6 Tricks of the Trade To Make Downsizing Easier

At some point in their lives, most people will downsize their homes and possessions. The longer you’ve had to amass precious items, the more daunting it may be, but it can also be freeing and exciting.

Letting go of physical belongings while holding on to the memories surrounding them allows you to cherish the past without letting it weigh down your future.

Below are our tips for simplifying the downsizing process and navigating the logistics of moving to a smaller residence.

Take Your Time

It took years to collect your belongings and create the space you call home. Likewise, you won’t be able to downsize overnight.

When you’re ready to get started, set up three boxes labeled “keep,” “sell,” and “donate,” and keep them in a place that you’ll see daily.

You can set a timer each day to break the work into manageable periods — that way, you’re making progress and avoiding the stress of making these decisions at the last minute.

Start Small

It’s easy to get overwhelmed if you try to tackle a large area all at once. Instead of decluttering, organizing, and packing an entire bedroom, try to tackle the closet.

Use your “donate,” “sell,” and “keep” boxes to do an initial sweep of the space and save organizing and packing for another time.

Try a Test Run Without Your Maybes

For those items that you’re not sure if you can part with, try a trial run without them. Pack them up before you move and see if you miss them while they’re out of use. This will give you a good idea of how much you use, or don’t use, the items in question.

Evaluate Your Storage in Your New Space

Before you pack up things for your move, measure and evaluate your storage areas in your new home. This will help you prioritize what you keep and what you won’t have room for.

You can map what will go in each space as you pack boxes, which will also make the unpacking process easy and efficient.

Scale Down Large Collections

Downsizing doesn’t have to mean getting rid of all your favorite things. One way to declutter is to limit the number of likely things to keep.

For example, if you’re moving into a one-bedroom apartment, it’s unlikely you’ll be hosting next year’s Thanksgiving. Scale your collection of 12 place settings to six so you’re still ready to entertain on a smaller scale without wasting valuable storage space in your new home.

Take Photos of Treasured Items

For many of us, we keep many physical objects because of the memories we’ve associated with them.

One way to preserve the details of cherished items is to take photos of things you no longer have space for, creating a digital photo archive of special belongings.

This also provides a great opportunity to give treasured family heirlooms to the next generation.

Hire a Move Manager

If you are moving within the DMV area, one of the best things you can do to help simplify the downsizing process is to hire a move manager from Potomac Concierge.

Our skilled and friendly move managers make organizing and decluttering your old space and settling into your new home a breeze. Let our team help make your new start your best one yet.

A 10-minute phone call could change your life. Call (240) 200-4824 or contact us online to learn more about our packages and a la carte services.