Are you moving from your family home? Perhaps your children have now left, and it’s time to downsize to a smaller location.
We all know that downsizing can be difficult, you’ll need to either store or part with some beloved items in your home.
You have spent your hard earned money purchasing everything in your house. Or, perhaps you are surrounded by numerous boxes filled with your child’s drawings, their first pair of shoes, their first book, and first A-graded assignment.
Don’t fall into the trap of saving everything! Want to learn how to downsize without hoarding? Follow these basic rules.
1. Enlist the Help of Friends
Sometimes, you need a friend to offer a shoulder of support. Choose a friend that will be firm and help you make the right decisions. It’s time to purge your belongings, so you need to be a bit ruthless.
Just remember that your friend is doing this as a favor, so no arguments, please! You are purging items, not friendships!
2. Ask yourself three important questions
- When did I last use this item?
- Do I plan to use it again? (The answer “Well, I might,” is probably the same as “no.”)
- What is the worst case scenario if I don’t have this item?
Hopefully, by answering these questions, you’ll realize if it is essential to keep.
If you are still unsure, establish a ‘maybe’ storage box so you can come back to that item later and have another look at it at the end of the day. Only allow one storage box for this exercise. If there is no room to add a new item to the “maybe” box, then you’ll have to get rid of something before you can add another.
You never know, as the day progresses, you might become more decisive.
3. Be realistically sentimental
This is one of the hardest things to do because sentimental feelings are powerful. If you feel especially connected to some items, think about where you might store them in your house. If the item is one of a kind, will it continue to be stored in the closet or put on display?
If you have a whole draw-load of artwork or projects from your children, keep one or two favorites and perhaps frame those. Take a photo of the others together for remembrance and then discard them.
4. Don’t give up!
Once you have gone through all of the items in your house, you’ll feel much better. Now you won’t take things that you won’t use or see to your new home.
After your purging is complete, treat your helpful friend to a nice meal to celebrate. You’ll both need it!
Help With the Move?
If you need help executing the move to your new home contact us! We can help!