How to downsize to a smaller home

How to downsize your home quickly | Super Easy Storage
Moving into a new place can be a great opportunity to clear out all those things you no longer use or really need. And if you’re downsizing, it’s a necessity to make sure what you have fits your new space. So if you’re wondering how to downsize your home quickly, we’ve got you covered with these top tips to get you packing.

Plan and measure

If you’re trying to figure out how to downsize when moving, the important first step is to get a clear idea of how your new home compares to where you live now. Think about both the number and size of the rooms in your new home compared to your current one. And it’s a good idea to get out the tape measure so you can see exactly how much smaller any new rooms might be. Also measure the big items of your furniture to give you an idea of how they might fit in your new home and how much space will be left over – especially if you’ll be combining two rooms into one.  Certain items like lounges may not fit into your new space, so it’s always good to check. It will help give you a really good sense of exactly how much you need to cut down on to fit into your new space.

Rethink where things go

To make the best use of the space in your new home, don’t be afraid to get creative with your furniture – especially if you’ll have less rooms to fill. That sideboard next to your dining table might work better in the hallway in your new home. That big bookshelf in the spare bedroom you’ll no longer have might work in the living room. Or place your large kitchen table and other bulky items in storage if this move isn’t a permanent on.

Storage, storage, storage

Finding a home for everything is the key to moving seamlessly into a new space. Plan out what goes where ahead of moving in, and invest in some new storage if necessary. Think vertically. Use as much wall space as possible. And don’t forget all those empty spaces, such as under beds and on top of wardrobes, are hidden storage gold. Make the most out of every available space.

And if you know that you simply aren’t going to fit it all, consider putting some of your lesser-used items into storage. You never know when your circumstance will change, and you need to access your precious goods. We can bring our storage modules to you and even pack the module for you. It’s a good way to downsize while holding onto the things you love.

Declutter every room

Of course, the less you have, the easier it is to move. So, don’t forget to declutter before you move. Think more than just piles of paper work and old clothes. Now’s a great time to tackle those forgotten kitchen cupboards and bathroom cabinets. And do you really need to take that box in the back of the wardrobe marked ‘miscellaneous’ that’s never been unpacked since the last time you moved?

Donate from the heart

Decluttering doesn’t just mean filling up garbage bags. Donate and recycle as much as you can. It’s a better feeling to re-home an object than it is to add to a rubbish pile. So it makes it easier to be more ruthless about deciding what to keep and what can go, because you know it’s going to have a second life. And if something’s particularly sentimental but you know it’s really not worth keeping in your life, find a special home for it. Give away what you can to friends and family who might appreciate it.

Go digital

If you’ve got boxes of photos, videos or music lying around, make the most of space-saving technology and digitise them. An entire wall of photo albums can fit on a thumb drive. Upload them to the cloud so you’ll never lose them and enjoy being able to access them anywhere at anytime.

Work with your smaller space

Now you’ve got an idea of how to downsize your home quickly, the last (and most important) thing you need to do after you downsize is adjust to your smaller space. Embrace using your home smartly and efficiently. Keep everything in its place and enjoy a clutter-free home.

And if things are piling up again, or there are just some things you can’t find a home for but want to keep, consider self storage as an option. And with mobile storage, it’s easier than ever because we bring the storage to you. Talk to us today to find the right mobile storage solution for you.

Top tips for decluttering

How do declutter your life | Super Easy Storage

Clutter. You probably have it, and you’re not alone. A whopping 89%of Aussies have unwanted items in their home, according to Gumtree’s Second Hand Economy report . But decluttering your home doesn’t just magically happen – you need a plan. Want to know how to declutter your life and reduce stress? Where here to help, with our 7 top tips for a clutter-free home.

 

1. Get the right mindset

Most of us accumulate clutter, but for different reasons. Perhaps you’re too busy to deal with your things and they just ‘pile up’. Maybe you’re the type who likes to keep things ‘just in case’. Or you might tend to get sentimental over the little things and just don’t want to ‘let go’. Whichever type you are, the clutter probably gets to you. But doing something about it can be hard.

Think about why you want to declutter and how it can have a positive impact on your life. Are you overwhelmed with just having too many things? Are you tired of never finding what you’re looking for? Do you waste money buying things you know you already have somewhere? Will you be moving soon and you want to reduce what you take into your new home?

Thinking about why you want to declutter helps give you motivation and purpose. It also helps you focus on what you’re gaining rather than what you’re losing. Imagine having less stress, more time and saving money, and suddenly decluttering feels like a really good thing to do.

2. Set some ground rules

There’s no avoiding it – decluttering your life can be a big job. Make the process easier for yourself by setting some ground rules. Decide ahead of time what makes something worth keeping or why it should go. It takes both the thinking and the emotion out of decluttering and helps you just do it.

Before you get stuck in, set up some criteria that suits you. If you’re a Marie Kondo devotee, you might ask yourself if it sparks joy? Or if you’re pragmatic, think about how long it’s been since you’ve used something. If it’s, say, more than a year, it goes. Pick what makes sense and works for you and stick to it.

3. Divide the work into manageable tasks

It can be daunting to look at a house full of things and know where to start. Break the job into bite size chunks, choosing a way that suits you best, to tackle one at a time. Perhaps you might want to work room by room. Maybe working by type is easier, like all the paperwork in the house then everyone’s clothes together or clean out the linen cupboard and so on. Then you can pick a smaller job to complete, rather than worry about the big picture. And it will help you choose what to do next, as you’ll already have your list of things to do.

Sometimes, decluttering can feel overwhelming because there are things you want to keep, but you just don’t have the room for. That’s where self-storage can help. You pack up the things you don’t use every day, and we’ll bring a storage module to you and load it for you. That way, you get to de-clutter without chucking everything you value.

4. Think about your space

Whether you’re decluttering by room or by category, there’s one thing that’s unavoidable: how much room do you actually have? Having too many things for the space you have is the very definition of clutter. So it’s important to only keep as many things as you can actually fit in your home.

That means thinking how to use your space the best. And then give everything a home. Not only will it help you get your things in order, it’s much easier to keep things tidy when you know where everything needs to go.

5. Give yourself a deadline

Even with good planning, your mission to declutter can all fall apart if you don’t give yourself a timeframe. Life gets busy and you might start to prioritise other tasks. Suddenly it’s been six months and those piles of papers are still sitting on your kitchen bench. Give yourself a realistic deadline and work to it. Time pressure is a great motivator and it will also help give you a sense of achievement as you track how you’re going against your goal.

Booking one of our storage module units is a great, practical way to set a deadline. That way, you know we’ll be coming to load the module – so you know that you have to get your declutter on before that date.

6. Get the ball rolling

The last piece of the puzzle is simply to roll your sleeves up and get on with the job. But there’s a trick here too. Set yourself up for success by tackling some easy jobs first. A few early wins will help you get underway and see pretty quick results. Use these achievements as a launchpad to the bigger, trickier jobs. You got this.

7. Reap the rewards

Living in a clutter free home is a reward in itself. But you might want to sweeten the pot a little. Finally, the kitchen cupboards are tidy and spacious, and you want to keep them that way. So why not treat yourself for a nice dinner at your favourite restaurant as a reward for all your hard work.

And for those things that you know you want to keep but don’t need to access for a while that you just can’t find a home for? They’re the perfect contenders for storage. But be smart about how you use it. Don’t just box up whatever doesn’t fit in your home and put it into storage – have a plan for that too. And then we can help, with easy mobile storage solutions delivered to your door. Talk to us today  about what will work for you.