Moving into a smaller home and getting rid of some of your items often turns to be harder than people expect. The reason is that families are often unprepared for the decluttering and relocation process, which makes things many times more complicated and harder. However, we’ve decided to make a simple, yet extensive downsizing guide for families in Idaho. Everything you should remember through the downsizing process and make it less stressful and tiring. Let’s start!
Ready to downsize? Start making plans!
One of the first ‘rules’ in our downsizing guide is to take your time. Doing things in a hurry will increase the risk of making a mistake, forgetting or losing something along the way. Therefore, if you’ve made the final decision to downsize your home, you short start making plans right away. Preparing as early as possible will help you calm during the move, and also save your health, as well as your items.
We advise making a checklist of all the tasks you’re about to do over the next few weeks or months. After you visualize your work, it will be easier to organize and finish tasks on time. You can do this in a dedicated notebook, or simply install an app on your phone that helps with making notes and checklists.
Make an inventory list
Facing the actual number of items you have in your home will help you make a selection of what stays and what goes. Therefore, start systematically, room by room, and make a complete inventory list of your home.
Extra tip: Taking pictures of your items as you make this list has multiple benefits. You can use the pictures to make the list and sort, but also to sell some items online, keep a memory of things you’re getting rid of, etc. Furthermore, having proof of the condition of your items during the move can happen to be very precious if anything bad happens.
Decluttering – important step in the downsizing guide
When it comes to living simply – regular decluttering should be part of your cleaning routine. Almost every home has many items piled up all around. All those unused, old, expired or damaged items only take up space in the house. That’s why a detailed decluttering of the home is one of the important steps in the downsizing guide. Get rid of all the items you don’t use, or that can’t be used anymore – broken toys, old magazines, and newspapers, outgrown and damaged clothes, expired food or cosmetics, etc.
You can either recycle those items or sell them online or in a garage sale. Also, consider giving them away to friends and
Send items back to their owners
As you go through your items, see if some of them can go back to their real owner. All those borrowed books, CDs, clothes, tools, and similar things can now go back to the friends and family that lent them to you. And the result – more space in your home!
Do you really need more than one car?
It’s probably useful to have more than one car – depending on the size of a family. However, think about your current situation, and see if you really need multiple vehicles. If your kids are moving to college or getting married, for example, selling an additional car might be a good option when downsizing a family home in Idaho. Apart from saving a lot of space, especially if you’re moving to a smaller home – you will save a lot of money, too. Maintaining and moving your car is a lot cheaper if you have only one vehicle.
Go online
One of the items that take up a lot of space are papers – books and documents. A great tip in this downsizing guide is to go online – scan and upload as many documents as you can. Therefore you can shred the papers and save a lot of space. Also, declutter this section of your home as well – there are probably old receipts, newspapers, checks, that you don’t need. And when it comes to books – you probably don’t need to collect as many. There’s always the option of reading online books on a reader.
Prepare for the move
As you’re switching to a smaller home, there are things to take care of before the move. From reading packing tips and actually starting to pack, finding someone reliable to help your family move hassle-free, getting a storage unit, etc. Here’s what to do when moving.
See if your furniture fits
When downsizing your home, see if your furniture pieces fit in your new house or apartment. If necessary, you can sell the items you have and replace them with smaller or slimmer pieces. Consider practical, 2 in 1 solutions with built-in storage, and make your new home more spacious and functional.
Get a storage space
If you can’t part ways with certain items, but you can’t keep them in your home, getting a storage unit is a great idea. However, depending on the items you’re storing, be sure to find a suitable unit. When finding the best storage available, consider the safety, availability, how clean and dry it is. Don’t go for the cheapest, but for the safest option for your valuables.
Hire the best movers
When hiring the best moving company, it’s not only about the price. You need to find someone reliable to help you relocate without any stress. A professional and skillful moving company like Peasley Transfer & Storage Idaho will ensure you arrive at your new home with all your items safely and quickly delivered.
Pack wisely for easier unpacking
To make unpacking a lot faster, be sure to pack smart. This means sorting your boxes by rooms and labeling them. This way, you will know where each box goes, without making a mess in the middle of the house. Also, if you write the contents o each box, you can find certain items much faster.
This downsizing guide can help you to simplify your moving process. However, you need to help yourself and make this less stressful and overwhelming. Do tasks one by one, organize and most importantly – sleep and eat well. Have a safe move!