Jan 112 min read

Downsizing? You May Not Fully Realize Just How Much Stuff You’ve Accumulated Until You Have To Sort Through It All.

Downsizing your home is a big project. And it will more than likely end up taking more time than you bargain for.

First of all, you need to get your current home ready for sale – making sure outstanding repairs are taken care of and everything is presentable to potential buyers.

And you’ll need to thin out your belongings. This can be quite a slog, especially if you’ve been living in the same place for many years. You may not fully realize just how much stuff you’ve accumulated until you have to sort through it all.

After that, you’ll still have to figure out what to do with all the items you’ve decided not to keep. What things should you sell? And how? What things should you donate? And where can you take them?

Perhaps you’re planning to pass on some special items within your family, but then you discover no one wants them. What then?

In other words, the process likely won’t be straightforward. Expect some twists and turns along the way. Getting everything done within just a month or two may prove to be a struggle. If you can, give yourself as much lead time as possible, meaning several months before you intend to put your current home on the market.

In fact, even if you’re just browsing property listings and haven’t fully committed to the idea of downsizing, it wouldn’t hurt to start going through your belongings now.

Start the ball rolling as soon as you can, given your circumstances. That way you can space the work into manageable chunks and reduce your physical and emotional stress.

Sometimes that’s easier said than done, though. After all, the thought of going through everything you own can be intimidating.

That’s where I can lend a hand. As a realtor who specializes in downsizing, I can help out long before you’re ready to list your home. That includes developing a schedule for getting things done and keeping you on track. I can also help you navigate the emotional ups and downs you may experience along the way.

When it comes to thinning out your belongings, I can provide practical advice that will help you avoid common mistakes. If necessary, I can recommend a personal organizer or a moving company that’s skilled at downsizing jobs. This can be especially useful if you don’t have a lot of lead time before your move or you simply don’t want to do everything yourself.

Heck, I’ve even been known to roll up my sleeves and help my clients wrangle their belongings myself.