Downsizing to a smaller space can be both a daunting yet exhilarating experience. Whether you are a young family moving from a larger home to a tiny apartment. Or perhaps a retired couple moving from a family home to a condo. Maybe like me, you just prefer a smaller home. The fact is, it’s no easy task! (That is if you have a lot of stuff to let go of).
Considering I have moved a multitude of times during my lifetime, I can tell you it is not worth taking excess possessions only to have to figure out what to do with them later. It is far better to remove them now.
You may be wondering where to start? Here are some thoughts and ideas to get the ball rolling and help you to let go of the extra stuff that’s holding you back.
- Plan ahead: Depending on how much you have to remove, a good rule of thumb is to start three months prior to the move. This way you can work through your stuff, selling, donating and throwing away. This leaves you with some room for any hiccups along the way and a much calmer experience. It’s very stressful trying to make decisions with not enough time.
- Start with the ‘won’t need’s’: If you know that you won’t be having a guest room or office in your new home then it makes sense to start removing those items that won’t be needed such as spare beds, linens or office furniture etc. Having a plan of your new home can help you decide what you will put in your spaces and what you won’t.
- Essentials: It may be counter-intuitive but by assessing what is essential to your every day life, it will help you to see clearly what is not needed. Try making a list of the things you use on a daily basis then start discarding things that you don’t use.
- Home decor: Will your current decor work in your new home? Look at pictures of your new place and imagine or plan what will go in there. Does it match the new style? Is there room for your current wall art and pictures or does something need to go? Do you even want your items in your new space or would you prefer to add something new?
- Storage: This is a big one. How much storage space is available in your new place? If the answer is ‘not much’, then you may be motivated to let go of any non-essentials.
- Practice tiny living: This may seem drastic but if you want to know how much you can fit into your new home then practice living that way now. Use the same amount of space in your current home and cut off the extra room. See if you stuff fits well in this smaller space. Is it comfortable to live in? This will help you realise the amount you need to declutter.
- Live in the present: Now I will finish with this. You are embarking on a new adventure! A fresh start! Don’t clutter it by holding on to old unwanted items of the past or worry about possible needs/wants of the future. Keep what adds value to your current life by focusing on the now. Ask what you need to live a contented life. Feel the freedom of living in the present and make room for your new passions and endeavors.
Clutter can hold you back. Don’t let it 😉
For more inspiration, take a look at this post: