Let’s face it… we all get to a stage in life where we feel we don’t need as much space as we previously had. Your kids may have flown the nest, or you may be retired. Downsizing simply means moving into a smaller home than the one you currently live in. If you feel like it’s the time to get yourself a smaller pad, get comfy - we’ve got a list of top downsizing tips for you!
It’s time to get digital!
Filing cabinets are a thing of the past, we no longer need to keep phone bills, tax documents or other paperwork we couldn’t live without a few decades ago. Old videos, CDs, DVDs, photos and other paper documents can be saved to the cloud or a local hard drive which you can pick up on Amazon. You can fit all your most important documents in one folder.
Remember the piece of paper the photo is printed on isn’t valuable, it’s the photo itself, which really doesn’t need to lay in an old album gathering dust. Sort all your pictures digitally, it’ll save space and your memories!
2. Pare down anything you have more than one of
If you’re serious about downsizing, stick to a ‘one of each item’ policy. Ask yourself ‘do I have multiples of this type of thing, or do I use one of these more often than others? You probably don’t need five garlic presses and only keep the good scissors.
3. Say NO to the ‘maybe’ pile
Let’s be real, those items in your ‘maybe’ pile are likely to creep back into the ‘yes’ pile if you give it enough time. Just say no from the offset. Try to adopt a one in one out policy once you move into your new home, so for every item you buy, you have to get rid of another time of the same type. And yes, that applies to everything from office supplies to clothing.
4. Make sure you love the things you’re keeping
Even if you’re not ready to go full KonMari, you can still make sure that the things you’re bringing with you actually make you happy. If something is functional and you don’t find yourself thrilled by the prospect of keeping it around, just ditch it - you’ll fell 10 stone lighter!
5. Sort by category
Don’t attempt to clear out your space in one fell swoop. Instead, do clothes, books, paper, random items and finish it with sentimental items. Clothing is easier and sentimental things are the hardest, starting with the easy things will help you develop good edit skills!
Downsizing is a journey, take it all in your stride - enjoy the nostalgia is brings along. We have a range of fantastic developments for downsizing, find them below:
