How to Downsize Before Moving

A mountain of belongings shouldn’t stand between you and your next chapter. When you’re faced with years’ worth of clutter and limited space in your new home, downsizing is a must. Thoughtful decluttering can save you time and money. By making smart decisions about what to keep, sell, and donate, you can curate your personal belongings to fit your new lifestyle. In this article, we’ll share some important tips for downsizing to help you pack smarter and start fresh in your new place.

Why Downsizing Before Moving Is Essential

While sorting through your belongings takes time and effort, downsizing before moving is one of the best choices you can make. Here’s what makes this process worthwhile:

Reduced Moving Costs

Moving services base their fees on how much you need to transport. The less stuff you have, the less you’ll need to pay in moving fees. Supplies like packing tape, bubble wrap, and moving boxes will also cost less if you downsize. In addition, selling items you no longer want or need puts money back into your moving budget. The money you save from decluttering can help cover other expenses like the deposit for your new home.

Easy Packing

A smaller number of belongings means less time spent wrapping, boxing, and labeling items. You can spend more time making sure valuable and fragile items are packed properly. In addition, unpacking in your new home will be easier if you only bring items you actually use.

Less Clutter

Your new home will function better if it’s not overcrowded with extra furniture and belongings. Rooms will stay more organized if you eliminate unnecessary items that create clutter. Storage spaces will also be more orderly if they’re not packed with forgotten items, while daily activities will flow more smoothly in spaces that are arranged with intention.

Reduced Environmental Impact

Having fewer possessions reduces energy use since you’ll need less space for storage. Regular decluttering can also lead to more careful shopping habits and less waste in the future. In addition, by donating items that you no longer need, you’re contributing to a circular economy and keeping your stuff out of the landfill.

Downsizing Tips for Moving

Downsizing requires sorting through years of accumulated belongings and memories. The process can be tedious, but with our downsizing tips for moving, you can make the task feel more manageable. Follow these practical steps to downsize efficiently:

1. Start Early

Give yourself at least eight weeks to go through your belongings before moving day. This lets you sort items carefully and avoid throwing anything away by accident. When you start early, you avoid the stress of working to meet a tight deadline, and you give yourself the time to find good homes for items you won’t be keeping.

2. Set Realistic Goals

Look at your new home’s layout and decide what will fit comfortably in each room. When you’re planning to declutter before moving, it helps to have clear targets for each day. For example, you may want to clear out one room per day. Write down your goals and check them off as you complete them. Setting small, achievable goals keeps you motivated throughout the entire process.

3. Declutter Room by Room

Pick one of your least used rooms to start, like a guest room or a storage area. Sort everything in that space before moving to another room. Working in one room at a time lets you see clear progress and prevents you from losing track of what has and hasn’t been sorted.

4. Keep, Sell, Donate, or Toss

We recommend separating items based on what you want to keep, sell, donate, or toss. You can do this by labeling four boxes or making four piles and deciding where each of your possessions belongs. You should only keep things you truly need or that bring you joy. Consider selling valuable items that don’t fit your new space, donating gently used belongings to help others, and throwing away broken or outdated items that serve no purpose. Using this straightforward approach to sorting ensures all your belongings are accounted for before your move.

Entrust Your Move to Serenity Moving Services

Moving houses can be complicated when you need to downsize to fit in a smaller space. In addition to being time-consuming, downsizing can be emotionally draining. At Serenity Moving Services, we understand what you’re going through. Our team of trained professionals provides comprehensive moving services for homeowners throughout Oklahoma. We take the utmost care to pack and transport people’s belongings safely, letting them focus on settling into their new homes. Call us for a moving estimate, and let our professionals help you start your next chapter.

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