Leaving your current home poses more than just a physical transition; it’s also an emotional journey.
This is where you have built memories and celebrated milestones with family and friends. It has witnessed your breakdowns and low points, even in times when you felt utterly alone.
What motivates you to start downsizing your home before your move?
Larger homes often come with higher utility bills, ongoing cleaning, regular maintenance, a greater need for storage space, and expensive repairs, all of which can contribute to your stress.
While it may seem overwhelming, minimizing your belongings before relocation is certainly worthwhile.
Downsizing can simplify your living space, reduce expenses, and encourage a more minimalist lifestyle, bringing peace and clarity to your home.
In this blog, we’ll guide you through the downsizing process, help you organize your life around a smaller space, and show you how to turn your new house into a fresh, fulfilling chapter.
Why Downsizing Before a Move Can Be a Good Idea
First of all, people downsize for various reasons – retirement, children moving out, lifestyle changes, or the need for a more affordable living situation.
A smaller home generally means less maintenance, allowing you to concentrate on quality over quantity and to be more intentional about what you choose to bring into your life.
Let’s take a look at the potential benefits of downsizing your home before a move:
Key Benefits of Downsizing for a Fresh Start
Low Mortgage Payments and Property Taxes
Bigger homes have bigger bills. One of the most immediate and impactful benefits of downsizing is the reduction in major housing expenses, such as mortgage payments and property taxes.
The smaller the space you have, the lower your property taxes and the more savings you accumulate. Additionally, a smaller mortgage enables you to build equity more quickly, allowing you to redirect funds toward investments, travel, or emergency savings. Thus, downsizing becomes your pathway to financial freedom.
Less Clutter and Fewer Repair Bills
A smaller home means fewer rooms to clean, fewer repairs to worry about, and less outdoor space to manage. With limited space, you’re encouraged to keep only the things you truly love or need, which reduces stress from constant chores or costly home projects. This focus enables you to prioritize living over maintaining your life.
Minimalist Lifestyle
Downsizing creates more space. By simplifying your living area, you liberate yourself from excessive belongings, higher bills, and maintenance. This freedom allows for more focus on what truly matters: household responsibilities, health, and a sense of peace of mind.
Step-by-Step Guide to Downsizing Your Home
Downsizing not only creates more space, but it also allows you to sell or donate unused items before a big move. The process of letting go of your belongings can be tiring, but with the right steps, you can downsize your home quickly.
1. Set Your Needs and Goals
Before you start sorting, packing, or planning your new space, take a moment to define your needs and goals clearly. Downsizing before moving into your new house is your chance to realign your lifestyle. Start asking yourself:
- What do I need in my new home to feel comfortable and fulfilled?
- What should I prioritize: lower costs of maintenance or bills, proximity to work, or accessibility of my hobbies (e.g., going to a gym)?
- How far in advance should I schedule a moving service?
- Where can I donate my household items?
By having your needs and goals in mind or a moving checklist handy, you will be better able to redirect or align with the future you envisioned for yourself with your new house.
2. Finalize Your Budget
Smaller homes can lead to long-term savings, but the transition itself can be more costly if not done carefully.
Start by calculating your expected expenses, such as:
- Moving services or the truck rental
- New furniture
- Parking rental
- Property taxes
- Maintenance and repairs
When creating a realistic moving budget, also consider the weight of the items and the distance involved. Additionally, consider the moving time, cost of moving boxes and supplies, insurance coverage, and the type of service you require (e.g., partial or full service).
To get a rough estimate, you can also calculate your moving expenses using a cost calculator.
Be realistic and detailed with your budget to give you control and prevent financial losses or surprises.
3. Review the Floor Plan
A smaller home means less space for your large furniture. Start by measuring the dimensions of your room in your new house to compare them with the size of your current furniture.
Ensure you take care of the following:
- How big are the closets?
- How much storage space does the home have?
- How to organize storage unit items?
- How do the room sizes compare to those in your current home?
- Will your sectional sofa fit in the new living room?
- Is there enough space around your tables and chairs?
Limit your decorations. Doing this doesn’t have to mean sacrificing comfort or style; it just requires smart planning or an intentional approach to using your space.
One of the greatest space-saving tips is to think vertically, not horizontally. When the space is limited, go upward:
- Install wall-mounted shelves or vertical storage units.
- Use over-the-door organizers in closets and bathrooms to maximize storage space.
- Hang as many hooks on your walls as you can, provided they do not take up large wall spaces.
4. Consider Built-In Storage and Multi-Functional Storage
Multi-functional furniture maximizes your available space without sacrificing style and comfort.
People moving into studio condos are often trained to think practically, as every inch of space must serve a purpose.
Embrace your minimalist self by considering multi-functional furniture, such as beds, tables, and chairs that also offer storage for shoes, utensils, carpentry tools, or cleaning supplies. Enhance your walls by hanging hooks, installing shelves or drawers, and creating nooks or hubs.
Built-In Storage and Multi-Functional Furniture Solutions Perfect for Downsizing
Under Stairs Storage
The space under the stairs is often neglected, particularly in larger homes. You might notice they are already collecting dust and spider webs, which are unlikely to be dead zones. But it could actually serve two or more purposes, making it functional and lively.
You could install zigzag drawers for your carpentry tools or a two-wing cabinet to store your rarely used items, such as party costumes, concert boots, travel luggage, foldable visitor tables, and electronic devices.
Upper or Wall Cabinetry
You may design it in pull-out trays or dividers. Place your regularly used items below their portion for easy accessibility.
If you have taller and wider ceilings, adjust your cupboards to fit larger items such as Christmas trees, collapsible pails, cooking ware, or laundry and dishwashing liquids or powders.
This serves as an appropriate storage area for flammable and hazardous items, keeping them out of children’s reach. It is designed not only for space-saving purposes but also for your family’s safety.
Underbed Drawers
The space under your bed is often an overlooked part of your room. It provides valuable storage for keeping items hidden yet still easily accessible.
Underbed drawers are perfect for storing:
- Off-season clothing
- Jewelries
- Shoes, slippers, and accessories
- Extra linens or blankets
- Important documents
- Sentimental gifts
- Sanitary kits
Mirrored Cabinets
Mirrors can enhance larger spaces when they are removed from isolation, for instance, when placed in your living room or bedroom.
If you’re in a smaller space and enjoy checking your outfit before heading out, you wouldn’t want the clutter to reflect in the mirror, just your full look. To maintain a neat appearance, consider installing mirrors in your cabinets or using a bathroom vanity with drawers. This way, your clothes, bags, shampoos, lotions, and soaps can be out of sight yet easy to reach.
Built-in Storage Bench or Chair
These dual-purpose pieces offer a perfect blend of comfort and space-saving designs. Placed in an entryway, living room, bedroom, or under a window, a storage bench can hold:
- Shoes and bags
- Toys
- Books
- Seasonal decors
- Linens
Chairs with hidden storage under the seat are ideal for storing office supplies, pet items, or everyday clutter. They also provide seating without adding bulk, making your space feel open and organized.
These hacks involve creating small pockets in unusual spaces, which truly engage your creativity and resourcefulness.
Besides this, you can simply arrange storage boxes or cardboard boxes, toss your less-used items, and take them to your nearest storage. Renting a storage unit when downsizing your home is a quick and easy way to let go of extra items without having to sell them.
5. Use Light Colors to Your Advantage
One of the biggest challenges of downsizing is living in spaces that feel small, cramped, and dark. Use soft tones such as off-white, beige, or light blue to create the illusion of a larger space.
Other tips for making your living space feel larger include:
- Light and neutral colors that reflect light and create the illusion of openness.
- A well-placed mirror can make a room look bigger and visually appealing.
- Sheer curtains let sunlight in while keeping the room brighter.
Visual tricks can make a significant difference when working with a smaller house.
6. Declutter Relentlessly
You may be thinking about the items in your current home, such as the furniture, appliances, and equipment.
The best approach is to include these items in your inventory plan. You might be surprised to discover duplicate items spread throughout your rooms.
So, here’s how to declutter your belongings before you move to your new home.
Use the four-box method to organize household items.
If you feel disorganized with your belongings scattered everywhere, the four-box method can help you transform your home into an organized and relaxing space. Just label the four boxes: Keep. Donate/Sell. Store. Trash. Create a room-by-room moving checklist. Check each room to make sure you don’t leave any items unattended.
Tip: Start with the rarely used spaces, such as the garage or attic. After that, focus on the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
Focus on important items and let go of things of less value.
Now that you’ve decided on the things that you should keep in your new home, you’re also unsure where to put the things you no longer need. It’s even harder because some of these items hold special memories. For example, a refrigerator or a television that your dearest friend gifted you exactly 13 years ago. However, it’s no longer functioning. Alternatively, you may have duplicate items that still seem new.
This realization can be disheartening, prompting you to make more difficult decisions.
- Should I hold onto this?
- What if I need it later?
- How will you dispose of this without feeling guilty?
You might consider selling unwanted items on Facebook Marketplace or arranging a yard sale. Recycle or discard items that are not in good condition. Ask your family members if you could store these functioning and/or sentimental items in their larger storage area, or if they would be willing to use the functioning ones.
Instead of dwelling on the earlier questions, consider these instead: Does it serve a purpose in my new space? If not, it’s time to toss them.
Allocate enough time
Planning which items to declutter takes about 2-3 weeks before you move out. As mentioned earlier, you need to create a checklist of items in every room. Set a specific time frame for each room based on the quantity of items. The more items there are, the more time you should allocate.
7. Digitize Hard Documents
Packing papers can take a significant amount of time. You need to sort them by file, label them, and decide which pages are important before placing them in a special box. This also takes up excessive space in your new home, limiting your mobility. The real solution lies in using your phone camera.
You won’t have to worry about throwing away or crumpling your documents, especially when you see your children doodling dinosaurs or animals on them.
Backing up your files already eases your worries. You just need to download some free and reliable scanning apps and select automatic scanning to save even more time.
This process may take a while to scan and organize your files, but it will protect your spine from curves and your towels from sweat by eliminating the need to carry heavy boxes filled with thousands of sheets.
8. Call Professionals for Your Moving Process
Downsizing into a smaller home involves more than just packing boxes – it’s a major transition that requires planning, coordination, and often a lot of heavy lifting. That’s why calling professional movers can be one of the best decisions you make during the process.
Professional movers offer the following services:
- Efficient packing and transporting of your belongings;
- Special care for fragile and bulky items;
- Time-saving, especially if you’re balancing work, family, or a tight moving schedule; and
- Expertise in handling storage units and tight spaces often found in smaller homes.
Tips for Hiring Movers
Research a list of hiring movers and compare them.
Shortlist a few reputable moving companies. Look for those with strong online reviews and testimonials, extensive service coverage, and the necessary licenses and certifications. Finding the right moving company can save you significant stress, money, and chaos on moving day.
Verify their credentials.
Scammers are everywhere. Websites, contact details, and documents can be easily forged. Try repeatedly calling, texting, and chatting using their provided contact information to test the consistency of their responses. You should evaluate the authenticity of their business documents, particularly licenses, to determine whether they are legally registered and recognized by government agencies or institutions.
Check the reviews on their websites.
Most moving companies display only positive reviews on their websites, but these are often selectively chosen. Naturally, the company wouldn’t want to reveal its shortcomings. Therefore, take the time to explore other social media platforms for reviews of their services. Pay attention to how consistently the company has underperformed or excelled. Check for your moving company’s online ratings on Yelp or Google Business Profile.
Request pricing and multiple estimates or quotations.
By gathering at least three estimates, you can gain a better understanding of industry pricing and identify potential red flags. Unusually low rates may have hidden charges and inferior services. Often, the cheapest price you obtain could result in the lowest quality of service. This helps you prevent the risk of hiring a cheap moving company.
Discuss the insurance coverage.
If you have more valuable or fragile items that need to be packed and carried by the movers, the company must guarantee full protection. This ensures that they are mindful that movers should be extra careful with items they don’t own. It’s the clients’ trust that they must earn.
Request a contract.
Both parties need to reach a mutual agreement to ensure that policies are clearly understood, protocols and procedures are properly executed, and any lapses are transparently addressed.
Hiring professionals may incur a slightly higher upfront cost, but the peace of mind and stress relief make it a worthwhile investment, especially during a significant life transition, such as downsizing from a larger home to a smaller one.
Final Tips for a Smoother Move
As you transition from your current home to a smaller space, here are a few final tips to make the process as smooth as possible:
- Use your email address and zip code for online marketplaces.
- Downsize with a good time frame to avoid last-minute stress.
- Organize a garage sale and dispose of your old furniture items properly.
- Label your boxes clearly.
By staying organized, patient, and focused, your move can be more than just a change of address; it can be a transformation into a lighter and freer vibe. Let your new space reflect your values, not just your belongings.
Good luck with your fresh start in a new home.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which is better: hiring professional movers or doing it yourself (DIY)?
Deciding between DIY moving and hiring professional movers depends on your budget, time, and comfort level.
Hiring professional movers is ideal if you have less time to move. You won’t need to pack, lift heavy items, or transport your belongings yourself, which helps prevent injury during a move. If there are any damages, their insurance will cover you. However, a higher price is expected, especially when you take advantage of their full-service package.
On the other hand, a DIY move is more budget-friendly and gives you full control throughout the process. Just remember that managing everything yourself can be physically demanding and stressful.
2. What is the list of items your movers won’t pack?
Most moving companies won’t move items such as pets, firearms, perishable goods, flammable or hazardous materials, and other important documents. It is highly advisable to inquire about their list of prohibited items before you are caught off guard during your move day.
3. How much should I tip the movers?
Tipping is not required. However, it’s a customary expression of appreciation for good service. When tipping your movers, consider the quality of their service, the complexity of the move, and the type of move, such as local vs long-distance move. For the general guideline, you can pay anywhere between $20 and $50 per mover. Typically, you can pay about 5-10% of the total moving cost, divided among the crew. Be sure to tip in cash and provide snacks during the move as well!
