It’s never easy to downsize when making a household move. You accumulate possessions throughout your life that matter to you in many ways. You don’t really want to part with any of them. Unfortunately, the nature of life is change. There may come a time when you need to make a move into a smaller home, and that requires you to say goodbye to many of your possessions.
Look for Opportunities to Gift Possessions
Now is the time to share precious memories with loved ones by gifting possessions that will matter to them. It allows you to pass along these items without a sense of guilt or pain because you know they are going to someone who will appreciate them as much as you do. The more things you gift to friends and family, the fewer things you have to pack to move! It’s a win on all counts.
Keep What’s Most Important to You
While there are many things you’ll need to get rid of to accommodate a smaller living space, it doesn’t mean you can’t keep the things that matter most to you. Just remember to prioritize when deciding what to keep so that everything isn’t something you feel you must keep. You will ultimately need to get rid of things, so choose wisely when deciding which items are most precious to you.
Be Realistic About You’re Available Space
Take measurements of your new home before the move. This way, you’ll have specific dimensions in front of you to work with while you plan the new space. Downsizing isn’t easy to do, especially if you have a lifetime of possessions you’ve worked hard to accumulate – many of which have sentimental value. However, knowing the workable space will make it easier to choose which items are essential and which ones you can live without.
Allow Yourself Moments of Grace
Sorting through a lifetime of possessions is hard. The more things you must eliminate, the more difficult it can be to do so. There’s a lot of pressure to eliminate these things that matter so much to you. Allow yourself a moment to grieve for the things you must sacrifice and remind yourself why you’re making the move and how much richer your life will be once you’ve made the move. Don’t beat yourself up for feeling these losses so profoundly. Extend the same grace you would offer others in similar circumstances.
Be Strict About Weeding Out Possessions
Once you’ve had your moments of grace, though, you must embrace the more ruthless side of your nature. You must be your strictest taskmaster when it comes to relieving yourself of possessions that your new home simply cannot accommodate. It won’t be easy — there’s no denying that. But it can also be healthy and almost cathartic.
Make it Profitable
Before you head off to donate your possessions to your favorite charity, look for ways to perhaps turn a little profit from them. Consider working with an estate sales team to determine items that may carry value from estate sales. Then have a garage sale to get rid of what’s left. You might have things you can sell on eBay or Facebook Marketplace for added profit. Take the money and do a little something nice for yourself as a reward for all your hard work and sacrifice.
Moving to Your Next Chapter
Downsizing isn’t easy. But most people have few regrets down the road for giving up possessions and making the move to a smaller home. Just make sure, when the time for your moving day comes along that you have the right team to help you with the details and the heavy lifting.We can help with your move to a smaller home. Contact us for a free quote.