Downsizing is something that people do for all kinds of reasons. Maybe you are retiring? Maybe you want to live in a smaller property to help with the cost of living crisis?
Whatever your reason for downsizing, one thing’s certain – you have lots of packing to do. It can be particularly tricky packing when you downsize because you have lots of items in your current home that need to fit into a smaller home, which can be challenging. Luckily, there are lots of tips and tricks that can ensure you don’t end up feeling cramped and disorganized when you move into your new compact place. Here are 7 tips to help you pack for downsizing:
1. Know The Dimensions Of Where You’re Moving To
It can be helpful to know the layout and dimensions of the place you are moving to. This helps you to know which of your largest items of furniture you can, and want to keep. For example, the bed may not be suitable as it will fill up your whole bedroom, so that can be sold on and you can use the money for a more suitable item. Or perhaps one sofa is perfect for the living room, but the second sofa won’t fit, so that can be sold. By understanding the dimensions you can ensure you keep the larger items you want and need, and don’t bother arranging cheap self storage or transport for the items that just won’t fit into your new place.
2. Consider Multi-functionality
Are the items you are taking essential? If so, are they multifunctional? Before you go ahead squeezing them into your new place, consider whether or not they can be multi-functional or whether you could switch them out for something more useful. For example, a sofa or bed which has storage inside is extremely helpful in a more compact home. The more useful any large item is, the more it is worth packing.
4. Can Your Bigger Stuff Become Smaller Stuff?
One way to create more space in a smaller place is to ‘shrink’ the items you are taking. Obviously, that doesn’t mean actively downsizing the furniture itself, but, it can mean getting smaller versions of those things. You don’t have to struggle to squeeze your things in to do this, you can actively decide to do this before moving. Simply take any item, sell it and then switch it for a smaller version that offers the same functionality, but without taking up so much space.
3. Think About ‘Smaller Living”
Sometimes when we live in a bigger home with a partner and children we have a house that leans into that dynamic. You have more mugs, plates, chairs, etc than you really need. Try to pack for the number of people living in the new smaller home, and then where possible, for a couple of guests. So, maybe you have four mugs and not twenty, or you have two dining table chairs and a couple of foldout chairs in case of guests. It depends on how small your new home is, of course, but in reality, you can strip a lot of your things right down to suit the new lifestyle.
4. Declutter
Decluttering is the most important thing you can do before you downsize because it helps you to reduce how much you have to pack and fit into your new compact haven. It’s not about sacrificing items you love, either. You can store sentimental items, larger items you want to keep, and hobby items in cheap self storage. The items you should be getting rid of are mindless clutter you never use. Clothes you haven’t worn for years, or that don’t fit, unused or unwanted birthday presents, everything to do with that hobby you never actually took to – the kind of things that you accumulate in a home year after year. Do consider selling your unwanted things too, as they may not have a huge value individually, but as you sell them all the money does add up – perfect for contributing to doing up your new place.
5. Completely Ditch Rooms That Aren’t In Your New Home
When you downsize there is a likelihood that entire rooms you have in your current place won’t exist in your new place. Spare rooms, garages, dining rooms – any rooms you won’t have in your new place can effectively be completely eradicated from your packing. Give away, declutter, sell and enjoy the fact you don’t have to pack those rooms up at all.
6. Ditch The Duplicates
Remove any duplicates of anything so you’re not taking the time and energy to pack doubles that you don’t need. It’s so easily done when you’ve lived somewhere for a long time, and it’s also a very easy way to slim down your belongings.
7. Strip Back The Technology
Packing technology is stressful because it is prone to expensive breakages that cost a lot of money. It can also take up a ton of space in your new place, because you have room for multiple items to do different jobs in a larger home, but not so much in a compact home. What you can do, instead, is write down everything different tech does and then figure out how those items could be combined into fewer items. For example: do you need a surround sound system when the sound from your TV will adequately fill the new living room? This is a great way to save space, save packing and maybe make a bit of money selling some things off, too. If you’re not sure – package the items and put them into affordable self-storage so you can get them again if you need to after settling into your new place and figuring out the tech will fit, and be useful.
You’re Ready To Pack For This New Chapter
It’s time to move onto a brand new chapter of your life, but first, you need to pack! Hopefully, with the tips above, you can pick exactly what you need for your new compact place, ready to enjoy this brand new chapter with less clutter and space to maintain, replacing it with more time and energy to focus on the things that really matter to you in life.
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