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In this article we’ll take a look at some tips for downsizing your property and how to prepare for moving day. The best thing about downsizing is taking stock of every item you own and deciding whether it’s worth keeping or not. There may be certain things that no are no longer needed which means that you can give them a second life by donating them or selling them on. Certain things may have run their course and can be thrown away but always try to recycle or donate wherever it’s possible!
1 - Plan Accordingly
What I mean by this is to know the size and measurements of the new house. As you’re downsizing, there’s a good chance that certain items of furniture or appliances may not fit comfortably in the new place. It’s a great idea to have exact measurements to know which items will fit and which won’t. This also helps to inform your decluttering process; once you know the sizes it’ll be much easier to get rid of certain items or put them into storage.
2 - Declutter
As touched upon briefly earlier, downsizing creates the perfect opportunity to sort and declutter your household belongings and arrange for them to be kept, stored, donated or repurposed in whatever way! Usually there’s no impetus to go through and organise our entire collection of goods, tems and trinkets so this makes for a great opportunity that forces you to consider how much use you may or may not get from certain belongings.
When you have lived in a property for a long time, the volume of accumulated items is often very large. Sorting through these items is a physical and emotional challenge. Bringing in House Clearance Services can lighten that load considerably. A good crew helps sort your items respectfully and takes care of the carrying and loading. They also make sure that waste is disposed of in a licensed manner, which takes one more worry off your list.
3 - Organise Documents
We all have stacks of paper documents and records that were once important but now may not even be relevant. While it is a daunting task, going through and either keeping or shredding/ destroying certain documents will be hugely helpful during the move. Just like decluttering, going through paper records might remind you of certain things be it sentimental or confidential that may be useful to keep but oftentimes, a lot can be gotten rid of. If downsizing also means selling your current home, it helps to organise that side of the move at the same time. The way you choose to sell can affect the paperwork, preparation and timeline you need to plan around. For homeowners downsizing in Charlotte who would prefer to sell without making repairs first, Cardinal House Buyers offers a direct, as-is sale and lets sellers choose their closing date. Deciding how the property will be sold early on makes it easier to coordinate the sale with everything else involved in moving to a smaller home.
When you are dealing with sensitive paperwork like old bank statements or medical records, you cannot just throw them in the recycling bin. It is important to protect your personal information from identity theft during a busy move. Using a professional service for on-site document destruction is a safe and convenient way to handle this task. A mobile shredding vehicle comes directly to your home and destroys all the files right outside your door. This gives you peace of mind because you can watch the process happen before the shredded paper is taken away to be recycled.
4 - Draw A Floor Plan
This is especially useful if you have a lot of items; a floor plan means you can then visualise what items go where. Even a rough floor plan means you can then add your furniture or appliances to the picture to get some idea of what will go where and if it’ll fit! The plan can then be used by the movers to place items in their correct place if you’re not there to direct the process. It’s an extra step that won’t always be necessary or practical but it does serve a purpose and can be hugely beneficial.
5 - Downsize your Clothing
It’s almost definitely a fact that everyone has too many items of clothing and a lot of it will be residing at the back of a wardrobe collecting dust. Moving house, whether downsizing or not, is a great excuse to cull unwanted or unworn clothes that could have a second life through donation or selling online.
6 - Sell your Unwanted Furniture
Along with getting rid of/ donating/ selling your old clothes there’s another great opportunity to sell furniture or household appliances that you don’t want to take with you into the new home. It’s also a great excuse to use the money made from selling the old furniture to buy new items to furnish the new home with things that will suit the space. On the other hand, no doubt a lot of the appliances or certain pieces of furniture will be able to continue on into the new home.
manageable.
