The Three-Month Guide To Downsizing And Moving To A Smaller Home

Posted on: 11 February 2021

If you're like many people who decided to downsize because your kids have flown the coop and your current home is simply too large for your wants and needs, you're probably looking forward to beginning a new adventure as you enter your next stage of life. At the same time, you may be feeling somewhat overwhelmed at the prospect of dealing with years of household belongings. Naturally, you'll want to take your favorite items with you when you move, but you've probably also accumulated lots of stuff that wouldn't make sense to hold onto.

The most effective way to handle time-consuming and complex endeavors such as downsizing from a family home is to break the process up into manageable chunks while giving yourself more time than you think you'll need to complete the project. People often make the mistake of waiting too long to get started, which usually leads to them working around the clock once time begins to run out. Fortunately, this doesn't have to be your scenario. Giving yourself three months to do the job with clear, identifiable goals at the end of each month is a good way to ensure that that you don't get bottlenecked or otherwise overwhelmed when the time to move draws near. 

Month One

The first thing you should do is rent a self-storage unit. This may come as a surprise because the usual advice is to wait until the last two or three weeks to rent a storage unit, if at all, but having one available right from the start makes everything go far more smoothly. This is particularly true if you're planning on selling many of your items as a part of your downsizing strategy. You'll be able to meet interested buyers at the storage unit instead of having strangers over to your home. Having a storage unit at your disposal also provides a tangible incentive to get started on your project and will help get your home clear of clutter early on in the process. It's easy to get bogged down when clutter is a part of the picture.

Month Two

Downsizing activities during the second month should be concentrated on getting rid of items that you aren't planning to take with you to your next home. You should begin the second month by telling your adult children that they have one month to get whatever stuff they may have left behind and want from your house. Some adult children will be fine with letting their childhood bedroom furniture and other items go, while others will appreciate the opportunity to be able to take what they want.  Charities associated with thrift stores will often pick up items that you wish to donate, so be sure to contact them if you want to save yourself the time and trouble of loading items into your vehicle and driving them to local drop-off sites. You should also be continuing to sell the items you won't be taking with you through your unit at a local self-storage facility. By the end of the second month, there should be nothing left but essentials and the items that you plan to take with you. 

Month Three

By the time you reach the third month, you'll be in the home stretch of your project, with the majority of the difficult and time-consuming stuff in the past. To make things go even more smoothly, it's recommended to have an overlap between your last month in your old home and your first month in your new one. Your last month will be spent tying up loose ends, packing personal items, cleaning or arranging for a service to come in, and making the final move. 

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Answering Your Questions About Storage Units

Before renting a storage unit for the first time, it's common to have questions about the process. You may wonder what size of unit you need to hold all your belongings. You may also want to know the differences between an indoor and an outdoor unit and which kind is right for you. We understand that you have questions and we're here to shed some light on all your inquiries. We were just like you at one time when we were trying to find answers to our storage questions. It was time-consuming and frustrating, to say the least, and that's why we created this blog. We wanted others to have all the resources they need in one spot so they wouldn't have to search for hours to find the answers to their storage unit questions.

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