Are you moving to a smaller place? Over time, we tend to accumulate things, many things. We have drawers full of objects, gifts that we have never used (and never will use), accessories that we don't need but that we keep "in case of …" and objects that we have had for years and from which it will be difficult to divide us simply for a bond of familiarity, having no real use.
Now it's time to get rid of the excess baggage (literally!) And get down to the essentials.
Steps
Step 1. Assess your real needs
You may have been exercising for a few days, but the treadmill, step or bench has been collecting dust the rest of the time. Wouldn't a good pair of sneakers be more useful, as well as taking up much less space? Does anyone still sit in that chair in the corner? How often do you eat at that table? When was the last time you used the stereo? Deciding what you really need requires a proper assessment to understand how you live your daily life and give the right weight to the activities and objects that are "already part" of the your lifestyle, not the activities or items you "want" to be part of your lifestyle, but don't have around you yet.
- Walk around the house and evaluate everything you come across (furniture, books, food, etc.). Ask yourself if you've ever used those things in the past year and, if so, how often. Be honest with yourself. If you think you can live well without it, its place is not in the house. Take note.
- Consider that most of the things people keep without using them are evidence of an unfulfilled goal. The most common example is that of sports equipment: we always say we will use them, but we never do. There are those books we would like to read, that table we would like to use for dinners and lunches, etc. We store things around us "just in case", or hoping their presence will encourage us to use them. But let's be real, if we see the treadmill full of dust that no longer inspires us, what makes us think we can change our minds? Make room for the things you actually use.
- For the things you really have a hard time getting rid of, make this deal with yourself: Put the items in storage. If you don't need them in the next 6 months, give them away, sell them or throw them away.
Step 2. Go inside the house:
every piece of furniture, shelf and cupboard must be cleaned. Leave only the things you wouldn't live without. This means that if you use a blender every day, it has to stay, but the melon ball maker… if you don't even like melon… it has to go away. Put these items in boxes, crates or bags, then take them to the garage or other warehouse.
Step 3. Measure the furniture
You will need to know whether or not the furniture will fit into the new spaces, especially large things like the sofa and bed. Then measure everything. You will also need to measure the new spaces. Check if you can take the measurements or if there is already a floor plan. Do not forget to mark the location of doors and windows to be considered for the new furniture placement. Use some online furniture program: it will give you some ideas to understand what to keep and what to throw away.
Step 4. Evaluate the areas of the new warehouse
How many times have you entered a new place to realize - too late - that you have overestimated the amount of space available? While taking the measurements of the spaces, make sure you have carefully evaluated the new situation that you will find yourself in front of. Do you have fewer kitchen mugs? How many wardrobes do you have? If you are moving, does the new apartment have a storage room? And, if it does, what are its dimensions? Carefully evaluating how much new space can be dedicated to the warehouse will give you an idea of the volume available before moving in. Don't forget the hidden storage areas you used in the old place. If you put a lot of items in the kitchen cabinet in your current home, for example, try to figure out if the mugs in the new place have enough dedicated area.
Step 5. Rummage through your old warehouse areas
Visit warehouse areas such as attics, cellars, closets, etc. You will be surprised to find out what you put away instead of discarding it for good. As many would, you will find boxes of items that haven't seen the light of day for years, for one reason only: you don't need them. Get rid of it once and for all. Hesitation will not get you to solve the problem.
- Don't forget to check the bathroom cabinets, kitchen drawers and "throwaways". We have a tendency to accumulate items in these places. Throw away empty bottles, balls of twine, expired medicine and beauty products and your collection of plastic margarine containers. Be brutal.
- How you get rid of unnecessary items will depend on how much energy and how long you have. The simplest thing to do is to load them into a truck and take them to the nearest thrift store.
- Look for some Internet site to give away used items.
- If you live in a building or apartment complex, you may have notice boards and areas to store items to dispose of.
- Call friends and family to see if they need anything. You could trade their help in moving for a dresser, bed or closet!
Step 6. Sell the items
If you need an economic income for the move, try these solutions:
- For a large number of items, try a garden sale (or a series of sales), or if you need to sell quickly, try a service that takes care of the sales.
- If you have time before the move, use sites like eBay and Craigslist to sell the best items. You will need more time but you can make more money this way.
- Sites like Craigslist are useful for selling larger items like furniture, appliances, and home decorating items to people who live in the same area as you. If you have the means available, offering delivery will allow you to sell faster.
- eBay is a good site for selling collectibles such as old albums, comics, and stickers. Make sure you provide good quality photos and detailed descriptions. Remember you are a seller. Sell those products!
- Used branded clothes can be resold in specialty stores. These warehouses can be found in the commercial area of your city. Be sure to check in the area. Some stores offer better rates than others.
Step 7. Get organized
Before moving to a new location, take some time to find some solution to store the items. You can do this while packing. Put the items to be stored in warehouse boxes that can be transported and placed in storage areas, without much effort. Plastic containers are great for transporting and storing and come in many sizes, are stackable, and clear ones allow you to quickly find what you need. The measurements of the new spaces used for the warehouse will ensure you a correct organization of the objects. On the day of the move, these boxes will be easier to handle.
Label everything in the room. Don't think to remember that the big TV box is now full of pots and pans. You won't remember it
Step 8. Move the large objects first
Move the furniture to the new apartment first. You will have more energy at the beginning for this task and you will also have better indications on where to put the smaller items later. Don't just randomly fill a room with furniture, thinking about moving it later. There is nothing worse than trying to move between rooms with small pains of boxes and furniture after a day of moving. If you've done your job correctly, large items will fit the space and already give you a semblance of home (and a place to sit and take a break from hard work!)
Step 9. Put away the items to be stored
The objects destined for the warehouse can be placed directly in the spaces dedicated to them. By putting these items away during the move, you will save yourself from having to move between small rooms full of packages, in the following days.
Step 10. Organize boxed items
The marked boxes can now be placed in their respective rooms and the opening can begin. Start with the bathroom, the room that must be available first of all. If you've only taken the basics, organizing this room will be a breeze.
Step 11. Organize your space while you open the packages
In the meantime, use lockers and pantries. This way, more items can be stored in these tight spaces and you will set a precedent for how to use a new, smaller space. Don't fall into bad habits, otherwise your downsized space will create a lot of problems for you.
Step 12. Relax and enjoy
You started living in a smaller space. You no longer have to worry about money and time to do maintenance on things you don't need. You will also have a simplified life because you will be surrounded only by the things that are really important to you. Be happy for it!
Advice
- As soon as you find yourself in the new smaller place, make a rule for yourself to prevent objects from accumulating: every time something enters, something has to come out. The items you throw away must be the same size as the items that enter the house.
- If you find yourself in financial straits, resize as quickly as possible. The longer you lead a lifestyle that you cannot maintain, the deeper the hole you are digging for yourself will be. Try an economic restructuring strategy.
- Try to use "negative space", especially with small things that you are romantically attached to. For example, fill Grandma's vase with the shells you collect (rather than leaving it in a box somewhere). Keep your dad's casino chips in his favorite mug of beer. Fill a keepsake bottle of milk with envelopes of photos you don't know how to use. Tidying up is important, but so is being efficient with the items you keep with you.
- Use your computer to replace other electronic components that take up space, for example. Do you really need a DVD player, CD player and DVR player when you have a computer with a single DVD-RW player that can read everything?
- Avoid adding more storage space. The more storage space you use, the more likely clutter will be. Try to minimize storage space.
Warnings
- Do not dispose of expired or useless medicines in the trash or bathroom. They can contaminate groundwater. Any pharmacy will be able to deal with these drugs correctly, without charge. Also check if your city has a hazardous materials disposal facility.
- Do not throw away valuables. If any item can make you some money, sell it.
