Downsizing your home offers huge financial benefits, freeing you from the burden of maintaining a huge property and the high expenses that come with it. But that’s not all there is to it. You’ll also feel liberated, as you now have the chance to simplify your life and focus on what truly matters.
But how can you go about downsizing? Follow the checklist below, and you’ll be well on your way to a more minimalist lifestyle in no time.
- Explore the benefits of downsizing. If you’re still on the fence about downsizing, this step will help you take the plunge.
- Choose the right time to downsize. You should only consider downsizing if it makes sense for your specific situation. For instance, you might be about to retire and are looking for ways to make your savings last longer.
- Compose a moving checklist. Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Following a personalized checklist is the only way to pull off moving and decluttering successfully.
- Consider the size of your new space. Your new home will be smaller, so only pack items that can actually fit.
- Organize your belongings. Sorting your belongings into five categories (sell, take, gift, donate, and recycle) will help you stick to only the essential items in your new, downsized home.
- Declutter. Get rid of all the things you haven’t used in the past 12 months.
- Leave furniture behind. Why waste money on moving large pieces of furniture, only for them to not fit in your new place?
- Dispose of unwanted items. Start your new chapter right – by getting rid of everything holding you back. A garage sale is a great way to go about this.
- Pack by yourself. While moving is always better left to professionals, you should be able to handle your own packing (especially during downsizing).
- Make the most out of your new space. Find a convenient storage solution (e.g., multi-functional furniture), and you’ll hardly feel you’ve moved to a smaller space.
Key Takeaways:
- Downsizing can help you lower your utility bills, give you more financial freedom, and give you more free time.
- Sort your things into 5 different categories, those being take, sell, gift to friends, donate and recycle.
- Don’t move any furniture as they are typically too large and take up too much space. Instead, find smaller furniture that fits your new home better.
“It’s never easy to declutter your life, but once you summon the courage to do it, you’ll be thankful that you did it.”