In peak months, about ~1.25 million Americans move households. Some of these moves were specifically to relocate to a smaller space. Among the leading reasons to downsize:

  • Empty nest
  • Divorce
  • To lower housing costs
  • To reduce home maintenance
  • To simplify or minimize

If your belongings do not fit into your new home, you will have to decide if you can jettison anything. The downside to keeping everything includes out-of-pocket and opportunity costs:

  • Professional packing service charges for packing material used and tonnage moved prompting higher fees
  • You may need to acquire storage for excess items
  • Your new space might be cluttered leading to inefficient layout or discomfort

Your better option might be to throw away or gift items no longer needed. Take the opportunity to use your move to declutter or re-organize. Dealing with years of acquired stuff may feel overwhelming. The best way to start is to break down the steps and to pace yourself.

  • Take inventory of all of your items
  • Take measurements of your new home (if possible)
  • Sort items to one of four categories – keep, trash, sell, donate
  • For borderline items, mark it “reconsider” or “maybe” (for now)

Start taking inventory room by room. Immediately throw away broken, obsolete or duplicate items. The inventory list could do double duty for insurance coverage or claims, if needed.

Functional items such as appliances need to clear these hurdles:

  • Do they fit in your new space? (do you still use that exercise gear)
  • Do they still work efficiently? (including having the right connections for gas or electric)
  • Are there suitable alternatives in your new space? (can you use a shared instead of personal grill)
  • Have you used this item at all or enough in the past year? (say the 2nd car or a VCR)

Sentimental items might require more reflection or other pivots.

  • Can it be given away? (say an heirloom to a family member)
  • Can it be digitized? (photos in a frame or create MP3 versions of albums)
  • Can the best representation of a collection be saved? (can you survive with a 4-piece set instead of 8)
  • Does this possession still bring you joy? (do you still fit those clothes)

Decide how to organize, keep safe and transport paperwork, jewelry, art and delicate possessions. For items that are keepers, begin acquiring packing material or labeling so that the professional packing service can move you efficiently.

Have you decided to sell items? Will you do so piece by piece via Facebook marketplace, E-Bay or Craigslist? Alternatively, will you gather blocks of items for a yard sale? Some items might be easier to donate to family members or local charities.

Junk items can be trashed piecemeal – assuming adequate time and no oversized items. Otherwise, you may have to rent a dumpster or hire a junk hauler.

The more time you have to plan, the better decisions you will make. Executing your plan in smaller increments should result in cost savings, if desired. Set a reasonable pace and keep your objectives in mind.

The prospect of moving can stress you out – or you can lean into it. View the “fork in the road” as an opportunity to reset. Sometimes, less is more. Would you like more moving tips? Remember, to move the right way, call McAvey for residential moving or commercial services.