7 Tips For Downsizing Your Home

Canadians are among the top three populations in the world who prefer to own large homes, just below Australians and Americans, but reports state that the mean house size, which is approximately 2100 sq. ft., might be falling soon. Moreover, those moving to Canada do not necessarily require as much space as the current residents, resulting in an increasing need for smaller units. Many people find smaller houses more affordable, further forcing the average square footage down. If downsizing is starting to look like an option for you, here are some tips to help you make the right decision.

Assess the New Place: This is a useful reality check. You will have smaller rooms than before, so it helps to check out your new home carefully, to get an idea of the amount and size of furniture and appliances you can move to the new place. Draw plans with sketches for the furniture layout so you know what will fit in advance.
Assess Your Needs and Declutter: Walk around the house and evaluate everything. Identify items that require repair or maintenance work, and items that you don’t need, so you can set up an organized new home. Take only the items that you actually need. If there are items you haven’t used in a while, you most likely won’t use them again.
Family Heirlooms: To narrow down your options, it might help if you work in reverse—consider what would be irreplaceable if your house burnt down. Identify the items that are really valuable and leave the rest. Digitize your photos for easy backup and discard as many hard copies as you can.
Sort and Sell or Donate: Collect items you haven’t used in the last year and sell or donate them if they’re in good condition. Conduct a yard sale or sell them online via eBay or Craigslist to raise a little money to mitigate some of the moving expenses. Alternatively, you could simply donate your items to a nearby charity of your choosing.
Pack Important Documents: Make sure that you pack all your important papers and documents safely, preferably in the same box. Digitize as many of them as possible, to decrease the amount of space they require, and reduce the chance of losing them.
Assess Your Storage Space: This is another reality check. Assess how much storage space you have in your new home, and the items that you want to move with. If you don’t have enough space in your new home, consider buying or renting a storage unit to keep seasonal items in.
Remove All the Junk: Once you have collected the items that are unusable, it’s time to rent a garbage disposal bin and throw them away. If you have items that can be recycled, and you don’t have the time to make a trip to a recycling centre, you can arrange with your bin rental company to have them do it for you.

Conclusion

Downsizing can be a headache, especially when your space is limited and you need to be mercilessly selective to make things fit. On the positive size, the move can make your day-to-day life easier with lower financial burdens. Hopefully these tips will help you make the transition process a little more pleasant. rent a garbage disposal bin