Making a Downsized Move

After over 30 years in the moving industry, All My Sons Moving & Storage has seen every type of relocation imaginable. A downsized move is one of the most time-consuming and difficult moves to perform. Whether you’re a moving senior looking to simplify your days after a lifetime of owning a home, an empty nester looking to leave behind the unoccupied bedrooms, or a young professional looking to create a minimal living space, taking all the beautiful things you’ve used to build your home and whittling them down to the basics is an emotional process.

Your life doesn’t have to shrink just because you’re moving into a smaller space. You can choose to look at this downsized move as an opportunity to carry what really matters with you into the future. 

At All My Sons Moving & Storage, we believe things matter. The items you choose to take with you on your move help protect your lifestyle and identity when you’re facing the unknown. A downsized move means that some items cannot make the journey with you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hold onto the memories and experiences that have made you who you are today.

There are five important steps to making a downsized move. Starting early and planning ahead can help save you time and energy later when you’re officially moving into your new smaller space.

The first step to a downsized move is to understand precisely how much space you’re working with.

If you are moving into an apartment, then the property manager may be able to provide you with a floorplan that contains the exact dimensions of your new home. Note how much floor space you have in each room, how long the walls are, and how wide doorways open. Also consider how much counter space and cabinet room you have in your kitchen. 

After you have taken careful stock of your future home, be sure to measure the dimensions of any large furniture pieces or appliances that you intend to take with you.

Compare the dimensions of your current pieces against the dimensions of your next home. You don’t want to spend time, money, and energy moving a furniture item that will not fit in your new space. Best to catch what does not fit in your new life before you begin the move.

Watch out for doorways. A couch you currently have might fit in your new living room, but it may not disassemble enough to make it through the front door. Large furniture pieces that do not fit through doors should be replaced with smaller, more manageable versions during your downsized move.

Use an online program like Homestyler, SmartDraw, Sweet Home 3D, Floorplanner, or another tool to create a floorplan for your next home. You can also sketch your own floor plan with pencil and graphing paper. 

Creating a floor plan prior to your move will allow you to get an idea of how your space will function and look once all your items are moved in. Visualize how you want your home to feel when you walk in, and design your space so that it works in alignment with your goals.

Both measuring dimensions and creating a floor plan will help you see what large furniture pieces you may need to offload or replace with smaller versions. Once you have determined what large pieces you are taking with you, it’s time to check through the rest of your household inventory to determine what comes with, what gets stored, and what must go.

Every household has essentials that make functional, daily living a viable possibility. Your essentials span from your coffee maker to your bedsheets. These are the items that All My Sons Moving & Storage recommends you pack LAST and unpack FIRST at your new home. 

For your downsized move, determining your essentials ahead of the move will help you to optimize space in your new living area. 

First, identify the items you cannot maintain your life without. These are things like pots and pans you use on a daily basis, blankets and pillows that you sleep on every night, and the television you use to unwind at the end of a long evening. Second, identify your absolute favorite items such as the curated collection of books you keep on your shelves or the artwork that you display on a prominent wall. Once you have identified these items, you can ensure that you put these items first as you pack up and declutter. No matter what else is in your household inventory, these items must make it to your new home.

Go room by room of your old home and take careful stock of everything you own. Sort all your items in one of 5 categories:

• Keep: Your essential items should go in this category first. Everything else must make room for your essentials. 

• Sell: Items you have not elected to keep but are still in superb condition might be able to fetch you a few dollars for your moving budget. Try offering the items for a fair price on a site like Facebook Marketplace, Offer Up, or eBay. If the item has not sold as your move date approaches, try slashing prices or accepting offers. 

• Donate: Items in good condition that could be used by another person should be donated to your favorite charity. You can donate household goods to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and Habitat for Humanity, or you could choose a local cause close to your heart to give to. 

• Discard: Items that are not in useable condition should be properly discarded. You should also discard items that would be utterly meaningless to another person such as old kids’ craft projects, postcards from friends or family members, or yearbooks from your high school. Recycle materials that can be reused and responsibly dispose of what does not have another life in it.

• Store: While these items will not fit into your next home, you still aren’t ready to part with them yet. Renting storage is a great way to hold onto these items, especially if you anticipate using them again one day or they are too sentimental to part with. Get the smallest storage unit that can comfortably accommodate all your items, and make sure the unit is temperature-controlled if you are storing items sensitive to changes in their environment.

Decluttering can be an emotional process. It’s okay if you’re having difficulty being selective about what to take with you, that just means you’re only human. If you find yourself having trouble deciding if you should keep an item, then create a personal guide for what stays and what goes.

Questions to Consider for Hard Decluttering Decisions

Here are some questions you can consider asking yourself when you create a personal guide for decluttering. 

• Have I used this item in the past year? Items that are gathering dust in a back corner of the closet might not serve you well in your next home. If you haven’t used, looked at, admired, or even taken an item from its hiding spot for over a year, consider letting the item go.

• Would I buy this item again today? Some items like gifts and heirlooms you might keep because of the memories and people associated with the item. If given the chance to purchase the item again, you would not buy the item for yourself. Remember, you can hold onto memories and beloved people without holding onto physical items you don’t need or want.

• Does this item earn the space it takes up? When you’re downsizing, you work with limited space in your new home. Every item you bring must earn its keep. Ask yourself if the item brings you happiness, or if you could let the item go and still feel the same way.  

Extra Tips for Decluttering

To get you started on your downsized move, try these special tips for decluttering quickly and efficiently.

• Look for Duplicates: When you have more than one of an item that serves the same function, ask yourself if you really need both. Often, one well-maintained item will serve its purpose well. Pick your favorite and let go of the duplicate.

• Digitize Items When Possible: There’s certainly something to be said for owning physical media like DVDS, vinyl records, and photo albums, but now that you’re going into a downsized home every bit of space counts. Ask yourself if creating a digital record of an item will meet your needs, and let go of the item that takes up physical space.

• Hold a Garage Sale: A great way to get rid of a large batch of items you no longer want is to hold a garage or yard sale. You’ll make some extra cash, and people will carry off the items you no longer want in a single afternoon. Check your local government for rules and regulations regarding garage sales and make sure you have any necessary permits before you set up shop. 

• Use a Junk Removal Company: When you have sizeable items that require disposal, you can call a junk removal company like Junk.com to come pick up the item on your schedule. Junk.com prioritizes eco-friendly disposal methods like donation and recycling, and whatever remains is responsibly discarded. Junk removal companies can assist with massive room clean-outs or estate cleanups.

Now that you have combed through your household inventory, everything that you pack into boxes for the move holds its weight in functional and sentimental value. Your most precious items will be making the journey with you.

Make your organized move by packing non-essentials like off-season clothing and décor items first. Next, go room by room and pack any items you won’t be using up until the moment of your move. The last items you pack should be your essentials. Don’t forget to also pack a bag you’ll keep on your person during the move, which should include any rental contracts you need as well as government IDs.

Once you reach your destination, have the movers place your largest furniture pieces according to your floor plan and your boxes in their respective rooms. Unpack your essential boxes first, and you should be ready to settle in and start unpacking.

You’ve successfully navigated a downsized move, and your life might even feel lighter now that you’ve shed some weight from your household inventory. Spend some time getting to know your new neighborhood, and learning about the different activities and events happening on your new home turf. Pretty soon you’ll be living large, even in a downsized space.

All My Sons Moving & Storage has been helping companies and families relocate for over 30 years, and we remain committed to lending an honest helping hand. With services tailored to meet your needs and budget, All My Sons Moving & Storage can provide whatever level of support you require. Join our family of happy customers, and have your possessions treated with the white-glove care they deserve.