Downsizing? Here Are 5 Useful Tips for You

Sometimes you have to or you might choose to lose some space for living when switching property, but that doesn’t have to be a stressful or sad experience. Here are 5 tips to help you keep what’s important to you even when you don’t have as much space to store it in.

1. Split up your luxuries and necessities

The hardest thing about downsizing for many people is having to cut down on your belongings. You should write a list of what you absolutely need to keep, what you’d like to hold on to and what can be thrown away. Try to add to this list when going through your average day so that you can see what you need as you use it. Try to keep as little as possible on the necessity list, only put down the things you actually need. This will mean you don’t end up stuck in your new house with 3 spatulas but no forks.

When it comes to items of sentimental value try to think about what you really want to keep. Sometimes a picture of the item can be enough, sometimes it can’t. If you are really unsure try to get someone else’s objective opinion and think about if you’ll realistically be able to keep it or not.

2. Plan out where things are going

Try using a floor plan to figure out where things are going so you know how much will fit in before you get to your new home. Try to work out what will fit where so you don’t give away things you don’t have to and so you can make as much use of the available space as possible as well as avoid bringing anything that won’t fit in your new home. Don’t overfill your new living space with all your furniture just because you can though – if you think you should sell something don’t be afraid to do it just because you might be able to squeeze it in.

This is true of whenever you’re moving but try to keep the boxes organised when putting them into your new home. A good idea for this is colour-coding with a different colour for each room so if you aren’t sure where you want something to go you can at least stop it getting mixed up in another room.

3. Sell rather than throw away

A huge amount of furniture is thrown out unnecessarily; almost anything that you don’t want will be useful to someone else and can therefore be sold. You could do this yourself by putting an advert in a local paper or newsletter, adding your things on popular online auction sites like eBay or Gumtree, adding them to a non-virtual auction (this is especially good for larger items) or simply asking around if anyone is interested.

If there is anything that you won’t be able to sell try to recycle or donate rather than just throwing it away. This is better for the environment and good for your conscience – plus recycling is increasingly easy to do; just Google where your nearest facility is.

4. Think about how much storage space you have

Try to keep as much storage space as you can, whether that is wardrobes and shelves or more creative storage like footstool/storage boxes. When you’re moving put these in place first as they will give you the ability to hold your other stuff. Plan what you’re going to do with the storage space you do have, figure out how much you can actually fit in the wardrobe and where you’re going to keep your hairdryer before you go.

Try to use as much creative storage space as possible. Huge amounts of space are often unused so whether it’s keeping things under or on top of furniture try to use all the space you have as efficiently as possible. Don’t let any room go to waste!

5. Use a self storage unit

If you’re unsure whether you want or are able to keep some of your things then a storage unit could be your best option. Anything you’re still not ready to part with can be held in storage on a long or short term basis until you’re ready to deal with it. You might also not have quite finished clearing out all of your old belongings and a storage unit could keep your property stored until it can be sorted. This will stop you being stressed about finishing sorting your belongings and keep anything you can’t take with you safe while moving.

Get a free quote for self storage

If you’re looking for a low cost self storage facility to use Flexistore is a trustworthy company that will come to you to pick up your things, saving you on van and transport costs. We will keep your property safe and secure in our warehouse for the long or short term depending on what your needs are. We have secure storage facilities in Aberdeen, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Manchester.

Fill out our storage enquiry form for a no-obligation self storage quote.

 

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