Downsizing can be a great way to save money and, ultimately, reduce stress in your life caused by clutter. But it can also be difficult to determine which items you should transfer to your new home and which you should give rid of. To help you with this trying task, here are four tips for downsizing with ease:
1. Embrace minimalism
The art of minimalism has been recognized in Eastern countries for ages, but it’s becoming more and more popular in the West as time presses on. As you can imagine, just by looking at the title of the movement, Minimalism is pretty simple.
Clean your house ”” your whole house, crazy spring-cleaning style ”” and touch every single item you own. This includes furniture, knick-knacks, decorations, keepsakes ”” all of them.
Then ask yourself one very simple question: “Does this item bring me joy?” Really think about it. Don’t ask, “Will this item bring me joy one day?” or “Has this item brought me joy before?” Ask, “Does it bring me joy at this time in my life?” If the answer is no, get rid of it. Recycle it. Donate it. Sell it. Dismiss it from your life. You’ll be surprised how easy downsizing can be if you look at things in this way.
2. Go camping
OK, we know this sounds silly, but hear us out: It’s easy to realize how much you need ”” or more to the point, don’t need ”” something if you don’t have it. If you spend a weekend in the woods roughing it, you’ll get a different perspective on your belongings. You might find that you return to your home and realize that you’re living in a state of excess, and you’ll be able to get rid of many more items than you might have previously imagined.
3. Measure your new home
After finding a home that meets your basic needs and your budget, measure your new room sizes. When you understand how much physical room you have, you’ll be able to make decisions more easily about what you should throw away and what you should keep.
You might have a 20-by-15-foot living room right now, but your new home only has a 12-by-12-foot living room. When you measure, you’ll know you probably have to get rid of that antique lounger you never sit on and that bulky hutch that’s just for show.
4. Go digital
This tip concerns your keepsakes, collectables and photographs in particular. These are items that may bring you joy, but they’re also things that take up a lot of space when they don’t have to. Scan your pictures onto your computer so you can look at them anytime without having to rummage through clunky, old photo albums. Take pictures of your larger keepsakes and upload them instantly to your phone or computer.
For more tips on how you can downsize with ease, contact us at any time.
