Downsizing Your Home

As our station in life changes, so too do our needs. Those changes often affect the amount of space we require. At some point, many of us find ourselves with more house than we need, whether the kids have grown up and moved, or we just want to simplify our lives.  Downsizing your home can be a daunting task, but with the right approach, it can also be an opportunity to simplify your life and reduce clutter. Starting early, formulating a plan, and being ruthless when deciding what to keep and what to get rid of are all key elements to the downsizing process. Here are some tips to help you downsize your home.

Downsizing your home is not a task that can be done quickly. It takes time, energy, and patience to sort through everything and decide what to keep and what to sell, donate, or throw away. It’s important to start early and give yourself lots of time to complete the process. Ideally, you should start many weeks or months before you plan to move.

Before you start downsizing, it’s helpful to create a plan. This will help you stay focused and organized throughout the process. Start by making a list of all the items you need to sort through in each room. Then, create a timeline for when you plan to tackle each room.

Once your plan is in place, it’s time to start sorting through your belongings. This can be a difficult and emotional process, but it’s important to be ruthless when deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. It might help to enlist the aid of a willing friend. Having some accountability can keep you on track to just go ahead and get rid of some items that are vaguely nostalgic, but mostly expendable. Start by sorting your possessions into three categories: keep, donate, and sell. Be honest with yourself about what you really need, what is too precious to get rid of, and what you can live without.

One of the biggest challenges when downsizing your home is finding space for everything. Consider investing in the right storage solutions to help you maximize the space you have. This might include installing shelves or cabinets, or using storage containers to keep your belongings organized. Even cardboard boxes can be effective. But resist the urge to stuff them too full to be able to close the lid! boxes that can’t be stacked defeat the purpose and take up far too much space. Just buy another box! that way you can put the proper amount inside and still be able to close it. Another important tip is to use the proper size boxes for the weight of the items within. Don’t fill a medium box with books! It will be too heavy to lift safely. The smaller, “book boxes” are just the right size to keep the weight in check. And don’t forget to include proper padding, in the form of bubble wrap or crumpled packing paper to ensure the items are safe and don’t get broken while stored and stacked.

Before you move into your new home, it’s important to measure your furniture to make sure it will fit in the space you have available. If you have large pieces of furniture that won’t fit in your new home, consider selling or donating them. A classic struggle is trying to find a house with a room large enough for that enormous sectional couch! Downsizing your house usually requires downsizing some furniture! Don’t try to cram 3000 square feet of furniture into that new 2000 square foot house.

One of the easiest ways to downsize your home is to digitize your documents. This can help you save space and reduce clutter. Scan important documents and store them on your computer or in the cloud. Be sure to back up your files regularly to avoid losing important information. Redundancy is the key! Store them on a physical drive as well as a cloud based server. Consider investing in a quality high speed scanner to shorten the job. Scanners made by Fujitsu, for instance, are known for scanning both sides of a document during one pass, greatly speeding up the process of scanning an entire stack of files.

When you’re downsizing, it’s important to get rid of duplicates. This might include duplicate kitchen utensils, clothing, or books. Be ruthless when deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. If you have items that are still in good condition, consider donating them to a local charity. Books can be precious, but be extra conscientious about which ones you truly still need. Can you replace them with a Kindle or online version? Are they worth the space and effort of keeping? If you’ve collected an entire series or set, they may even be worth some decent cash to collectors. That could pay for part of the move.

When you’re downsizing, it can be tempting to get rid of all your sentimental items. However, it’s important to keep some of these items to help you feel connected to your past. Consider creating a memory box or scrapbook to store these items. If the object itself isn’t sentimental, but rather the emotions it creates, consider taking digital photos of it. They don’t take up space, but can still give you the warm, fuzzy feelings of the memory.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the downsizing process, consider hiring a professional to help you. A professional organizer or downsizing specialist can help you stay on track and make the process less stressful. Sometimes this type of person comes in the form of a professional “stager” who can also help you arrange your remaining furniture for maximum showability when it comes time to put your house on the market. Your real estate agent will be thankful for the decluttered and well staged interior to take full advantage of the professional photos for marketing.

It’s important to stay positive throughout the downsizing process. Remember that downsizing is an opportunity to simplify your life and reduce clutter. Try to focus on the future more than the past and stay excited about what is to come. Keep your end goal in mind and stay focused on the benefits of downsizing.

Finally, the bonus tip…

Finding the right real estate broker can be crucial to the success of downsizing your home. A good broker can help you sell your home quickly and for the right price, which can make a big difference in your downsizing process. look for a broker who has earned the SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist) designation. This designation shows the broker has received specialized training in working with seniors and their unique needs during the home selling process. Even if you’re not a “senior”, the process of downsizing is a common issue that SRES brokers are used to counseling their clients on. An SRES broker will be knowledgeable about other issues as well, that are important to seniors, such as estate planning, tax implications, and the emotional impact of downsizing.

Brokers with the SRES designation can also provide valuable resources and referrals to other professionals, such as estate planners and moving companies, to make the downsizing process smoother and less stressful. By working with an SRES broker, you can have peace of mind knowing that you have an experienced and knowledgeable professional on your side throughout the downsizing process. They can also help you navigate the housing market and provide valuable advice on how to prepare your home for sale. With the right broker on your side, downsizing your home can be a smoother and less stressful process. Neal Pender holds the SRES designation and has helped many sellers whose goal was to downsize the long time home and consolidate into a smaller one. He understands the emotions, challenges, and struggles that come with this unique real estate situation.

In conclusion, downsizing your home can be a daunting task, but it’s also an opportunity to simplify your life and reduce clutter. By starting early, creating a plan, and being ruthless when deciding what to keep and what to get rid, and aligning yourself with a seasoned real estate pro, you can successfully accomplish your downsizing goals and find yourself at the finish line!