The Biggest Downsizing Mistake — And How to Avoid It

Downsizing is very different to a regular move. There are additional things to  consider, the biggest being decluttering your belongings so that they fit in the  smaller space. 

Many people discover only after they have moved, that they can’t comfortably  fit all of the stuff they brought with them into the new home. One client  recently had well over a dozen boxes of stuff that would not fit in their new  apartment. 

There are a few impacts that this has: 

• Things cannot be unpacked into the most convenient or effective home  and things get “stashed” where they fit, which means later things are  hard to find 

• There are unpacked boxes often left for a long time in the living areas,  getting in the way 

• Alternative storage may need to be arranged, which has a high monthly  cost. 

• The new home feels cluttered and isn’t quite the “fresh start” that is  anticipated 

The main solution to this is planning. Plan, plan and plan some more. 

Many clients remember to plan out their large furniture, and measure up their  spaces to ensure that it will fit, or to buy new items if the need be. 

What people often fail to do, however, is think of the “stuff”. The spare dinner  sets, all the vases, their photos, craft supplies, shoes, stashes (spares of 

things, extras and duplicates for “just in case”), memorabilia, paperwork,  travel supplies, books, tools and electrical stuff, outdoor gear and more. 

We recommend you spend some time doing a full inventory of the belongings  that you’re taking with you. Write down EVERYTHING, and then, thinking  about the space available in the new home, allocate every single item (or at  very least, each category) a home. Where your volume is higher than the  space you have available, you need to cull down to size. 

This planning ahead will help you be a bit more accurate in the amount of  belongings you declutter and help you get the fit into the new home just right.