Guidelines for downsizing.

START NOW

It’s never too early to start downsizing. Not only will you get a head start on your move, but if you are selling your home, it will be less cluttered and more desirable to potential buyers.

De-clutter regularly.  Set aside 15 minutes each day to de-clutter a drawer or closet.  Make it a regular part of your routine.  Tackling your project bit by bit, every day, will make the task feel less daunting.

1. Keep

Use a floor plan of your new space to help you decide what furniture you will keep. Measure your furniture to make sure it will fit in your new space.  Knowing which pieces of furniture will fit in your new space will prevent you from moving too much. 

All digital photos and videos should be saved in one digital file.  We can recommend services that can digitize all of your photos, slides, and videos.

2. Give away 

Set a deadline for your grown children to remove from your home their belongings, or other items you are giving them.

3. Donate or sell

Books take up lots of space and are heavy to move. Consider donating books to libraries, senior centers, used bookstores, Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Contact a book dealer for older books with potential value.

Find out what organizations in your area accept furniture, clothing and toys, as well as books. 

You will probably have a lot to donate.  Look for organizations that will pick up donations from your home.

We tend to have an unrealistic sense of what our possessions are actually worth. There are a number of websites you can use to determine market value, and to sell your possessions, such as ebay, craigslist and letgo.  

Estate sales take time.  If you are considering an estate sale of the contents of your home, make sure that you leave yourself enough time before you move to hold the sale.

Depending on the value of your possessions, you may be able to sell certain items through an auction house, including furniture, jewelry and art.

4. Discard

Many items in your home can be recycled, including cleaning products, paint, cell phones, computers and other electronics.

Once you make a decision to get rid of something stick to it.  Don’t let items that you intend to get rid of pile up in your home.

GET HELP

Moving is not easy.  It is time-consuming, and can be physically and emotionally exhausting. If family members are not available to help, consider hiring a professional move manager, such as Moving Forward Manhattan, LLC, who will be able to handle all aspects of downsizing, packing, moving, and getting you set up in your new home, stress-free.