10 Tips for Downsizing

When you're making a big change, like moving to a senior living community, that often means you'll need to downsize your belongings. It's your chance to slim down your possessions and start fresh with a lighter feeling. However, sorting through years of accrued belongings can feel a bit overwhelming at first. It's helpful to focus on the benefits of downsizing to assisted living, including less maintenance, financial freedom and less stress. These 10 tips will help guide you through the process to make it more enjoyable and easier to handle.

1. Create a Downsizing Plan Early

Decide where you want to start and how you want to proceed. Some people start in one room and work on it until it's done. Others start with things they don't use often and work toward everyday items. You might go through your most valuable items first to make sure they're secure. Create checklists to stay on track with the plan, and give yourself more time than you think you'll need.

2. Start With Decluttering

It's always a good idea to declutter to start fresh in a smaller space. This is your chance to donate or sell items you no longer use. Start with items that are broken, don't fit or are no longer your style. It can get more difficult after that, but consider which items mean something to you and what you truly want to keep to help you decide.

3. Find Measurements for Your New Space

Having accurate measurements of your new living space guides your decision on how many large items to bring. If you're moving to a furnished apartment, you might not have space for much extra furniture. Sketch a floor plan using the measurements and included features to help you visualize how larger items will fit into your new home, and find a new home for the rest.

4. Eliminate Duplicates and Extras

Over the years, it's easy to build quite a collection of items. You might end up with duplicates, especially items like kitchen tools and bedding. Maybe you have a large home with several guest rooms and have lots of extra linens for those spaces. As you're sorting through your belongings, slim down on those extras and duplicates that you won't have room for in your smaller space. Be realistic about how many towels, sheet sets and pizza cutters you really need to help you decide.

5. Get Rid of Things You Won't Need

When you move to a senior living community, you often won't need many of the items you currently own. For example, the amenities at Bethesda Gardens Loveland in Loveland, CO, include maintenance and dining facilities for residents. That means you won't need your lawn mower, leaf blower and other home maintenance tools, and you can pare down your kitchenware significantly. Review the amenities, and use that as a guide to eliminate belongings you won't use.

6. Get Help From Family

If you have family members who live nearby, consider asking them to help you downsize. It can help to get someone else's opinion on which items you should keep and which you should toss. You might also need manual labor to make downsizing safer for you to perform. However, this might not work if your family tries to take charge or never agrees with you. Consider your relationship with those family members to decide if it would be helpful to have them with you.

7. Schedule Time for Downsizing Activities

Downsizing is draining physically and emotionally, so it might not be your favorite thing to do. If you find yourself ignoring the task, consider scheduling a little time each day to go through items. Setting aside dedicated decluttering periods also helps you stay on track with your plans.

When you make your checklists, consider including timeframes to have an idea of how long various activities will take. This can help you with scheduling. Set realistic amounts of work time to keep you from getting too tired or overwhelmed. If you feel like working longer, you can, but short bursts feel achievable.

8. Take Your Time With Sentimental Items

Family heirlooms, photos and other sentimental items deserve extra care during the downsizing process. You may not have room for large items, like furniture that's been in your home for decades. Even smaller decor items take up space, so you might not be able to keep everything.

Deciding how to manage items that won't go to your new home can be emotional. You might put those items in storage for now before giving them up. Gifting them to other family members is another meaningful way to part with those objects while still keeping them in the family.

9. Create a Safe Downsizing Environment

As you sort and organize your belongings, you'll likely move things around and create different piles to designate where items will go. That could create potentially dangerous conditions. Large piles of boxes could tip, or items in the middle of walkways could cause tripping hazards. Designate specific areas to hold the items you're going through, and work in just one area at a time to avoid too much clutter throughout the house.

It's also important to work in a well-lit area that stays at a comfortable temperature. Use caution when lifting heavy items to avoid injuring yourself. Staying hydrated and taking breaks also supports your well-being during the downsizing process.

10. Consider a Downsizing Service

If you need more help than your family and friends can provide, consider hiring a professional downsizing service. Experts help you work through your belongings and decide what to do with them. They can help with removing the items you don't keep, whether that's arranging to sell them, scheduling a junk removal company to pick up items or coordinating with people who'll receive your items. Many downsizing services also help you coordinate other moving tasks, including packing, moving and unpacking your items.