Downsizing is an important personal strategy for reducing costs, living healthy, and creating efficiency. By downsizing, individuals can save money by minimizing the number of items they own. It’s a way to simplify your life for yourself and your family. When you start downsizing, there are some tips that should be taken into consideration in order to ensure success. In this blog, we will discuss the importance of downsizing and give you some tips on how to do it effectively so that you can maximize your savings while still living comfortably.

Looking to downsize? Click here to learn more about how WayForth can help with your downsizing plans.

HERE ARE SIX EASY STEPS TO TAKE WHEN DOWNSIZING

1- Get going

The first step to downsizing is to start! This is the hardest part of downsizing. Looking at your home, it can be hard to decide where to start or can be overwhelming to begin. The experts at WayForth recommend you start with small areas. Instead of trying to tackle the whole kitchen, start with the utensil drawer. Or when looking in your bedroom closet, only focus on the shoes. Dedicating just five minutes a day to downsizing your home gets you used to going through things and will make the process easier the more you do it.

2- Keep the necessary, treasure the sentimental

It’s important to focus on your necessary items, or the items that are most important to you. People tend to focus too much on sentimental items when downsizing, which can be a major problem because it distracts them from analyzing and reducing their need for excess items. Sentimental items can often become an obstacle to downsizing success due to the emotional attachment we have to them.

When downsizing, ask yourself how often you use the item, or how important the item is to you. It’s important to note that we downsize because we know that we cannot keep everything but keeping commonly used items is the first major step to downsizing successfully.

3- Donate vs sell

When looking at items you don’t want or need, decide which ones can be donated or sold. Items that are in good shape (not broken or ripped), collectable, or good quality, can most likely be sold. Other items like clothes, dishes, and blankets, are great to donate to resell stores or local shelters. WayForth’s experts provide knowledge on which items are best to sell and donate when you are downsizing your home. We’ll even coordinate donation runs on your behalf, so you can spend time on other items in your home.

4- Space planning

It is important to evaluate the space you are downsizing and determine how much stuff will fit comfortably in it. This evaluation should consider not only the physical limitations of the space, but also any organizational needs or preferences that may exist. For example, if you are downsizing a bedroom closet, then you’ll need to assess whether shelves or drawers would be more suitable for storing items. Space planning is important for your current home and is very beneficial for when you move.

Whether you are a family or individual, moving into a new space requires understanding of the storage and space you have. Downsizing before moving is incredibly important because it gets rid of the hassle and stress of moving too much. With so much to move you can feel bogged down and frustrated. Downsizing before you move helps your new space feel comfortable and aesthetically pleasing and alleviates that stress.

WayForth offers space planning as part of our door to door move management services.

5- Organize belongings to proper areas

Once you have assessed your space, it’s time to begin organizing your belongings into categories so they can easily be stored in their designated areas. Everything should have a place in your home. Clothing should be hung up or folded neatly onto shelves while kitchen items can either stay on counters with lids or tucked away neatly into cabinets and drawers.

Finally, make sure important documents such as birth certificates and passports are properly stored away in a safe place where they cannot get lost or damaged over time. Sentimental items should either be displayed in the home or be stored properly.

6- Enjoy your space

Downsizing can be a daunting task when you first start, but once you start it’s easy to create a habit and keep going. Our experts at WayForth believe that once you start downsizing, it can change your life for the better. You will feel lighter and enjoy your space more than ever before.  Sticking to these steps can help you continue to keep a clean and organized home. When your home is tidy, you can spend more time with loved ones or working on a hobby.

Are you looking to downsize before a move or just for peace of mind? Get helpful tips and tricks to downsizing from our experts. At WayForth, a moving company, we can help you with almost every step of downsizing, and can assist in other moving needs like packing, unpacking, and storage services. We can get you started whenever you are ready. Give us a call (1-844-WAYFORTH) to get started!