While moving from a large house to a smaller convenient place may be a life-altering decision, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Having an efficient downsizing strategy will enable you to keep most of your belongings while also making your living environment stylish and comfortable. If you run into any problems during your move, don’t hesitate to contact a moving company, as they are very effective in handling these situations. Like Upmove furniture removalists who would help you to find home movers in Australia.
Map the new place before moving your belongings
To downsize appropriately, you will need to figure out how your current items are going to fit into the new home. The best thing to do is go to the location and get accurate measurements of everything from rooms and hallways to door frames and ceiling height. Make a miniature floor plan of the place either by hand or by using some apps and 3D models. Once you’ve completed the layout, you’ll be able to predict how each room will look, which items can fit, and which cannot. This will help you decide what to do with each furniture piece even before you have to move out.
Declutter by getting rid of anything you don’t need
Even if you weren’t moving to a smaller place, a relocation is a perfect opportunity to get rid of all the unnecessary things you’ve piled up over the years. This part is crucial since you won’t have nearly as much storage space in your new place. Downsizing your inventory will also enable you to reduce some of your relocation expenses. Many moving companies charge by the volume your items take up in the truck, not their actual weight. So remember to get an estimate from Seattle movers only after you’ve reduced your inventory.
There are several things you can do with the stuff that won’t fit. Firstly, you can always check if some of your friends or family members want to use them. Selling the items is also a good option, and you may even end up with a profit after the relocation is over, while donating is an excellent way to put your belongings to good use once again. Finally, things that are severely damaged or unusable should just be thrown away or recycled.
How to decide which things to keep and which to leave behind?
Many of us are guilty of storing items and then completely forgetting about them. While you may have kept some things that have sentimental value, most of the time, it’s the stuff that you’ve got only for “just in case”. If you’re thinking about getting rid of something, you can easily decide by asking yourself these next three questions:
- When was the last time I used this?
- Will I need to use it in the future?
- Does my new home have enough storage space for the item?
When you haven’t used something in more than a year is a clear sign that you can easily get rid of it, while the other two questions can help you prioritize certain things over others. Most of the time, anything that’s easily replaceable should be good to go.
Optimize and improve your storage capacity
Downsizing implies that you’ll have less available space in your new home, so even if you decluttered most of the things you don’t need, there might still be too little room to fit the rest. However, organizing the storage in advance will allow you to maximize your home’s capacity effectively. You’ll have to think about where your closets, cabinets, and cupboards would go in three dimensions, what their storage capacity is, and if they will have space beneath, behind, or above them. The best way to do this by far is to use the vertical space. This includes installing things like hooks on the walls and shelving from the floor to the ceiling. Placing boxes on top of the kitchen cabinets and wardrobes and under the bed or using multi-purpose furniture is also an excellent way to maximize your overall capacity.
Well, there you have it. Mapping out your new place will help you find out which items can’t fit while optimizing your storage will enable you to keep most of your current belongings. Follow this simple advice, and you won’t experience any problems while downsizing your home.
3 Comments
rachel frampton
February 24, 2021 - 2:29 amMy brother would like to rent a storage unit where she may place some of her belongings since she will be moving into a smaller space. Well, I agree with you that she must start sorting her things and selling those that they no longer use. We also share the same opinion about the importance of installing more nooks too.
Useful Tools to Help You Achieve an Organized Move - Mamas Like Me
March 29, 2021 - 2:00 pm[…] Getting rid of everything you don’t need will significantly reduce the time it takes you to pack, so start decluttering by separating your belongings into several categories. Things to keep is the one group you’re planning to move to your new home and includes everything you use throughout the year or during a particular season. Items you haven’t used in a while or the ones you forgot you even own should be donated, gifted, or sold online. This will not only save you some money on packing supplies, but you may even earn a few bucks on the side. Finally, the last category consists of items that are too damaged to be used or given away, so you should just throw them out. […]
Afton Jackson
March 10, 2023 - 7:07 amDealing with storage capacity as a factor when moving is something I really appreciate you talking about. Before we relocate, it’s definitely for the best that we find a way to get rid of all the useless stuff we own and declutter so our new house is less messy. I’ll do this for sure before I look for a residential moving expert in the area so everything’s easier to manage with our new storage.