether downsizing or not, packing and moving can get complicated. Plans can change, opinions can differ, and last-second decisions are usually required. Stay flexible during this process!

Staying flexible will help you keep a level head during your home move, and will also ease the stress of moving and while keeping everything going at a relaxing pace.

Are you planning to help someone else downsize such as an ageing parent or relative? We have tips on how to make this transition an easier process.