Moving to a smaller home can involve quite a bit. Whether you are moving to a smaller home because the children have left home for a while, want to save money, or you are moving to a different place: moving to a smaller home requires smart choices. For example, you need to think carefully about where to put all your belongings, how to organize your home efficiently and what to do with the items that cannot go with you to the new home. To get you started, below are our tips for moving to a smaller home.
Look critically at all your belongings
The hardest part about living smaller is that you often can’t take all your stuff with you. As a result, you have to take a critical look at all your belongings and decide what to take and what to get rid of. For many people, this is a difficult process because many items also have emotional value. As a result, this is often the most time-consuming task and you should take your time for this. Look critically at all your stuff and be realistic about whether it will fit in your new home. You can often make someone else happy with the surplus items.
Start cleaning up and packing on time
It is often underestimated how much time it takes to sort out all your belongings and pack everything up. Especially when you start living in a smaller house, because you have to make decisions about many things, whether to keep them or not. So start as early as possible, because it is very annoying if there is time pressure behind this. Sort your belongings into different piles: keep, discard and doubt. Before the moving date you can take a critical look at the pile you are in doubt about.
Create a plan for the new home
It is good to be as clear as possible about what you can fit in your new home. So analyze how big the rooms are, the shape of the rooms, etc. It is often useful to make a floor plan and draw your belongings in it. This will already give you a good idea of what will fit and what won’t. This way you can more easily make decisions about what to take with you, or better to leave behind.
Tip: always check the space in the stairwell as well, so you won’t have any nasty surprises with larger furniture.
Look at multifunctional furniture
Multipurpose furniture is ideal in smaller homes. With this type of furniture, you can save a lot of space while not sacrificing much in return. Consider, for example, a bed with storage drawers, a sofa bed in the guest room, or an extendable dining table. So consider exchanging large furniture for more compact or multifunctional furniture to make the most of your new space.
Make use of a storage unit
If you are really going to live a whole lot smaller it can be difficult to just get rid of all the excess stuff. In such a situation it can be nice to rent a storage box. Here you can store your stuff temporarily so you don’t have to say goodbye to everything right away. This can also be very nice when you have to make a lot of decisions in a very short time. If required we can advise you.
Need help moving or picking up old belongings?
Sometimes it can be nice to get help moving to a smaller home. JHC house clearance can help you move, or dispose of old belongings. We regularly help people move to smaller homes, and it can be nice not to have to do all the heavy lifting yourself then. Also, some items that become redundant such as old couches, extra refrigerators or white goods are very heavy and not practical to dispose of yourself. Here we can assist you so you can focus on the things that are really important to you. Request a free quote here or contact us for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do with stuff that can’t go with me to the new home?
Many items you can still make someone else happy. You can try to sell them, give them away to family or friends, or you can donate them to the thrift store.
What can I do with stuff I don’t want to throw away but also can’t take with me?
Items that you don’t want to throw away, but that you also can’t take with you to your new home can be stored somewhere temporarily. You can try to arrange this with family or friends, or you can rent a self-storage storage unit, for example.
When do I start cleaning up for the move?
Ideally, you should start sorting things a few months in advance. In fact, this can take a very long time, especially if you have a lot of stuff and already know you won’t be able to take everything with you.
