Moving to a smaller house can be a big adjustment — as well as quite a bit of work. But it can also be a freeing experience if you allow it to be. It helps to recognize that downsizing isn’t like any other move. It requires letting go of a lot of possessions or at least putting them in storage where they won’t be seen for a while. Once you’ve embraced that fact, following the tips below should take you the rest of the way toward making moving to a smaller house a happy experience:
- Begin your sorting in storage areas, the basement, the attic and closets where you keep items you rarely or never use. It may be easier to get rid of these items, which will get you in the groove of offloading items you don’t need.
- It will probably be clear to you that some items can be given away, donated, sold, etc.; but others might not be as obvious. So when you find yourself struggling to decide, it can help to ask yourself when you used it last. If it’s been a long while or if you have another item that will serve the same task, you should let it go.
- Depending on just how much you’re downsizing after moving to a smaller house, items having sentimental value should be given priority. If your new home just won’t allow for too many of these, consider giving them to family or friends you know will appreciate them or putting them in storage to give to children when they grow up.
- Pack items that you want to go to friends, family or charity right away and seal the boxes. This will reduce the chance that you’ll change your mind about keeping them. As soon as you have enough boxes gathered, give them to the intended recipients so they’ll be out of your sight.
- If you have items that need repair, be brutally honest with yourself about whether you will ever actually have them fixed. If not, then you might as well get rid of them now. The same goes for anything that would cost too much to fix.
- If you can’t foresee an item being truly useful after moving to a smaller house, get rid of it.
- Be patient with yourself, or if you’re helping an older relative move into a smaller home, be patient with them. Moving can be a huge transition even under the best of circumstances. When compounded by having to give up treasured possessions, it can be traumatic. So be prepared for any combination of the emotions that come with major life transitions: joy, sadness, anger, frustration and many others. All of them are normal under the circumstances.
We wish you the best of luck as you go through the process of moving to a smaller house and hope you’ve found these packing tips for moving helpful.
Source: http://www.saveologymoving.com/articles/packing-tips-for-smaller-house.aspx
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