Preparing to Down Size
The home you bought when the kids were young was great, and the game room got constant use. Now you’re down to two, and the only time you’re in there is to dust and vacuum.
It’s time to consider downsizing. Experts estimate it takes 1-2 years to declutter your home, maybe longer if you’re in a large house or if you’ve lived there for more than 10 years. There’s no time like the present to start. But how?
Define your life
Define who you are now, and what you envision your life is going to be like. If you’ve been fairly casual with kids in the house, do you think you’ll eventually want to host more “formal” dinner parties? Are there hobbies you’re no longer interested in? Was that piano just around so your kids could take music lessons? This will make it easier to decide what you’ll need in your next, probably smaller or easier-to-maintain home.
Eliminate trash
To kick-start the process and see immediate results, do a quick purge of anything that’s trash — broken items, stained clothes, or anything that’s expired.
BIG items
Then tackle the big items like furniture, as those take longer to get rid of. This is easier once you know the size of the place you’ll be moving to and what you’ll need to take with you. If you don’t know your destination yet, start with pieces you know you won’t take with you.
Room by Room
Then go room by room, from the easiest to the hardest, saving sentimental items for last — bathroom, guest room, office, living room, bedroom, garage, attic, etc.
Search decluttering and you’ll find dozens of ways to make decisions. Some say to get rid of “x” things per day, or tell you how long to declutter at a time, and what rules okay keeping “just in case.” All are mental hacks that will help you decide what to do with each item — keep, donate, sell, or trash/recycle it.
In each room, make four piles and start separating. It’s best to get rid of the piles from one room before moving on.
Keep
These are things you use on a regular basis — or at least every three to six months — “spark joy” (if you’re a KonMari fan), or have great personal value.
If you have duplicates of items like kitchen gadgets, tools (how many screwdrivers do you really need?), or linens. Keep the best or your favorites, and get rid of the others.
If you’re struggling here, maybe think about what would happen to your things if you don’t make those decisions. Based on a book by Margareta Magnusson, the concept of Swedish Death Cleaning is all over social media.
It’s a proactive way to prevent your loved ones from having to deal with your stuff after you’re gone. Instead, share the items that tell your story with your family now.
(For a laugh — and reality check — search for “Millennial Inheritance Community” on Facebook, where people share photos of what their family left, such as 500 Smurfs and a “raccoon room.”)
Storage units only delay the decision, and you end up paying twice for your stuff.
Donate
Search who takes your items, or go through Donate 2 Impact, a North Texas nonprofit donation clearinghouse that converts goods into financial support for local charities.
If you wouldn’t gift your item to a friend, it’s not a good donation. You’ll want to recycle or trash broken appliances, stained furniture, or ripped clothing.
Set up a donation basket in your closet or laundry room, so you can set clothing aside as you try them on. When you have a few bags, make that trip to the donation center. You’ll feel lighter once the stuff leaves the house.
Sell
Research what price items are bringing and decide if it’s worth your time. Selling takes longer and can be discouraging. Markets for items like antique furniture are flooded as more households downsize.
For bigger items you don’t want to ship, try local groups like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Smaller or specialty items might do better on eBay. Call in experts for rare books, art, or collectibles.
Also check if your neighborhood has a community garage sale, which will attract more buyers and give you a deadline to work towards.
Trash or Recycle
Fill your bins every week.
Visit timetorecycle.com to learn where to recycle things in North Texas. Staples will take pens and pencils, and Best Buy recycles electronics.
You can buy recycling bags and boxes from companies like Trashie, which you fill with clothing and textiles. When you send them in, you get cash for gift cards and discounts.
Take photos & digitize
Another tip — digitize paperwork so you don’t need to carry the bulky files. Photographing items or scanning photos may also enable you say good-bye to sentimental items, as you’ll still have the memory triggers without it taking space.
Take your time
Getting ready to downsize is not an overnight proposition — it took decades to accumulate the stuff, so you can’t get rid of it overnight.
Take your time, and give yourself some grace. Call in a friend if you need a second opinion or encouragement.
Don’t give up. You’ll get there.
