Downsizing can be a daunting and demoralizing activity that can leave you feeling paralyzed in the face of a move. With the right strategy for your storage, you can take a difficult task and turn it into a liberating experience that gives you more freedom in your new smaller space without sacrificing the objects you love and cherish. Whether you are selling your nest as your children leave and you ready yourself for retirement, or because you are taking advantage of the fantastic mortgage rates currently on offer, we have storage solutions available.
You don’t need to break the bank to keep belongings that matter to you. With a well-executed strategy during a move for organizing your belongings as well as rules around the acquisition of new belongings, you can stay ahead of clutter and make a home that feels cozy, not chaotic.
Under-bed Storage
Maximize your storage capabilities by using the space under the beds in your house in a very thoughtful and organized manner. Finding storage solutions here can be a breeze with a lot of plastic bin options available that slide right under your king-size and queen-size beds. The key to this strategy is ensuring that these bins stay well organized and labeled for easy access to objects you might need at any time. Being able to pull out a bin and without opening it, knowing its contents will save you time and frustration with your under-bed storage.
Thinking Seasonally
The luxury of a large living space is that one does not have to be too concerned with clutter. The winter jacket that you left in your closet or on a coat rack seems inconsequential in a space that is an adequate size to accommodate all of your apparel regardless of the season. When Downsizing, however, this dynamic can change in a big way, and planning what clothing and objects belong in plain view can make the difference between a house that feels small but well kept and one that suffers from poor planning. Organizing by season can allow you to make quick and efficient shifts to your belongings to make sure that only the most seasonally relevant belongings make an appearance out in the open.
Using a Storage Unit
Renting a storage unit can be an excellent tool during the downsizing process. It will give you the extra space you require to make decisions about what’s important to keep without having to make them before the move. If you are unsure about sacrificing a beloved piece of furniture, store it for a while and if you miss it, bring it back out and try it in your new space. If you don’t miss it, you can take as much time as you’d like to decide whether or not it’s worth keeping around. You’ll love the extra space as it declutters your house without the fear of loss associated with an immediate purge. Trying a storage unit can also be cost-efficient with some units being less per month than the average family spends on entertainment.
One in, One out Rule
The One in, One Out Rule is a great way to ensure that you have your maximum living space while also saving a little bit of money. The rule works like this: If you buy something new, you have to get rid of something.
Implementing a rule like this can be tough, but it makes you evaluate the importance of the new acquisitions and keeps your new downsized life spartan and clear of clutter. If you’ve always dreamed of clear countertops and an empty junk drawer, sticking by this rule after your initial move will save you the headache of large purges of your belongings.
Build up, Not out
With a little less square footage in your downsized property, using your space efficiently means rethinking your storage strategies and working them into your home decor. One of the best ways to do this is to build up your storage with shelving that can keep objects off the ground and stored above your head. Your walls are a gold mine of space and reducing clutter can be as simple as using that wall space. It’s even possible with some planning to make this strategy feel aesthetic and part of the design of your new life while still getting the maximum amount of storage out of your shelving. It can be tough to limit ourselves to a smaller footprint after a move from a larger home, but with planning, preparation, and the right tools, you can make this an enjoyable experience and come out of it feeling like you have more space than ever before. With these strategies in place, you can worry less and spend more time celebrating your new home.