Before you move to a smaller home, there are a few helpful steps that may make the process a little less painful – by both decluttering and hanging onto special memories at the same time.
It’s a challenge: what belongings do you part with and what do you pack up and move with you? You want to start a new chapter, but not erase the past.
Here are three steps to healthy downsizing:
Create a Plan
Downsizing should always be grounded in a plan. And that plan should include finding out the size of your new home, from the rooms to all available storage spaces. This way, you have a guide on how much to take with you (or not). Then, in your current home, go room to room to decide on what you’ll be bringing with you. Do not take it on all at once; tackle a little portion each day and start with bigger items, like furniture, and then work your way down to smaller pieces in the room or in drawers.
Sort it All Out
When sorting through all of the “stuff” that you own, ask yourself, “Will I use it?” If the answer is that you haven’t used it in a year, you still probably will not use it in your new home. Force yourself to divvy up items in a “yes” or “no” pile – no “maybes.”
For the “no” pile, include multiples of anything, like duplicate small housewares or sets of china. “No” doesn’t necessarily mean throw these things away. These items (in good condition) can be given to relatives or friends, listed online for sale, collected for a garage sale, or donated to Goodwill.
Save Your Memories
Downsizing and moving is an emotional time, so it’s important to preserve your memories in a way that won’t take up too much space. Instead of photo albums, upload special photos in a digital frame, take photos of the kids’ school crafts and achievements and create a slideshow on your laptop. Or pass on these precious keepsakes onto your children or grandchildren.
If you’re ready to make the move up in this sellers’ market, enlist Paige Bird, the #1 South Carolina RE/MAX agent for the last eight years. In 2021 she: negotiated the sales price for her clients to get 1.27% more than the area’s MLS; sold 115 homes for a total of $33.9 million; sold 68 of those above sales price, with an average list to sales price of 99.08%; and sold listings ranging from $8500 to $1.495 million.
Contact Paige Bird today so she can sit down with you to get started in the home selling process at 843.450.4773.
