Downsizing: Tips for Moving Into a Smaller Home

Are you downsizing and wondering how you will fit all of your furniture and belongings into your new home? First and foremost, you should establish a plan before you move to ensure a comfortable and seamless transition into your new living space. Whether you’re moving into a townhouse, condo, apartment, or a house with less square footage, these tips will ensure a successful move into your downsized home!

Before You Move

1) Plan Ahead and Establish Your Lifestyle Wants and Needs

Whether you’re downsizing because you’re now an empty nester, moving to a new city, looking to save money, or simply because you want to adopt a minimalist lifestyle; you decided to downsize for a reason, so keep your motivation in mind as it will drive many of your decisions moving forward. When it comes to planning your move, make sure to begin well in advance. You should first have a good understanding of your lifestyle wants and needs, so be sure to ask yourself:

What are the size restrictions of your new home? Do you have space for your furniture or do you need to purchase new pieces?
Are you limited by budget?
What is your vision in terms of what your life is going to be like after moving into your new home? What do you hope to accomplish and what do you need in order to bring your home visions to life?

Having a clear plan will help you come closer to accomplishing the vision you have for your downsized home.

2) Take Measurements

As mentioned above, you need to determine the size restrictions of your downsized home and whether your current furniture will fit into your new living space. To do so, you should get the measurements of the spaces within your new home and compare them to the dimensions of the spaces within your current home. Once you have all of your measurements, you can use tape to section off the rooms of your current home to match that of your new home, in which this will act as a reference in terms of how much space is available in your new home. Doing so will help you visualize your new space, as well as develop clear ideas on how your furniture will fit into these spaces. Don’t forget to make a floor plan and map out where your furniture will go beforehand. Try moving your furniture into the taped-off spaces to help you create a plan regarding where your furniture will fit and what it will look like in your new living space. Doing so will save you time and energy when it comes to arranging your furniture once they arrive at your new home.

3) Declutter Your Space

Oftentimes, the most difficult part of downsizing is sorting through a lifetime of possessions and determining what you will take with you and what needs to go. However, getting rid of clutter and the things that no longer serve a purpose in your life can be extremely rewarding. By decluttering your home before your move, you’ll ensure that you are only bringing with you the things that add value to your life. Check out our blog “Decluttering Your Home for Your Move” for strategies that will help you organize and declutter your space. Trust us, you will feel a huge sense of relief after purging the things that you no longer need.

After You Move

After all of your furniture and belongings have been moved and it comes time for organizing and arranging your new home, there are some things you can do to ensure your living space is utilized in the most effective way possible.

4) Start Big

As your large furniture pieces will be the most difficult to move around, you’ll want to begin with arranging these pieces first. Doing so will make sure that you get the heavy lifting out of the way and that you have the most available space for positioning your furniture according to your desired floor plan. Once you have finished arranging your large furniture, the foundation of your home will be set, and you can begin to tackle your smaller furniture and belongings.

5) Find a Purpose for Each Space

Functionality plays a key role when moving into a smaller living space. Take advantage of the space you have, and make sure each area within your home has a purpose and is functional for your lifestyle wants and needs. For instance, with the right planning, an empty corner within your basement can become your workspace – simply add some shelving and push a desk up against the wall, and there you go, a makeshift home office or homework station for your children. If you have empty wall space and need extra storage for your household items, free up your floor space with wall-mounted cabinets that you can use as additional storage space. Empty walls and corners can come a long way, so get creative and utilize these spaces to your advantage.

6) Rearrange As Needed

After you have spent some time living in your new home and have become comfortable with your new lifestyle, take some time to re-evaluate and determine if everything is arranged in a way that works well with your lifestyle wants and needs. Does the placement of your furniture feel right? Are the things you use on a daily basis easily accessible? Can you move things around for better functionality? Determine the areas that can be improved and rearranged as needed.

7) Get Professional Help

Don’t forget that you can always get professional moving help! Here at Deluxe Moving & Storage, we have the time, strength, and energy to unpack your boxes and arrange your furniture exactly as you please. Our team has years of experience in unpacking and organizing to ensure our clients walk into their new homes with all of their things arranged to their satisfaction. Check out our Full Unpack Service if you need extra support in unpacking and organizing your new living space.

Need extra storage space? We have partnered with Franklin Self Storage to provide our clients with all traditional, climate-controlled, storage solutions. These storage units will keep your possessions safe and protected, while freeing up the space available in your downsized home.

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Here at Deluxe Moving & Storage, we understand how stressful downsizing can be. Fortunately, our team of professionals can take the moving stress off your shoulders. We offer Full Pack and Unpack services which includes packing all of your belongings and unpacking them in your new home according to your instructions. Walk into a fully functional new space without any boxes! Need more information about our Packing, Moving, or Full-Service Moving services? Head to the Deluxe Moving & Storage website for more information, or contact our team to get started on your seamless and stress-free move. We look forward to working with you!

Want more moving tips and advice? Don’t hesitate to contact our team with any questions you may have regarding the moving process. Whether you’re moving across the street or to a brand new city, choosing Deluxe Moving & Storage for your next move is the best thing you can do to ensure a safe and healthy moving experience for you and your loved ones. Don’t forget to fill out our FREE, no-obligation quote form, and leave the work to us!