For most of us, at a certain time comes the inevitable act of wanting to downsize. Moving away from the place that you’ve called home is difficult, and so is trying to move to a new place with significantly fewer belongings. While you might think that it’s impossible to get rid of all the things that have surrounded you for years, downsizing is an opportunity to really see what items are truly significant to you.
Downsizing Is An Emotional Journey
Before starting to declutter, make a plan. Go to your new home and take measurements so you can know exactly how much space you have. Once you start sorting through things, you should go room by room and take your time. Rushing will make the process much more stressful and difficult.
You can start with furniture, as you’ll need to decide what you’re keeping based on what your new and smaller home will be able to fit. You really don’t want to have to deal with items that just don’t end up fitting into your new place.
The best method when sifting through everything is to think about whether you’ll actually use it or not. “Maybe” is no longer going to cut it. If you haven’t used it in the last year, you probably don’t need to keep it.
Digitize Your Photos To Save Space
Next, if you have multiples of anything, you need to get rid of some. Keep only one of what you’ll use, and donate the rest. Sort everything into “yes” or “no” piles are stick to your decisions. “Maybe” piles just lengthen this already lengthy process.
When you’re done, decide what you want to do with the “no” pile. You can donate many items, but also try to think about if any friends or family members can use anything you’re getting rid of. You can also hold a garage sale. However, anything that’s broken beyond repair or totally worn out, you should recycle or just trash.
You can digitize photos in order to save space without having to sacrifice any memories. Photo albums are bulky, and if you really think about it, how often do you look at them? You can buy a digital frame and have all your photos on display as a slideshow.
Anything you don’t need but want to remember can be immortalized with a photo. This way you can hold on to the memories without having to sacrifice any space.
Ultimately You’ll Be Happy You Decluttered
Downsizing is difficult and emotional, and that’s okay. You will start to come across items you haven’t seen in years, and it will bring up memories. It will be tough to make these decisions, but it’s necessary.
In the end, once you have downsized into your new home, you’ll be able to enjoy a decluttered space with only the items that you absolutely love surrounding you.
