You might decide that now that the kids are out of the house that you need to go smaller, or you might not want to try to care for a big house any more. Or, your finances might have changed and you need to sell off your big, expensive house. Whatever your reasons, there are some strategies to employ to downsize your house.
What’s Important?
The first thing is to find out what items are really important to you. You can’t take everything with you, so think about the things that you would want to replace if your home were to catch fire or be damaged by water. That way, you know the things that you wouldn’t miss that much are the things you can sell off or give away. You can even get further by creating another list – the things you can replace in the new space. These are items like furniture, televisions, and the like.
If you are moving in with someone else, you will both need to do this step, and you will want to share your lists together so you are both happy. This gives you the chance to sell off some of your items at a garage sale to earn back money so you can buy new items for the new house. This can be even more fun if you have a block sale with your neighbours, as these can draw a lot more attention than just a single home sale.
Whatever doesn’t sell, donate to a charity and take the tax write-off. The fewer things you hold onto once you have made the decision of what to keep and what to get rid of, the better you will be and the less you will feel you have to move.
This includes duplicated things. Don’t keep spare couches in back rooms because you won’t have that room luxury in the new place. Likewise, how many sets of dishes or glasses do you need?
When you do get to your new place, consider multi-purpose items, like fold-out beds or futons, or ottomans that have storage inside. This gives you ways to store things you need occasionally and have functional furniture, too.
Be firm in your decisions, and let yourself be free to enjoy your new, cozier home. You’ll be glad you did.
If you require moving services in the Central Vancouver Island area, contact us for a free quote today.