Tips for downsizing house
If you’re currently downsizing property, it’s important that you use this time to get rid of what you don’t really want to keep (giving to charity where possible). This way you don’t take unnecessary things with you, so your new smaller home won’t feel cluttered.

Moving house at any age can be hard work and overall stressful experience. We want to limit this and help you achieve the easiest and smoothest move that you can have. That’s why at We Buy Any House, we’ve compiled our top tips for when you downsize.

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Don’t forget about the hidden costs

Moving house has different costs involved that you should keep in mind. Being fully aware of all of these costs upfront saves you having any nasty surprises down the line and gives you time to ensure you can afford them. These costs can include stamp duty, removal men, legal fees and possibly estate agent fees if you’re selling a house to downsize.

What do you picture in your future?

Often, homeowners downsize when they approach retirement. Within those, they may also decide that they want to make the most of their retirement, and are selling their larger house to release equity, allowing them to travel with the funds. If you fit into that category, you may want to keep it in mind when you downsize. You might be planning to spend the majority of your time on cruises or travelling, changing the sort of place you’ll need to live in between trips. This could mean buying a smaller property than you maybe first envisioned when you wanted to downsize to make the most of the funds that you have, or even consider renting somewhere for a few months of the year and purchasing abroad to live in for the rest of the year instead. Knowing what you want in your future will make sure you pick the right place to downsize – and save you the potential hassle of moving again.

Declutter, declutter, declutter!

The biggest part of downsizing is moving somewhere smaller, meaning you almost definitely won’t have space for all of your current belongings. Lots of homeowners who downsize use it as an opportunity to have a good clear out and get rid of any clutter that they’ve collected – which is incredibly easy, and will often pile up when you’ve been living in the same house for a long time. Decluttering can seem like a lot of work, but you’ll be packing everything you own, and if you declutter effectively it will mean a big reduction in what you have to unpack in the new place. There are lots of ways to make decluttering easier, but we recommend breaking it up into little areas so you don’t lose motivation, and get rid of any duplicates that you’ve acquired over the years. Things like cheese graters, potato peelers and colanders for example – a kitchen only ever needs one of them but will often have another hiding at the back of the cupboard!

Make a floor plan

Moving to a smaller place means that you will probably have to re-evaluate some furniture, especially if you’re having fewer bedrooms and a smaller living area. Measure your furniture before you go and make sure that each piece will fit in the room you want it to go in – the last thing you want on moving day is to find that you can’t fit your belongings into your new house. If the furniture that you decide not to take with you is in good condition, you can pass it onto family or sell it on, or even donate it to a local charity shop. Many people struggle to part with their belongings but will feel better knowing that their things are being used and going to someone who can get more use out of them than you might.

Plan as much as possible

Moving is usually quite an intense time, and last-minute panics are the last thing you need the evening before your move. As soon as you have a moving date, get everything planned in advance – removal men if you’re using them, get a house-moving checklist, start changing your address with the necessary parties, enlist family or friends to help on the day. Creating a schedule for your packing can be helpful too, but make sure you do it strategically – pack things that you don’t use first, and leave yourself the essentials for the last few days. You don’t want to have to rifle through boxes to find a hairbrush and a towel but still have several old cake tins waiting to be packed.

‘Can We Buy Any House help me sell my house?’ – Learn how we can help you today!

These tips can help you downsize smoothly and let you stay in control every step of the way. Of course, there are some things that you can’t control in moving no matter how hard you try – one of the reasons moving is such a stressful experience is because there are many factors that can go wrong no matter what you do, such as someone dropping out and breaking a chain or an issue in the conveyancing process that pushes things back for weeks on end.

If you’re concerned about these factors, we can help. We can buy your house directly with no chains, meaning no risk of a break. You may have found your dream house to downsize to and have been thinking to yourself, “how can I sell my house fast?” We’ve got the answer. We can buy your house in as little as seven days, leaving you free to enjoy your new house and make the most of your new chapter. Get in touch today for your free offer and see how we can help.

We buy any home in as little as 7 days, or timescales to suit you. Head to the We Buy Any House website for more information.

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