How to Consolidate When Moving Into a Smaller Home

Downsizing: This daunting word is all too familiar to homeowners, particularly those who are making big plans to move into a smaller home. But does consolidating your belongings have to be a stressful process? Where there’s a will, there’s a way! And we’re prepared to help you achieve your minimalistic goals by sharing a few of our favorite tips and tricks for downsizing when moving into a manageable-sized home.

Declutter Your Existing Home

There’s no wrong or right way to declutter your home, but there is a hard way and an easy way. To streamline things, we suggest purging your existing home a few months out from the actual moving day. This will give you oodles of time to carefully sort through your items and downsize where you can. Since you know you need to downsize, parting with items may go a bit quicker than originally anticipated. Still, it’s very easy to get attached to inanimate objects! When you get stuck, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do you already have a similar object that you use?
• How often do you use the item?
• Where will you store the item in your new home?
• Why are you attached?

If it turns out that the item isn’t truly necessary or sentimental, or you don’t have somewhere to keep it, then you probably don’t need to hold on to the object in question.

The Item Trial Run

For items that you refuse to part with but rarely use, we suggest that you put them on a trial period. Use this time to be more mindful about when and how often you’re using the item(s) that you’re on the fence about. For example, kitchen appliances that were wedding gifts—a bread machine, air fryer, pressure cooker, etc.—don’t need to haunt your kitchen cabinets if they aren’t being used. During this trial period, you may find that your attachment to your objects fades. 

Rethink Storage Solutions

Consolidating doesn’t mean getting rid of all of your belongings and starting from scratch! This process can take years for some people, but don’t let that fact scare you. Your smaller home can likely accommodate a lot more than you think; it’s all about your storage perspective. With the right decorating tips and storage solutions, you can utilize every inch of available space in your new home without making the rooms feel overcrowded. For example, you can:

• Create furniture zones in multipurpose rooms
• Find vertical storage options
• Invest in multipurpose furnishings
• Utilize mirrors, artificial lighting, and contemporary designs

Want more design and organization tips for your new home? Check out our blog! Chesmar builds new homes and townhouses in desirable communities throughout Texas, including Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, and elsewhere in Central Texas!