How to Downsize

Downsizing is about so much more than cutting down on expenses or space. It’s about giving yourself more freedom to focus on what matters: relationships, security, and time to do what you love. Whatever life events have brought you this opportunity to downsize, there are a few ways you can make the transition go more smoothly.

Clear Out the Stuff

Keep, toss, or donate/sell. You know the mantra—now it’s time to do it! While the process can feel overwhelming at first, take it just one room, one item, at a time, and you will make progress. Move quickly, going with your gut when you feel stuck between two piles. Remember, you rarely need multiples of an item (one pizza cutter should do), and sentimental items, such as photos and birth announcements, can be digitized. Are friends and family members interested in taking any items? That’s wonderful, but give them a deadline for pick up so you don’t begin to feel like a storage facility, and then donate whatever’s unclaimed by that date.

Measure Up

One of the smartest things you can do before downsizing is getting your hands on a floor plan, measuring your current furniture and large decorative items, and deciding beforehand what will make the move. Take it one step further and sketch out a basic plan for where precisely you will place these items so that moving day feels like a breeze and your new place, home.