Downsizing Your Home – Where to Start

Most people, at some point in their lives, and for a variety of reasons, downsize to a smaller home which is often less expensive, easier to maintain and more suited to their current lifestyle and family size.

Finding the perfect Jacksonville property can be the easiest part. The hard part comes thereafter, when you look around your home and realize that there is NO WAY you are going to fit all of this STUFF into your new home!

Before you let panic set it, develop a plan, implement that plan, and take the stress out of downsizing.

First things First

Determine what you can live without.

What do you absolutely, positively, without a doubt need to take with you? Make a list of these items and, if necessary, color code or group them together.

Speaking of Color Coding

A great way to tackle a large project such as downsizing is to develop your own color coding system. Using post-it notes or similar, low-adhesive (as to not damage furniture and accessories) stickers, sort all of your belongings into a keep pile, a donate pile, a recycle pile and a sell pile. You can then easily clear a room, say of all the items to be donated, by simply referring to the stickers.

Tackle the Big Items First

Sketch a floor plan with room measurements for your new Jacksonville home and begin measuring furniture and determining what can comfortably fit into the new rooms. 

Walk through your home, room by room, and mark which furniture will stay and which furniture will go using your color-coded stickers.

Getting Rid of the Excess

At some point during the downsizing process, you will probably look around in horror and think, “What am I going to do with all of this stuff?”

Resist the urge to throw it away. Instead, have a garage sale or a home sale, call the local veteran’s group, give it to a charity or local shelter, recycle what you can, donate (and reap the tax benefits) and bequeath items to family members and loved ones.

Paper is often a culprit lurking in many homes’ closets and drawers. Shred personal documents and take them all to be recycled.

Finally, start early and take it slowly. Reserve a predetermined amount of time each day (perhaps one hour) to prevent burn-out and stress and enlist the help of family and friends to make the process easier.

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