For many people that live in a large home, downsizing to a smaller one will eventually become a necessity. When downsizing, a very tough challenge can be figuring out what to do with all of your personal items. During the downsizing process, there are several steps that should be followed to ensure your personal items are handled as well as possible.
Deciding What to Keep
When downsizing from a four-bedroom home to a two-bedroom condo, the first thing that you will have to do is go through all of your personal belonging, including clothing, furniture, decorations, and electronics to decide what you can get rid of, what you want to bring with you, and what you want to keep for the future. The biggest component of this is furniture. Most likely, you will have one or two bedroom and living room sets that need to gotten rid of. When it comes to clothing and personal items, a general rule to follow is that you should either get rid of or store items that you haven’t used in at least one year. Once the items are sorted between getting rid, continuing to use, and storing for future use, you can start getting organized.
Getting Rid of Items
When downsizing, one of the hardest things to do is having to get rid of your personal items. When looking to get rid of your personal items, the first option would be to offer to give items to your friends and family members. Those items that are not taken by friends or family members could then be sold. There are a variety of ways to sell items including selling them for auction online, through online classified, or through a small estate or garage sale. Items that are not sold and are in decent condition could be donated to a local charity. All remaining items may then have to be thrown away or recycled.
Storing Personal Items
Most likely, there will be many items that you do not need to have with you at all times, but that you want to have access to in the future. This could include clothing, personal valuables, or furniture that you eventually want to pass down to loved one. If you have items such as these, then you may need to lease a storage facility. When in looking for storage facilities Toronto residents should consider several different factors to choose the best storage unit possible. These include choosing the right size, determining whether a temperature controlled unit is necessary, and determining what level of security they wish to have. Regardless of your personal needs, you will be able to find a storage unit that has everything you need.
Moving Items
Once you have gotten rid of or stored all of your personal items that you don’t need, the next step to downsizing is to move into your new home. When hiring a moving company, be sure to hire one that is insured in the event that they lose or damage your furniture. While these companies can be more expensive, working with an insured company could save a lot of money down the road.