Downsizing from a house to an apartment in Vancouver, BC is definitely one of the most challenging moving types. At first it may seem like there is less to do because you have less items to pack and move, thus the moving costs should be lower. However, the downsizing moving process is actually longer than it is on a regular house-to-house or apartment-to-apartment move.
The tips below can help you downsize your home in the most efficient way.
How to Prepare for Downsizing Your Home in Vancouver, BC
Downsizing can be a challenge if you don’t know where to start from, and here’s the list to guide you step by step through this process.- De-clutter. Begin downsizing your home by removing all the clutter and garbage that you may have inside the house. Throw away all the obviously unnecessary items like broken electronics, tools which are no longer working, old fashioned clothes you’re never going to wear again, broken hose in the garden, etc.
- Check your attic, basement, garage, garden. The easiest way to continue downsizing is going through the least used rooms and premises in your home. In such areas of the house it is easy to store things you don’t want or need in the moment and then forget about them. But they are still there and will not clean themselves up.
- Clean up your car. If you have the habit of hoarding things, you may have been leaving stuff in your car as well. Remember to check under the seats and the trunk.
Steps for Downsizing Your Home in Vancouver, BC
Now, how do you actually decide what is worth taking to your new home and why? The ideas below will help you make a decision.- Can you use it at all? There may be items in your home that are broken, torn, or worn out and are no longer serving you. So, how about just tossing them away? When downsizing from a house to an apartment in Vancouver, BC this is the easiest decision to make – throwing away what is actually useless.
- Is it old fashioned? If you really care about fashion then this is an important decision to make. Do you have items that are out of fashion like clothes, shoes and accessories? Be honest with yourself. If you haven’t used it for the last two years, chances are you may never do it again. Things that you don’t want in your home and those that are outdated could go away.
- Is it of emotional value to you? There are items that are dear to us which hold an emotional value like gifts from people we love. Those could be souvenirs as well as practical items like clothes. Either way, if you really care about those items, pack them up and take them to your new home.
- Do you really need it? There are some things that we actually need and some – that only fill in the space in the shelves, drawers and racks in our home and collect dust. You don’t need to pay movers to move all that! Also, think if you have room for it. It is important to take measures of your future home and decide what will and what will not fit in it. Why would you pay to move your sofa if there is not enough space in the room for it? Make a floor plan of your next home in order to make the estimations right.
- What do you do with the items that are in good condition and can be used but you have decided not to take with you? You can organize a moving sale and sell whatever you can. Or, you can separate kids’ clothes and shoes and toys, and donate them to an orphanage.
