Top 10 Key Tips for Downsizing Your Home

Many Canadians are on the move. These citizens are moving every few years in a bid to find the perfect home.

Canadians are reporting a common trend in their rationale for relocating. Roughly 70 percent of surveyed Canadians say their home is not the proper size for their needs.

For many, their home is simply too big. There are hundreds of thousands of vacant bedrooms across the nation. For this reason, Canadians are electing to downsize to a smaller bedroom.

Read on for a comprehensive guide to downsizing your home. Explore 10 tips that will help you purge unwanted items and make your home more efficient.

1. Determine What the New Physical Footprint Will Be

It is difficult to downsize without a clear vision for the next stage of your life. For the great purge to be effective, you need to determine what the physical footprint will be at the new location.

For example, envision a scenario in which you live in a 4 bedroom home. The kids are moving out and you want to cut the number of bedrooms in half.

This reduction to 2 bedrooms gives you a specific target to shoot for. If items are not needed for 1 of the 2 bedrooms, they can be sold or discarded.

2. Conduct a Household Inventory

The next step in the downsizing process is drafting a household inventory. Sweep each room in the house and list the major items in each room.

The inventory’s detail is a personal choice. It can be as top-level or detailed as you need it to be. Perhaps it starts off by listing each piece of furniture and accessory item in a room.

Later in the process, this inventory will be instrumental in determining what items should stay or go.

3. Develop a Downsizing Checklist

This step is really a continuation of the first two steps. Step one was simply putting a physical footprint to your plans. With inventory complete, you can now discuss targeted downsizing goals.

A downsizing checklist dives into the specifics. For instance, you may decide that the living room needs to be decluttered. Another potential checklist item may be to organize the garage.

4. Review the Inventory and Checklist With Your Partner

Now is the time to start identifying specific items to sell or discard. This is possible thanks to your development of an inventory and downsizing checklist.

You can run down the list of each room and deliberate on what needs to go.

First, keep your partner in the loop on major decisions so there are no issues later on. It won’t be fun if your significant other’s favorite chair or old collectibles are sold due to a miscommunication.

5. Determine If You Need Help

Sometimes, downsizing or moving is physically demanding. Depending on the size of your items, you may need a powerful hand to help.

Also, if the sheer volume is overwhelming, perhaps you need more manpower to assist. This may mean enlisting the support of family and friends to help you.

Remember this the next time a friend or family member asks for your help. Saying yes will help you leverage a favor when it is your turn to move.

6. Start With the Trash

It is more common than not for people to horde junk. You could probably find junk in the vast majority of basements and garages in Canada.

Before you start moving things to a storage unit or holding a garage sale, make sure to hit the recycling center. By throwing things away first, you may determine a smaller storage unit is more suitable.

You will also host a more efficient garage sale, all while downsizing your home

7. Use Storage Space

Downsizing does not always mean selling or discarding. Storage space may be an option for you.

Internal options include basements, garages, or an attic. Some homeowners opt to rent out a storage space. Many people are surprised at the cheap monthly rates for a storage unit.

8. Garage Sale

Now is the time to execute your thorough downsizing plan.  First, hold an old-fashioned garage sale in the front yard or driveway. This way you can monetize some of your unnecessary or unwanted stuff.

You can advertise with street signs and posts on social media to alert the community. Social media provides a great outlet to unload items.

You may even sell for more money by reaching a greater number of people.

The great thing about social media platforms like Facebook is that public groups exist for this purpose. You can put items for sale on Facebook’s Marketplace.

This is an effective method for unloading items both before and after the garage sale.

9. Identify a Local Charity

It is inevitable that there will be many items left over from the garage sale. You are not going to be able to unload everything.

The good news is that there are still viable options for you. One suggestion is to pack everything that is left over and transport it to a local charity.

Remember, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. There are many people in need that could get good use out of your former belongings.

10. Get a Professional Opinion

Sometimes, there are downsizing jobs that are far too big or complicated to complete alone. Consider owning an armoire set that weighs several hundred pounds.

You decide to part ways with it and need it carried down a flight of stairs. In cases like these, you may need the help of professional movers.

Some moving companies provide consultation services for downsizing. They share their expertise on how to effectively decrease your physical footprint at home.

A Recap of Downsizing Your Home

Every home reaches a point where downsizing is necessary. It is natural to collect items and retain them far longer than necessary.

The good news is that you can execute an efficient downsizing operation. Through planning and holding events like a garage sale, you can achieve your downsizing goals.

If you are interested in downsizing your home and need professional help, contact us for assistance.