3 Step Process for Downsizing Your Home

Downsizing requires some planning. Here are 3 of the most important steps.

Get Organized?

If you haven’t already done so, declutter your house. You’ll need a plan for what to do with the items you decide to leave behind. Clearly mark items headed for the following categories:

• Trash/recycle - some things are clearly destined for the trash or recycle pile, including old toiletries, broken appliances and other items not fit to be donated. Renting a dumpster can help you quickly sort through and eliminate these items.?
• Sale - furniture, appliances and other household goods you no longer need but are in good condition can get a second life and earn you some extra money if you choose to sell them. ?
• Donate or give away - donate items to a nonprofit or pass along to neighbors, family or friends. Some nonprofits will come to your house to pick up furniture in good condition.

Assess Your New Storage Areas

How many times have you moved into a new place only to realize - too late - that you have overestimated the amount of storage space? While you’re getting room measurements, make sure to properly assess the storage situation you’ll be inheriting. If you are moving into an apartment, does it have a storage locker and, if so, what are its dimensions? Assessing exactly how much of the new space is dedicated to storage will give you and idea of the volume of items you need to dispose of before moving in.

Stay Vigilant

When that dumpster pulls away from your driveway you can let out a big sigh of relief. You’ve completed your downsizing tasks and everything left is what you want to keep. You can now be confident that everything you own will fit into your smaller home or that you have enough room to move a loved one into the home you’re in now. It’s important to be vigilant, though, to avoid creeping clutter. As you settle down and get comfortable with your living situation again it’s easy to forget how quickly you can find yourself saddled with unnecessary items. If you keep your home organized and declutter periodically you can avoid having to go through the whole downsizing project all over again in another few years.

Call Lesa Miller at (812) 360-3863 or go online at HOMEASAP.COM/67278 where you can read her posts on other social media accounts and websites.