What do I need to do when I downsize?
1. Getting rid of things efficiently
2. Tackle small areas to begin with
3. Furniture
4. Work through the kitchen
5. Leave the bedrooms until last

Downsizing can be incredibly daunting, especially if you’ve been living in the same house for a long time and have collected what feels like a lifetime of memorabilia. There comes a time in everyone’s life that means it’s time to downsize, and with that comes a good clear out. We, at We Buy Any House, have put together a handy guide to make sure you’re going about downsizing the best way possible.

Think about your new home and what space you’ve got to work with – as you’re downsizing, there’s probably considerably less space. If the new home is part-furnished with white goods, sell yours. If it isn’t, how long have you had your fridge and freezer? It may be time to invest in a new unit for your new home instead.

Have you got any large, sentimental items, and if so do you want to take them with you or consider passing them on to another family member? Whilst it’s hard to let go of certain items that have a good memory ingrained, sometimes it’s best to start fresh and let go of bulky items, especially if you no longer have the space to house them.

Do you have ornaments, a china set, things that you may enjoy but not need anymore? Take some time and think about the difference between want and need, and get rid of things that don’t fit into the latter.

1. Getting rid of your things efficiently

You’ve got four main options when it comes to getting rid of things –

• Give them away to family and friends
• Donate it to charity
• Sell anything of value
• Recycle it/take it to the tip.

The good thing about donating or selling your old items is knowing that it’s going elsewhere to someone who will have a use for it, and know that it isn’t sitting in your loft anymore collecting dust. Similarly, giving items to family can be a sentimental affair, and will often mean a lot to them.

2. Tackle small areas to begin with

Try and pick areas of the house that you don’t use regularly to make it easier, such as a shed or the cupboard under the stairs. These areas are prone to collecting junk over time, and so should make it a bit easier to clear; it will also put you on a high if you’re able to get a good amount cleared and motivate you to tackle more tricky areas!

3. Furniture

It’s a good idea to measure your new home, to make sure that any furniture you’re taking with you will fit properly; the last thing you want is to find out on moving day that you can’t fit the settee in your living room. Knowing what space you’ve got will also help you downsize, as it will make some decisions for you as to what you take and what you get rid of.

4. Start on the kitchen

The kitchen will be a bit of a step-up and really start to test your downsizing skills. It’s best to start slowly, labelling the things that you use every day and then work backwards from there. It’s likely that you’ve got drawers full of things that you don’t want or need- everyone has a junk drawer- but you won’t realise that until you start clearing.

5. Time to tackle the bedrooms

Your bedroom can be one of the hardest rooms to downsize, as you’ll almost definitely have most of your keep-sakes hidden away in your bedroom. The best way to approach this is to be firm with yourself. Try not to keep things for the sake of keeping them, give yourself a box and only allow yourself to keep things that all fit in it. Although you may feel a little ruthless at first when you’ve moved and your new home is spacious and organised you’ll be thankful!

Following this guide should put you on good footing and get your home from cluttered to classy in an instant!

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

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