Hello World! Welcome Friends! Today, please welcome Guest Contributor, John Pfeiffer to the blog! He has some amazing advice on downsizing prior to a move! Take it away, John.
If you have decided to move to a different home for a more scaled-down and organized life, one of the most important things to do is to downsize your possessions. This will not only make relocation much easier, it will also help you settle into your new home faster.
There are several ways to downsize and they’re discussed below to help you implement them effectively so you’ll only move those items you really want in your new abode.
1. Create a capsule wardrobe for the different seasons.
Fans of minimalist living swear by a capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe is composed of 10 to 15 favorite clothing pieces (underwear not included) that are good quality, highly functional and a breeze to mix and match.
By creating a capsule wardrobe, you’ll be able to edit your vast collection of clothes and end up with pieces that you know you love and work for you. They may be few but you can be sure they’re beautiful options that will make you feel good when you wear them. With fewer clothes, you’ll definitely have an easier time packing for your move.
As for the clothes you don’t love and won’t make it into your capsule wardrobe – decide which to give away, sell, or throw out.
2. Rent storage.
Downsizing doesn’t always mean letting go of things forever – sometimes it’s just not having them in your home. If you’re not ready to let go of certain belongings, look for a facility offering highly secure and high-quality storage solutions. The storage facility should be able to help you store a few small items such as unrequired home cleaning equipment, clothes and shoes that are not in season, and sentimental decorative pieces.
3. Hold a yard sale.
Your trash can be somebody else’s treasure. Old clothing, accessories, furniture pieces that have gone out of style, appliances that are already obsolete – all these need not make their way into your new abode but they can into somebody else’s.
Beautiful things that you don’t really get any use of need to be disposed of if you’re veering toward a more minimalist lifestyle. Don’t throw them out – sell them. Hold a yard sale over a weekend to turn your excesses into money you can use for your new life in your new home.
You need to plan your yard sale carefully though if you want big bucks – after all, starting a new life elsewhere can come with costs. Here are the pros’ tips:
Put up signs around the neighborhood.
Your neighbors are the easiest customers to attract but they need to be reminded of the event easily. Put signs on a stick and attach posters to posts and community boards.
Send out leaflets to business establishments around town.
This strategy will allow you to reach people who are looking for bargain buys but are not necessarily from your neighborhood.
Leaflets don’t need to look professionally made. They just need to contain all the important details of the yard sale such as time, location, and perhaps an easy-to-follow map leading to your property.
Use social media sites to promote your yard sale.
If you have a lot of big-ticket items to sell, you want to attract the attention of yard sale pros. The best way to get them to come is through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Research online how much your items will really go for.
Don’t price your wares blindly. Do your research on the Internet to secure a good profit.
4. Sell online.
If, after your yard sale, you still have a few items that you don’t want to take to your new home, take pictures and put them up for sale online.
It could take a while to find buyers though, so, if required, look into storage for them. Find a storage facility that provides easy access. This way, should there be buyers, you can easily take out the items purchased.
Indeed, with fewer things, starting a life elsewhere can be less stressful and actually more exciting. The tips shared here will start off your new life in a new home with the bare minimum but it will allow you to redefine your style and other wants better.
AUTHOR BIO
John Pfeiffer has been the proud owner of Ashtons Removals for 41 years. His attention to detail and his emphasis on training and empowering his team members, has ensured the vast number of Gold Coast families have had their furniture and effects moved undamaged and with minimum fuss.
Click the links below for any posts you may have missed!
6 Ways to Upgrade your Home on a Budget
I’d love for you to join my email list! You’ll receive a notification straight to your inbox once a week on Monday which will include links to party posts and my home project posts! Simply enter your address below.
Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful day/night depending on where you are in the world! Go with God and remember to be kind to one another!
Toodles,
Great ideas, love the capsule wardrobe collection idea.Thanks for linking up #BloggersBests
Thanks for popping by, Helen!! Have a lovely rest of the week!
Great tips and have used them all in my time. I used to hang onto possessions but when we moved overseas had to let so much go which was probably very good for me. Did keep some stuff in storage but by the time we collected it I wondered why I had bothered keeping it all in the first place. Travel light #BloggersBest
My family has been clearing out unneeded things and selling them online. We’re letting the kids keep the money from what they sell.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!
A great post and fantastic tips for downsizing possessions. I couldn’t even dream of moving – we have so much stuff I wouldn’t know where to start! Having said that, we re-decorated our sons bedroom and he’s taken almost everything out (except the playstation!) and I’m just about to go and sort through everything! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday.
This was a great post, but there are some exceptions: (a) getting a storage unit does not necessarily equal “clearing things out”, it just means removing certain things from the house and from the homeowner’s mind – what you can’t see you don’t worry about, (b) signs around the neighborhood put on anything that do not belong to the person holding the garage sale – most belong to the city, country or a company like PG&E. This is not property that belongs to the general public (stop signs are commonly used, but not public property) and people must keep in mind the rules of the area involved. Not following this procedure may result in a sign not only being removed, but a fine for the homeowner who put it up and (c) One must be selective and careful about sending out announcements of a sale. Many businesses do not like getting information this way and may choose to ignore it (like throwing announcement away, which defeats the purpose and costs $) and some may just complain.
Realize that in some areas this is all fine, but we all must remember to be courtesy and kind when not only holding a yard/garage sale, but courtesy and kind to the general public and the people/housing around where these events are held. We live in an area where a one-time yard/garage sale may be held yearly by each HO, but they must get permission from our HOA and from Pebble Beach Co. before doing so. They must also have ample parking (something not always available in this area). All a formality yes, but it keeps things under control and it means that streets aren’t blocked and people can enjoy the event without hassle. People seem to like, if not tolerate at least, these rules and everyone is happy (and sell the items they no longer need).
Great tips! I had my first garage sale this year & it was a win. I’ve started a pile for next year. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday. Hope to see you next week!
These sound like great tips. We may need to look into moving before too long . Even if we don’t move, we definitely need to downsize. After living in a place for over 20 years we’ve collected a lot of unnecessary stuff. Thanks for the tips. I’m your neighbor at #InspireMeMonday.
Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
Thanks for stopping by, Sherry! Have a lovely start to the weekend.
Great post; we just moved home and we gave away lots of old things to charity. We also recycled quite a lot. As for the capsule wardrobe, I have always had one – I never had lots of clothes but a few good quality ones that last many years. Occasionally I would renew it, and dispose of old ones – either to charity or recycle if they are too old to be re-uesd. I never thought of re-selling as I found it too much of a hassle – it is easier to just make a trip to the charity shop or recycling center. Also, if I have fairly new items, I just offer them to my friends or relatives so everybody wins :).
Thanks for stopping by, Teodora! Sounds like you have a good handle on it all.
Great tips Kathryn! We may decide to downsize and sell this large home in 5 or 6 years. I will have to purge big time. 🙂 Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann