Tips for Downsizing Before a Move: What to Keep and What to Toss

The moving excitement can quickly change into stress, mostly associated with packing. Although filling up one box after the other may seem an obvious thing you can do, there is still an important project that you have to include in your to-do list – downsizing or decluttering.

Examples of Things to Downsize

Packing supplies don’t come cheap. This is why moving companies, like McLaughlin Transportation, say that it is important to first declutter your home before the day of the move. Examples of the things you need to downsize include seasonal décor, too many magazines and books, unwanted accessories and clothing, pantry and kitchen items, and bulky exercise machines.

Why Downsize?

Downsizing before your move may seem tedious, but the truth is that it’s worth it. The following are reasons to prioritize downsizing before the move:

• Make moving much easier: Following decluttering, you will organize, pack, and unpack less in the new space.
• Minimize stress: Less clutter results in a more relaxing space and less stress.
• Reduce maintenance: A less or smaller cluttered space needs less upkeep and maintenance. This, in turn, frees up energy and time for homeowners to spend on every activity they enjoy.

Downsizing Tips

Organizing your home for sale can help to turn the clutter into money and minimize moving expenses. As long as you stick to moving preparations and the following tips, you can have a successful downsizing experience:

1. Start Early

Downsizing is a very time-consuming process. Therefore, it is crucial to always start early so you have more time to assess your belongings.

2. Create a Reasonable Timeline

Your timeline will serve as a guide on what you should do and what vital milestones to achieve. Decide when you wish to downsize certain rooms in the house and what you want thrown away and donated.

3. Take Measurements

Before you start moving and packing, measure the new space to determine what large belongings can fit. Besides, there is nothing as bad as realizing that some items can fit through the doorway on the day of the move. Your realtor might have given measurements when touring the space. However, it is a great idea to always confirm those measurements.

4. Start Small

It is advisable to always start small. This means starting to downsize a room, which may have less sentimental belongings, like the linen closet or laundry room. Instead, consider saving big emotional belongings, such as family or art items that are in the attic, garage, or basement, for later. With this, you will have enough time to know what you should do with those things.

5. Sell Things Online

If you want to make some money, you can consider doing an online auction. Just make a listingon various sites. These sites include Facebook groups, Craigslist, and eBay.

In conclusion, downsizing can be really stressful. After you determine what to pack and carry, you need to decide what to do with things you don’t need anymore. Fortunately, we can always donate, throw away, or sell the things we no longer need.