Top tips for downsizing

Whether you’re a renter going from a 2 bedroom flat to a studio apartment, or empty nesters moving from a detached house into a flat, you’ll likely have to part with a lot of your things to make moving day much easier to deal with. Here is what you can do to make things a little less stressful:

Figure out what you can and can’t live without

It can hard tough to part with much of our belongings, but you simply can’t take everything. Create a list and follow it.

Begin thinning out belongings

Start eliminating things 3-4 months before you move. Spend a short time each day, or half a day every week to rifle through drawers and cupboards and dispose of anything that you know you won’t need. We all have various areas throughout our homes where we tend to store junk, so start there first. This will relieve you of having to do it nearer to moving day when you should instead be packing up the important things.

Don’t throw away everything

There isn’t any need to throw away absolutely everything; the obvious exception being items that no longer work or are no longer being used. Instead consider recycling, selling and donating these things; what you no longer need could prove useful to others.

Get a second opinion

There might be items in your home that you’re unsure whether to take or leave. If you’re really stuck, seek a second opinion. Someone you trust may be able to honestly analyse whether you really need said object or not, helping you come to a decision sooner.

Prearrange furniture ahead of time

Create a floor plan of your new property and decide on a furniture layout. Then go over the plan realistically; will everything fit where it should? Measure your furniture as well as the rooms themselves to help you figure out exactly what will fit where. Don’t wait until moving day with a wrong plan in place, or you’ll be making things even harder for yourself.

Label boxes by room, not object

Unpacking becomes a much simpler task if each box is labelled by room and not by what type of objects it contains. It’ll save you trekking back and forth between rooms trying to remember what belongs whereon moving day!

Did you find any of these tips particularly useful? Let us know on Twitter @felicityjlord!