Inside: Thinking of downsizing your home and your belongings? Here you will find ten easy steps to downsize and simplify your life.
Even if you are not planning on moving to a smaller place, the best time to declutter is now.
Your home is not a storage unit, so the items in your home should be items you use and love. Everything else should be removed.
Decluttering not only creates a more organized and visually appealing space but also reduces stress and saves time in the long run.
Whether you are downsizing to a smaller home or decluttering your belongings to simplify your life, these steps to downsize can help guide you through the process.
Step one: Establish a Clear Plan for Decluttering
Creating a plan for how often and how much you want to declutter your home is crucial. This plan not only gives you a sense of control over the process but also empowers you to take charge of your living space.
Do you plan to declutter for at least five days a week, spending thirty minutes a day, or every day for one hour?
The more you declutter, the faster you will be able to remove items from your home.
What percent of your belongings do you want to get rid of?
I suggest decluttering at least 50 percent, and no less than that. Suppose you can declutter more than half of your items; that’s better.
How long do you want to take in the decluttering process?
Three months, six months, or one year?
This can help you create a plan so you won’t feel overwhelmed.
Step two: Gather Necessary Decluttering Supplies
Before you begin with these steps to downsize and the decluttering process, ensure you have all the necessary supplies on hand.
These include cardboard boxes for items you want to donate, packaging tape to secure the boxes, and trash bags for items you wish to discard.
Having these supplies on hand will prevent any interruptions in your decluttering process, ensuring a smooth and continuous experience.
Step three: Focus on One Area at a Time
Decluttering one area or room at a time can make the process more manageable and less overwhelming.
I recommend starting in the kitchen area, as it’s a space where you’re likely not emotionally attached to the items, making it easier to decide what to keep and what to discard.
A clutter-free kitchen can also inspire you to continue decluttering in other areas of your home.
Step Four: Be ruthless
When it comes to decluttering to avoid revisiting the same area often, you need to be ruthless.
If you haven’t used an item for more than a year, chances are you won’t use it again.
If an item costs less than $20 and you’re unsure whether to keep it, especially if you haven’t used it, consider donating or discarding it.
If you need it later, you can repurchase it, as it is less than $20.
Believe me, chances are you will not need to repurchase it. That has never happened to me, so it is unlikely to happen to you.
If you have duplicates, go ahead and declutter them. Clothing items you no longer enjoy or fit, go ahead and get rid of them.
Step four: Decide what to keep and let go
While being ruthless, decide which items you will keep and which ones will go.
This decision-making process brings a sense of accomplishment, making you feel successful in your decluttering journey.
Avoid keeping items “just in case” and also avoid saying, “I’ll use it this time.”
Chances are you won’t need those items since they haven’t been used.
Aim to let go of more than what you decide to keep.
Letting go of more items will help you downsize faster and simplify your life.
Ensure that what you choose to keep has a designated place or “home” where it will always be stored.
For example, a toaster, books, and a laptop will always be in the same place, and so on. If an item does not have a designated home, then you need to declutter to make space for it.
Alternatively, if you do not use it, go ahead and declutter it.
Step five: Take donations out quickly
As soon as you have bags of clothing and items in boxes to donate, take them to the donation center as quickly as possible.
Removing them from your home quickly keeps you from wanting to go back and grab items, and more importantly, avoids creating clutter in your home.
If you can find a local non-profit organization that will pick up the items from your home, I highly recommend donating that way.
That saves you time by eliminating the need to take items to a donation center, and it can make donating to a non-profit organization more manageable for you.
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Step Six: Downsize your big stuff
Downsizing the big furniture in your home is one of the best ways to create more space and will make cleaning easier.
For example, perhaps you had a dining table that seats six to eight, but now you no longer have all those people living in your home or entertaining as frequently.
Additionally, if you have a coffee table with two side tables that make your space feel crowded and you don’t use these items, consider decluttering them.
Large furniture pieces can become a drop zone, which you should avoid.
Step seven: Get help from a family member or friend
You may be surprised to have a family member or friend who enjoys decluttering, especially given the overconsumption and stress that a cluttered space can cause.
Ask a family member or a friend who you know has some free time to help you declutter for a couple of hours once a week.
Doing this can help accelerate your decluttering process and aid in making informed decisions about which items to declutter.
Step eight: Consider doing a yard sale
If you’re having trouble donating some items, consider holding a yard sale to make some extra money.
Hold the yard sale as soon as possible, and take any remaining items to the donation center.
Another way to sell your items is through Facebook Marketplace. If the item does not sell in one week, take it to the donation center.
Putting a timeline to sell and then donate will help avoid creating clutter in your home.
Step nine: Change your habits
By this time, you have already decluttered a space in your home. Took items to the donation center and attempted to sell some of them.
Don’t let this stop you from continuing your downsizing.
In the meantime, you need to change some of your habits to avoid adding unwanted clutter to your home.
- Do a no-buy challenge
A no-buy challenge will not only help you save money but also prevent you from bringing any new items into your home. I suggest doing a no-buy challenge for more than three months.
The longer you participate in a no-buy challenge, the easier it becomes to change your spending habits.
- One in, one out rule
Items will inevitably come into our homes for birthdays, holidays, or special occasions. When an item comes into your home, take one item out. You bought or received a new sweater; take one of your sweaters out. A new coffee cup, take one of your coffee cups out.
Following the one-in, one-out rule will help avoid adding more clutter to your home.
- Declutter regularly
Keep a box in your closet and keep one in the kitchen or living room.
When you see an item you haven’t used or don’t like, feel free to put it in the box. You will be putting items in the box almost every day while you are downsizing.
Once the boxes are full, take them to the donation center.
I always keep one box in the laundry room. As my daughter grows out of her clothes, I quickly add the items in the box. I do this with all items in my home, making it easy to maintain a clutter-free home.
Step ten: Take a short break
You are decluttering and downsizing room by room, and by now, you might need a short break. Take a short break for a few days.
After taking a short break, continue following these steps to downsize and declutter your belongings.
Staying motivated and avoiding burnout is crucial to your decluttering journey.
Final thoughts
Whether you’re downsizing to a new place or decluttering your possessions, following these steps to downsize will make the process easier for you.
Decluttering and downsizing can simplify your life in numerous ways.
You will spend less time cleaning and organizing, and you will have more time to do what you enjoy.
I know these easy steps to downsize will help you reach your end goal.