People tend to want different kinds of houses at different stages of their lives. Younger people may want a small starter home so they can stop renting. Growing families like larger houses that have room for children and all of their STUFF. And when the children are grown and retirement is approaching, older people tend to want to downsize to reduce their expenses.
But how do you downsize when you still have so much STUFF?
Consider these tips:
- Set a goal and schedule: Plan how much you want to get done and when. Only need to clean out the garage? Give yourself a day and plan a garage sale. The attic too? Figure out how you’re going to deal with sentimental items. The whole house? Break it down room by room and consider scheduling a bulk trash pickup or renting a dumpster.
- Start small: Going room by room makes it easier to get started. Then, build on the momentum.
- Sort items into categories: Create piles for things you want to keep (sentimental items, tools, things for hobbies you will continue, etc.), donate (things that are useful but not needed or not your taste), sell (collectibles or other items of value), and throw away (junk!).
- Keep only what you need and love: Ask yourself if you really need it. When was the last time you actually did that hobby? It may help you let go if you find a local charity organization to donate to – someone else may need or love a particular item more than you do!
- Store items properly: Organize and label the things you are going to keep. Use storage solutions like bins and shelves. Keep similar things together, and then be sure to label the bins so you can easily pick them out when you need them.
- Maintain: Regularly go through your things to prevent accumulation. Maintaining is easier than digging yourself out of a hole!
If the job is simply too overwhelming and you still want to downsize, feel free to contact us. We buy houses where sellers leave behind whatever they want!