It’s not unusual to downsize to a smaller home at one point or another. Whether you’ve decided to eliminate debt from your life, or an empty nester looking for fewer maintenance requirements, or are just simply wanting a small space, one thing is inevitable when it’s time to downsize: You will have to get rid of some of your stuff. This is somewhat bittersweet, but you get a chance to go through all of your belongings and determine what truly needs to make the trip to your new destination in life.

Mary Iannaccone, Sales Associate at ERA Justin Realty, shares some tips for downsizing. “Being an experienced Real Estate Agent for many years, I’ve worked with many families wanting to downsize. I tell them all the same thing: ‘People often look around at everything that’s taking up space in their homes and feel discouraged. But if you take it in little bites, downsizing is manageable. Commit to 15 minutes a day for sorting: clean out one drawer in your desk; go through your handbags; toss outdated food and spices in your pantry.” A little bit goes a long way and gives you the motivation to keep going.

List it or Leave it
The first step to downsizing is to make a list of the things you absolutely need. Items that don’t make the cut shouldn’t come to your new house. It is important to do this at least three to four months prior to the move to ensure you have an ample amount of time to go through your items and think about whether or not you need them.

Sort and Sell
Once you have determined the things not coming to your new house, you can start getting rid of them. This can be a difficult task, as your items will have different values and varying degrees of wear and tear. Grab three boxes and label them for selling, donating, or throwing out.

Compare New Rooms with Current Rooms that Have Similar Dimensions
It can be hard to determine how much room you will actually have when downsizing. Get the dimensions of each room in your new house and compare it to rooms in your current house that have similar dimensions. This gives you the opportunity to see what kind of space you’re working with, and more importantly, what furniture will fit in your new downsized home.

De-Clutter Your Kitchenware
If you are an empty nester, there is truly no need for ten mixing bowls and seven spatulas when you move into your new house. Narrow down your bowls, plates, forks, and spoons to reasonable amounts.

Target the Garage
Depending on the kind of home you’re downsizing to, you may not need a lot of the items in the garage. For instance, if your new condo handles lawn maintenance and snow removal, you can get rid of the shovels, lawn mower, and possibly even the ladder. Determine what tasks will be taken over by someone else when you make the move and sell any equipment you no longer need.

Downsizing your home can be an emotional task. “We endow things with meaning. That’s why they become important to us. But if everything is important, then nothing is special,” says Iannaccone. Try to select just a few prized pieces to use, wear or keep and donate the rest. “Your heart can never be too full, but your house can be,” Mary continues. Follow these tips to de-clutter and reorganize your belongings as you head into a new chapter in your life.

To help you downsize to the next property in your life, contact Mary, or any of our experienced real estate agents. We are your area’s Full Service & Experienced Real Estate Company for over 50 years. Call 201.939.7500.