Tips on How to Downsize Your Home or Business

Downsizing is quite popular these days, as people attempt to live with less. The minimalism movement has spread across the country, and people want to have fewer things they have to take care of or find a place for in their home. 

Even if you don’t live in a tiny house, it’s okay to downsize and get rid of some things every year. If you have things you need to store, EZ Storage can help. In this post, we’ll look at the best tips for downsizing your home or business.

 

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Downsizing

Downsizing can be a difficult and even emotional process, which is why it’s a good idea to make sure you’re absolutely ready for it, and that it will provide real benefits in your life. If you’re thinking about downsizing, ask yourself some of these questions:

• What are your top reasons for downsizing?
• What opportunities will downsizing create?
• What are you most excited about in the downsizing process?
• What are you most nervous about in the process? Are there any steps you can take to help in advance?

Common Reasons for Downsizing

Downsizing is a personal decision, which means there are a wide variety of reasons an individual, family, or business might choose to do it. 

• Personal reasons. If your job has recently gone remote, if you’re looking to move to a smaller home, or if you’re simply trying to declutter your house — all are common reasons individuals and families choose to downsize and utilize personal self storage units.
• Business reasons. Your business model has gone remote and you don’t need all that office space anymore, or maybe you’ve realized it’s more cost-effective to downsize your on-site space and store your office supplies elsewhere — these are just a few reasons a business might downsize and look into storage units for their business.

Benefits of Downsizing Your Home or Business

Every family, business, or individual will experience a different set of benefits from downsizing their home or office space, but some common benefits include:

• Increased sense of space and new room for items and furniture in your home.
• Less clutter and fewer unnecessary items from your home or business. 
• Cost-savings for your business. 
• Reduced overhead for your business.

Methods of Downsizing

There are a number of methods that can make clearing out your home and downsizing less stressful. We’ll break down a few popular methods of downsizing below. 

• One-A-Day method. With this gradual method, you’ll get rid of one item per day, or get rid of the numbers of items corresponding with the date — for instance, get rid of 10 items on the 10th day of the month.
• KonMari method. This famous method asks you to arrange your items into categories and get rid of any item that doesn’t spark joy from each.
• Four-Box method. You’ll use four boxes labeled “keep,” “donate,” “storage,” and “trash.” As you move through your home, place items into the corresponding boxes.
• Closet-Hanger method. A long-term method for those with the time. In your closet, you’ll make sure all your hangers with clothes on them have the open end facing outward. Every time you wear an item, you’ll reverse the hanger so it faces away from you. After six months, discard every item on a hanger that’s still facing you.

 

While the specific methods described above can provide a helpful structure for the downsizing approach, the classic process we describe below is a great place to start:

1. Take inventory of what you have. Using pen and paper or a spreadsheet, create an inventory of everything you have in your home or business. 
2. Focus on one room at a time. To avoid getting overwhelmed, break the downsizing process up into stages by going from room to room. 
3. Organize as you go. Clean and organize each room as you go through it. This will help clarify what fits in the space, and what doesn’t. 
4. Go digital. Especially for businesses, converting paper files into digital files can free up a surprising amount of space. The same goes for family photographs and other significant documents. 
5. Letting go of sentimental things. Save sentimental items for last, and only let go of those items that you no longer feel a strong connection to. 
6. Sell or donate what you don’t need. For some extra cash, consider selling — or just donating — items like furniture and clothing that you’re planning to discard. 
7. Storage unit. Consider moving extra items from your home or business into a storage unit — you’ll be able to hold onto things while still freeing up space. Find a self storage unit near you today.

Finally, when you’re moving any items into a storage unit, it’s a good idea to have a plan. Check out our Self-Storage Tips page for everything you need to get the most out of your self-storage solution. 

How to Determine if You Need to Downsize Your Space

Determining whether or not to downsize is ultimately a personal choice and comes down to a wide variety of factors. However, if you’re experiencing any of the following, it might be a sign that downsizing could help:

• Running out of space in your home or business. If you’re simply unable to find more space for what you need to store or do, downsizing might be a good option. 
• Finding yourself keeping things just to keep them, despite not using them. Sentimental connections can be a great reason to hold onto something, but if you’re keeping items even though you’re not using them and don’t have a specific connection to them, you might consider downsizing. 
• Clutter causing issues. If your space feels cluttered, either physically or visually, getting rid of a number of items and simplifying your lifestyle can easily open up your home. 

Frequently Asked Questions

To make things easier, we’ve brought together answers to some frequently asked questions about how to downsize your home or business.

Is it Hard to Downsize?

Downsizing can often be a difficult and even emotional process, but there are things you can do to make sure it’s a little bit easier on you and your family, including planning ahead and giving yourself plenty of time so the process never feels rushed.

What is The Best Way to Downsize Your Home?

Following a planned process is the best way to downsize your home. It’s best to start by taking inventory of your belongings, sorting through items room by room and eliminating duplicate goods and items, and making the most of your available storage space.

Is it Worth it to Downsize My House?

To know if downsizing is worth it, you should ask yourself what you expect to get out of downsizing, and whether downsizing will meet those needs. ​​When done right, downsizing can leave you with more money, a simplified lifestyle, and lower utility and home-maintenance costs.

What Should I Consider Before Downsizing?

There are several things you should consider before downsizing, including what amenities will be available at your new home, whether you have or expect to have home office needs, as well as your own need for personal space. On a more practical level, you should consider the number of people in your household, your storage needs, and your financial goal.