Downsizing your house doesn’t mean it should be preparing for moving. Sometimes it can be a decluttering moment, when you have a thorough look of what to keep and what not to. And this could be a troublesome task.
There are lots of reasons you may choose to (or end up) downsizing, to save money, a move to the city, or just to simplify your life - maybe the kids have flown from the nest. Whatever your reasons, here are 8 top tips that will get you inspired about your impending downsizing adventure.
8 Tips When Downsizing Your Home Before Moving Out of Your House
1. Give Away or Throw Away
Make it your mission to collect every you-never-use-anymore item and drop it off at the donation centre. Storing things you rarely use might take up a lot more spaces than you can expect, especially when you outgrow them as you grow up. Things like stuffed animals, shoes, cabinets, or unused kitchenware can be suitable candidates to be donated.
It feels good knowing your pretty pink ballet flats that you barely ever wore or your chemistry textbooks from college are going to find a brand new home. Then for task two, make it your mission to throw out, or recycle, everything that can't be given away or sold, and that you feel comfortable letting go before booking a self-storage unit to store the remaining stuff.
2. Store Your Possessions a Year before Giving Away
For the items you are not sure about, you can pack away in a couple of boxes. The golden rule of downsizing is that if you don’t need these items after a year, you can safely throw them out too. If you don’t have space for these items in your new home, you can always rent separate storage space in case you need them in the future, either long-term or short-term storage solutions until you figure out what to do with these stored items. After a year of storing these items, you’ll be able to clearly determine whether all those items are worth it or not.
3. Make Money for Your Move
Just like downsizing office spaces, there are four categories when sorting your furniture, and valuable items or good-conditioned furniture like woody cabinets can be sold for extra money.
Time to set up shop and sell the items you no longer need and choose not to donate, but are still in good condition. You can go old-school with a neighbourhood garage sale, just make sure you advertise it so people know when and where to show up. Or you can sell your items online.
4. Functional Furniture
If your space is relatively small and there is no space to stuff different furniture, using furniture that doubles as storage is a great way to downsize in style, and keep your home organised as you’ll have so many convenient places to put things.
A bed with extra cabinets for winter clothes or storage spaces under the stairs can be effective once you need to store your belongings. With tiny homes and urban apartment living attracting more and more converts, there are plenty of options available, including storage ottomans, couches, and coffee tables.
5. Look Under the Bed
If you don’t have too much furniture but still want to save some space, why let the space under your bed in your new home collect dust bunnies? Use a set of drawers, cartons, or specially designed storage boxes on wheels for under-the-bed use, to store clothes or other belongings.
It’s important to remember that storing belongings under the bed doesn’t mean it can be protected from climate conditions like dust or moisture, so it should be prepared with extra layers of protection just like you are going to put it in self-storage units. If you still don’t know which packing material to use, have a look at our guide to choose the right supplies for extra protection.
6. Think Outside the Box – or Circle
A spacious area is not defined solely by the amount of furniture it contains; it also depends on the viewer's perception of the vast three-dimensional space. A place with too many special corners or over contrast between shapes, material, etc. can make the space look stifling.
A great way to save space is to work with, not against, your layout. Choose furniture that will slide into place like a puzzle rather than forcing furniture that doesn’t really work. Have a cozy corner near the kitchen? That’s the perfect spot for a square dining room table, which will take up less room than a typical round or oblong one. Will your new bedroom be compact? Keep your nightstands narrow and trade in your emperor-sized mattress for a lovely queen.
7. Wall Space
Your walls are precious storage real estate. With wall shelves and cabinets, you can store books, personal items, cooking utensils, and more, while keeping your small living space uncluttered and inviting.
Expanding your wall space by matching wall colour with the ceiling can make the space look more expansive. By this, wall space becomes a connected point that will trick our brains into thinking that our spaces are bigger than they actually are.
8. Invest in Closet Organisers
This will actually be one of the smallest investments of your life – closet organisers are generally inexpensive. From extra shelving and shoe racks to bins and towers, you can fit a lot in your closet if you are creative.
Store your belongings at ease with Super Easy Storage
Downsizing your home can be troublesome, especially when you are hesitant to give away any belonging that holds special memories to you. With that problem in mind, Super Easy Storage is the alternative for you.
Whether you need a short-term solution to bridge a move or a long-term space to store belongings before deciding to give them away, Super Easy Storage offers flexible options built to suit both. With climate-conscious, weather-resistant units and no unnecessary lock-in contracts, it's designed to adapt to your storage needs whether you store your belongings for a week, or a whole year.
Get in touch with Super Easy Storage today to find the right short-term or long-term storage solution for your situation.
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