Downsizing Home Checklist

Are you planning to move to a smaller space, but you are not sure how to achieve your goal efficiently and quickly? Don't worry, we have solutions for you! We understand how stressful moving is, how much effort it takes to move all the essentials to a new house, and dealing with memories you might not want to get rid of.

Planning a move from a larger to a smaller house is becoming more common, and the reasons can be numerous. Whether you want to save money, escape from the city to the suburbs, or like minimalism, there is a solution for you. The most important thing is to make a good plan.

By reading this article, you will familiarize yourself with the advantages of moving to a smaller space, the most important steps you should take when moving, as well as get a downsizing home checklist that will speed up the entire process.

This is the table of contents we will cover:

• What are the advantages of moving to a smaller place?
• What are the steps of downsizing your home?
• A downsizing home checklist

What Are the Advantages of Moving to a Smaller Place?

Moving to a smaller space can bring you more value in the long run. You can save money because you will have lower expenses on a monthly basis, it will be easier to dispose of the things you own in the house, and you will live more uniquely and comfortably than before.

We'll list the top 3 benefits of downsizing your home:

1. You will save money - the savings mostly refer to lower monthly property costs, maintenance, utility costs, and lower mortgages. You can sell surplus furniture and unnecessary things and thus earn extra money;
2. Save time and energy for maintaining the space - You will invest much less time and effort in maintaining and cleaning the space, and the time you previously invested in work will now be able to be used for fun. You will be less burdened and more flexible;
3. You will use the space wisely - We assume that you are attached to certain things that represent your memories, and there are certainly a lot of them. Some you will keep, and some you will get rid of because you never use them. Reducing the number of unnecessary things will make your life simpler and much more pleasant.

Regardless of whether you want to save money and reduce your space maintenance obligations, you will definitely benefit from downsizing your home, and you will find out how to move efficiently and quickly in the next chapter. We will present you with a downsizing home checklist that will shorten all your troubles.

What Are the Steps for Downsizing Your Home?

Maybe it's high time to get rid of furniture that represents excess in your house, kitchen elements that take up too much space, or certain corners of the house that are constantly empty and just collecting dust.

A smart solution is a smaller space that will have just enough things that you really need in your everyday life. Here are the steps to downsize your house and move into a smaller space as soon as possible.

The most important thing is to be completely rational when you start moving and removing things. The process would go like this:

Step 1 - Determine Your Needs and Goals

The first thing when you start the moving process is to set a goal, what things to keep and what to throw away, how you want your future space to look, whether you need help with the move, etc. along the way while determining functional, valuable goals.

Plan ahead and long-term to know what steps to take now. For example, determine exactly how much time and money you need and whether you will be able to hold gatherings for more people in the future.

Perhaps the most important thing of all is dealing with your own psyche, that is, questioning your future feelings when you make changes and move to a new house. Estimate your budget well so that you don't have any surprises about the costs - in other words, start preparing early to avoid any pitfalls.

Step 2 - Choose the Most Favorable Location for You

In addition to the location that offers you what you need, it is also important that you fit into the new environment. You'll want to find new friends to socialize with, generally a community that will meet your emotional needs.

Step 3 - Selling Your Home

Don't let yourself make the cardinal mistake of overestimating the value of your current home. Find out what the true market value of your home is by looking for real estate comps.

An incorrectly priced house can sit on the market for a long time and disrupt your moving plans.

You also have the option of hiring a real estate agent to help you evaluate and understand the market value.

A Home Downsizing Checklist

And now, we move on to the most important part, which is the downsizing home checklist.

In order to complete the relocation process as quickly and efficiently as possible and to get rid of unnecessary things because you are moving to a smaller space, pay attention to these household tips and tricks:

• Sort and organize things – You should sort things by doing one room at a time. For example, a useful tip would be to mark with stickers the things you want to save, give away, or throw away. In order not to make a mistake at any step, you can take photos of things;
• Pay attention to quality preparation – this includes changes of address, contracts, and other important documents that need to be done when you move;
• Determine the dimensions of your new home – to know if your current furniture can fit into your future space, or if you will need to buy new items, measure the space to know what dimensions you need. This way you will save time (and possibly money);
• Keep an inventory list – you can pack things in specially designated boxes. You will do this effectively if you keep an inventory of exactly what each box contains and in which room those things belong;
• Properly dispose of unnecessary things – you can divide the things you no longer want to use into three categories. You can give one category to loved ones, the other you can donate to charities, and the third part you can dispose of in the garbage or recycle;
• Put things in an offsite storage space – You may have items that you aren’t sure about keeping or discarding. One option is to rent a storage container until you figure things out. Just make sure you do it within a month or two - otherwise you are wasting money and causing unnecessary clutter. If you didn’t need to use an item in two months, chances are you don’t need it at all;
• Sell ​​unnecessary things – by selling things you no longer need, you can get money to cover extra expenses;
• Donate the things you don't sell – If you are donating to family or friends, give them a deadline to collect their items. Also, you can donate to organizations that work with people who need help, like homeless shelters;
• Throw away unnecessary things – you can rent a garbage container, or take the garbage to the landfill yourself. Don't forget, you will also be able to recycle something. Take care not to throw toxic items and chemicals in the landfill because it is against the law;
• Ask a friend or professional for help – this could be family or friends when moving out, moving in, and tidying up, and professional help such as a real estate professional when selling a house. Also, there are companies that offer home downsizing services, especially packaging services and recycling trucks for transportation.

The most important thing is to start from the bigger things and work your way to the smaller ones. Follow the hierarchy because being organized when moving out is essential. We know that this entire process seems exhausting, but if you follow this home downsizing checklist, you will make your move much easier.

Are You Ready to Move Out and Apply the Downsizing Checklist?

If you have decided to sell your house and move into a smaller space, it is important how you arrange all the things in the new space. You’ve learned how to save certain things, which things you should put away or throw away, and how you can even make some extra money.

Emotions and memories play a major role, but this downsizing home checklist will help you make smart decisions and achieve significant results. If you further want to minimize the stress of the move and sell your house for top dollar without holding open houses, negotiating the price, or dealing with realtors, contact SleeveUp Homes.

We will buy your house as-is for the highest price possible and you can close in 7 days. And because we don’t work with realtors, you won’t be paying any agent commissions. But there’s no rush - request a cash offer to see how much you can make and get back to us once you’ve made up your mind.

Author:

Cesar Gomez , Broker /

Cesar has worked as a real estate agent and broker in the southern California region since 2013.

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