DOWNSIZING CHECKLIST
Goal Setting
Moving? Not sure? Staying put?
- Know why you’re downsizing before you start. Keeping that in mind helps motivate!
- If you’re moving, and you know where you’re going, you can measure, measure, measure!
If it won’t fit, get rid of it!
Timeframe
If you’re moving, you probably have a deadline.
- Ideally, start 3-6 months (or up to a year) before a move.
- Your goal: know what’s going and what’s staying before movers come to estimate.
Method
Whether you’re moving or not, here’s our favorite way to go.
- Schedule sorting sessions, daily.
No more than two hours a day. Concentration lags after that. - Work for a week or two by yourself, then you can see if you’ll need help.
- Start in your least used areas, and work on large items first. This allows you to:
- see quick results - improves your motivation
- use these areas as storerooms for sorting the main areas
- Don’t jump around. Finish one room, closet or cabinet before going on to another area.
- Make three piles as you work:
- DOnations/GIfts/Sales (DOGIS)
- Trash
- Keep, probably or definitely
- Deciding what to keep:
- Aesthetic/sentimental items
- Keep it if you love it
- Keep it if it makes you smile
- Don’t keep it out of guilt or obligation
- Functional items
- One year rule:
If you haven’t used it in 1 year, it’s out - Exceptions:
If you didn’t use it last year but KNOW you’ll use it this year, consider keeping. - Group duplicate/similar items:
If you have another one, keep only the best one and get rid of the others. This means you have to sort like items.
- One year rule:
- Aesthetic/sentimental items
- Pictures and Scrapbooks
- Place most pictures/scrapbooks automatically in the keep pile, rather than digging into sorting through them. If you insist on downsizing your photo/scrapbook collection, make it your very last downsizing project.
- Finishing each downsizing session:
- Get rid of trash and DOGIS as much as possible at the end of each session, or create a sticker system if some items are too large to move right away.
- If you can’t get your downsizing done before putting your home on the market:
- Leave kitchen cabinets and an office area for last. These can be fairly easily camouflaged for showings or an open house.
- Concentrate on eliminating piles, excessive displays/accessories, excessive furnishings, and general clutter. These are all distracting to buyers, and make your space look smaller than it is.
~This cannot be a complete list, because every situation is different. However, we hope it’s a helpful guide. Happy Downsizing!
~Downsize Designs
