Moving to a new home presents an often daunting number of concerns. Most people worry about the actual move – how to go about it, how much money it will cost, and all the decision-making that comes with it. In addition to all that, determining what to do with your possessions is another challenge as well.
Professional organizers offer a solution, though: downsizing. It makes sense — with fewer things to relocate, you automatically reduce your worries.
The following are six other reasons why downsizing should be seriously considered when relocating to a new abode:
1. It’s a smart tactic to maximize the space of your new abode.
This is especially important if the house you are moving into is smaller than the one you will be leaving behind. Reducing the items you bring to your new home also makes for more efficient unpacking – a task that often demands also the assistance of unpacking experts as it can be as challenging and sometimes even more time consuming than packing.
With fewer objects to place into your new home, there will be more breathing room. Plus, it will be easier to find an ideal place for your remaining possessions and prevent them from cluttering your home.
2. You can have a more organized new beginning.
When you have gotten rid of multiples and things that you no longer need or find useful anymore, you will discover it’s uncomplicated to launch into a new routine.
For example, getting dressed for work will be faster especially when you no longer have to rummage through a thick pile of clothes you no longer use. Ditto with cooking; if you can instantly find that one can opener that works instead of going through all the dull ones first, you will slash your food preparation time.
3. You can earn some extra cash.
You can sell off those items that are still useful but you no longer need, and earn some serious cash. You can use the money from the sale of these items either to help finance the move or to buy items you need for your new home.
4. You can save on expenses.
By downsizing your possessions, you can reduce relocation costs. For one, there will be fewer boxes and packing materials to use. Secondly, you may be able to fit the things you wish to put in storage for future purposes in a smaller and more affordable unit.
Lastly and worthy to note, too, is downsizing makes tidying up the house you are leaving significantly faster, whether you will take care of the cleaning yourself or you will be getting professional cleaning help. Cleaning up is a must, especially if you have sold your old home.
5. It’s an opportunity to help others.
You can give away the useful items you do not need to those who actually can get a lot of use from them. Ask family and friends if they would like to pick from your box of “things to give away.” By offering, you can save them from having to buy anything.
Or, you can also donate some items to charitable organizations.
6. It can redirect your focus on what truly matters in life.
Most people who downsize learn that the bulk of their possessions were actually a liability rather than an asset. At times, those possessions prevented them from spending joyful moments with loved ones because their weekends were devoted to decluttering and cleaning.
When you have greatly downsized for your move, you will learn to derive more joy from experiences with family and friends, than from having a collection of objects that you do not even get to use as much.
The beauty of taking an editor’s approach when it comes to belongings is it leaves you with only the things that are valuable. When those are all you have when you’re relocating, you simplify the process and create a clean foundation for the life you are starting in your new place.
AUTHOR BIO
John Pfeiffer has been the proud owner of Ashtons Removals for over 40 years. His attention to detail, a product of his accountancy background, and his emphasis on training and empowering his team members, has ensured the vast number of Gold Coast families who have been moved by Ashtons Removals, have had their furniture and effects moved undamaged and with minimum fuss.