If you’re planning on moving to a smaller place then you’ll need to have a good clear out. Over time, we all tend to collect a lot of stuff. Drawers and drawers of gifts, odd bits and bobs and things we never seem to use, have never used and probably never will. Those ‘just in case’ items need to be reconsidered and either donated or thrown out. Sometimes items can be difficult to part with but if you carry on collecting, you will result in lacking storage space. Now is the time to be rid of excess baggage and really get down to the bare essentials and bare minimum.
Firstly, assess what you actually need and what you actually use. If it’s been gathering dust overtime, you definitely will not miss it as you never use it. For instance, large indulgent appliances, gym equipment, popcorn machine, the list goes on. Work out your actual needs and get clearing. Deciding what you do actually need does take a while. Have a think about how you live your daily life and what activities and items are party of your actual day to day lifestyle, not those items that you want to be in your life but you haven’t got around to it. Through assessing what you already have and what you don’t need, have a good rummage and sort out through every cabinet, corner and cupboard and pack only those items you literally couldn’t live without. Store these unwanted items out of the way and donate to charity or recycle.
Your furniture should be next on the agenda. Measure it up so you will know whether it will or won’t fit into your new space. In particular, measure larger items such as your bed or sofa, it’s important to measure everything even if you’re unsure. If you’ve got a couple of items you’re still not sure whether you’re going to take, measure them just in case and keep a rough note of the estimate measurements for future reference. Room measurements are also vital, so measure these in your new space. Floor plans are handy or double check you can actually take measurements before turning up to do so. The whereabouts of doors and windows will be in a big factor in furniture placement so double-check the location of these.
You will also need to be aware of your new storage areas in order to ensure you don’t overestimate the amount of storage space available for you. Whilst taking room measurements you should assess the storage situation – how many cupboards, drawers and wardrobes? If you’ve still got quite a lot of stuff left that you haven’t allocated a home to, then don’t forget to go through all of your bathroom cabinets, kitchen cupboards and drawers. Recycle any empty bottles and get rid of any expired medicines or toiletries.
Before the day you move, work out storage solutions for your stored items as you pack. Place storage in boxes that can be moved without much effort, you could consider plastic bins, stackable boxes and airtight containers. Get organised labelling everything by room. On the day of the move, move the larger items first and the smaller things last to save your energy. Try and unpack a little as you go to make life easier for you. And finally, remember to put away storage items and you’ll therefore save yourself the time and effort of trying to manoeuvre through packed rooms during the next few days.
Try not to over-stack and unpack the essentials first to keep you going. Following these guidelines, downsizing should be a light breeze rather than an added stress on moving day.
