Your Ultimate Downsizing Checklist

It’s common to upsize when you have a growing family, but there comes a time (or a reason) when families have to downsize as well. And while it might seem a simple task, in reality it’s quite a challenge, especially when you have all the stuff and belongings to get rid off (or keep!!!) from so many years.

Here’s a handy checklist with tips and ideas you can use when you are faced with downsizing your home.

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1. Have An Estate Sale…

This is one of the best ways to get rid of items you no longer wish to keep or no longer need - and make some money as well. If you don’t want to do all the planning, organizing and executing, then handing the job over to Estate Sale Companies is a great idea. They will manage and do everything for you - from sorting your items to planning the sale to strategically pricing all the items and even marketing it so that you can get the best returns. They can help minimize the stress associated with downsizing while maximising your profit.


2. ...Or Donate To Charity/ Throw In TrashOf course if you don’t have the time to have an Estate sale, or don’t have items worthy enough of selling (or perhaps you would rather give them to the less fortunate who might need them), then a simple way of de-cluttering and getting rid of unwanted items is to donate them. Or, simply throw them in the trash! Job done!!!

3. Re-purpose Sentimental Items But what if you want to keep certain things, yet don’t have the space for them in your new, smaller home? This is usually the case with your memorabilia or certain items of your children that have sentimental and nostalgic value. In this case, you can resort to re-purposing items. For instance, get a quilt made of your children’s clothes that you wish to keep for memories. Or, if you have loads of photo albums and no place to store them, make a massive collage of photographs in a big frame. This way you can even display it and see it everyday. Think out of the box for this one and try and preserve old items in a new way.
4. Use Space WiselyStorage will probably be one of your biggest problems when you downsize. But if you think out of the box again, and use space wisely, you can maximize your storage space. Use every nook and corner of a room, and it doesn’t even have to look cluttered (think sleek corner cabinets or corner shelves). Make use of storage underneath furniture or under the stairs. Here are some more ideas for small spaces.


5. Buy Multi-Purpose ‘Smart’ FurnitureFurniture is key when you downsize. Big and bulky furniture will make your small room look even smaller; instead, buy sleeker looking furniture. Make sure every piece of furniture has storage (a bed with drawers or a stool with storage). But multi-functional furniture (a coffee table that expands into a dining table) and smart furniture (a desk that folds up when not in use).