Those tiny-home television shows truly make minimalism look so easy but the reality is, downsizing and parting ways with your prized possessions is a difficult task. It can be an emotional and exhausting process trying to determine which of your belongings should make the move and which ones should be donated, sold or thrown in the trash. Trying to decide all of this on your own certainly doesn’t make it any easier.
In an effort to ease up the emotions and to make the moving process less stressful than it already might be, there are several things you should consider that can help you determine how to sort your possessions:
Get Rid of Things You Haven’t Used in the Past Year
The first thing to consider when trying to downsize your belongings is whether or not you’ve seen those specific items in the past year. In many homes, you’ll find an abundance of décor and even storage containers housing items that people can’t part with. However, if you ask the homeowners when it was that they last saw or used these items, it’s likely been so long that they can’t remember.
So, this is an excellent place to start when trying to determine whether to toss or store specific things. Simply ask yourself, “Have I accessed this box or these belongings in the past year?” If the answer is no, you may want to consider donating them.
Store What You Can’t Part From
There will be several items you’ll come across that you haven’t accessed in several months and maybe even years but that you don’t want to get rid of. Perhaps these items are family heirlooms, boxes of prized possessions, or items with sentimental value.
Instead of stressing about having to part ways from the things you hold near and dear to your heart despite not needing to see them on a regular basis, choose to store them in a storage unit. They’ll be there when you need to take a trip down memory lane and they won’t be taking up valuable space in your home.
If You Haven’t Worn It in a Year, Get Rid of It
The closet is another area of the home that can seem impossible to downsize. You may not have worn this item or that item in the past several months, but you still like it and hope to wear it in the near future. This thought process is precisely why so many homes are filled with closets of clothes that haven’t left the hangers in months. As such, many professional packers and it’s recommend that if you haven’t worn something in a year, it’s time to donate it. Some people even say that if you haven’t worn something in three months, you should get rid of it but if you live in an area that sees the four seasons of the year, it’s better to stick with the one-year timeline.
Take Inventory
You may be surprised to discover that you have more of one type of item than what is actually needed. So, take inventory as you’re packing up your home. Perhaps you’ll discover that you don’t need 20 plates and 30 soup bowls, two blenders, and 50 hand towels. This can be an excellent trick to convincing yourself to finally downsize your belongings.
The List of Twelve Things to Toss
If you’re still struggling with downsizing the number of items you’ll be moving, the following list of general items that many people choose to toss when moving will help you overcome this hurdle.
These items include:
• Old DVDs and CDs
• Old Paint
• Weathered or tacky mugs
• Worn decorative pillows
• Books you no longer read
• Toys your children no longer play with
• Outdated electronics
• Old bath products
• Worn furniture
For everything else you just can’t part from, choose a storage unit to keep them safe and secure without having them take up valuable space within your home.
