4 Tips to Downsize and Declutter Your Home

Blog Category: Uncategorized

Less is more when it comes to downsizing and decluttering your home. Depending on your long-term goals, downsizing can be the right move at any stage of your life, especially for an empty-nester. Since downsizing and decluttering can be a lot of work, here are some tips to get you started.

1. Consider Your New Space and Lifestyle

To properly downsize, you should know how much space you have to work with once you move. Take note of the square footage and general shape of each room in your new home to help you determine which furniture you can keep or get rid of. Once you realize what space you’re working with, you’ll want to consider what you want to get out of your new space. Downsizing is a chance to revamp and reinvent with a clearer view of the items that will fit into your new life and home, so take advantage of it by asking yourself:

  • What reasons make you want to downsize?
  • Will downsizing create new opportunities?
  • What will you miss about your old home?
  • Do you have any new interests you would like to explore?
  • What most excites you about the downsizing process?
  • What are you most nervous about?

2. Set Clear Decluttering Ground Rules

When you start going through your things, it’s easy for sentimental feelings and emotions to take over, and then you find you haven’t gotten rid of anything. You can better avoid this by setting clear piles for items to be sorted in, such as:

  • Keep
  • Donate
  • Sell
  • Trash
  • Recycle
  • Gift

Of course, you can expand these categories based on your specific needs, but avoid options like “maybe” or “decide later.”

3. Start Soon and Pace Yourself

You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to go through your things without getting overwhelmed. A good guiding principle is to start three months ahead of your move, though starting it sooner rather than later is best. There are a few popular decluttering methods to pace yourself in the cleaning process and keep you organized:

  • The Quick Clean requires you to pick an area in your home and spend 5-10 minutes removing trash, organizing items, and wiping down surfaces. Do this a few times a week, and you’ll find your home miraculously transformed in no time.
  • The KonMari Method focuses on grouping your belongings into categories of items and being mindful about the stuff you plan to keep. You should only keep the things that give you joy.
  • The Gradual Method works in one space at a time with the idea of cleaning your whole space over several days. Pick an area and dedicate however much time it takes to decluttering and cleaning surfaces and spaces.

4. Focus on One Room at a Time

The thought of downsizing and decluttering your whole house at once is intimidating, so remember to take it one step at a time. You are more likely to succeed if you break big projects up into manageable pieces. Plan your decluttering attack by going around and establishing what needs to be taken care of in each room. Here are some examples for breaking down tasks:

  • Go through music, DVDs, and games
  • Clean out junk drawers
  • Organize shoes
  • Clean out clothes in the closet
  • Sort through the dresser
  • Organize small kitchen items
  • Match pots and pans with their lids

Ready to take your downsizing and decluttering journey to the next level? Check out our ebook, Unlock the Power to Declutter!

At Life Enriching Communities (LEC), we’re committed to ensuring patrons feel well-equipped to plan their future and age how they wish. Explore more resources on senior living or contact us today to learn more about our legacy of services and programs that bring meaning and purpose to every stage of life.