Embracing change doesn’t always come naturally. As humans, we create our routines based on necessity and interest, and we get comfortable. Being creatures of habit, especially over time, it can become more difficult to adjust when unexpected situations arise. Here's what to do when downsizing your home, Logan. The decision to downsize your home is often made because of personal, or financial reasons. As with any large change, this decision tends to bring a lot of both positive and negative things.
Smaller Home vs. a Larger Home
Something to consider is how you’ll feel in a smaller home vs. a larger home. If you are currently in a larger space, you might be used to it, and that is perfectly okay. In this day and age, there is a sense of accomplishment tied to having a larger living space.
However, is it a success? You may be holding onto a larger space because you’ve worked so hard to get there. However, larger spaces are more costly and require more work to maintain. It’s a lot easier to clean a 2,200 sq ft house than a 4,000 sq ft house. You could have a significant amount of time to focus on other things.
If you had more money in your pocket, and more hours in the day to spend doing things that bring you joy, isn’t that a greater success? Conversely, could continue to stay in a large living space that isn’t quite right for you anymore.
Downsizing Means Getting Rid of Stuff
While there are plenty of things that initially feel like negatives, there are solutions to lessen the impact. Some can even turn into positives! One of the biggest challenges that people face when downsizing, is dealing with the stuff they currently store in their house. If you have the space, the space has likely been filled. If you’re going from 4,000 sq ft to 2,200 sq ft, you will have the challenge of getting rid of a large portion of your possessions. This can be an emotionally taxing task.
If you are getting rid of large amounts of stuff, try not to take on all the burden at once. If you don’t have a lot of time to prepare, you can still plan and ease the weight. The trick is to do this while also not procrastinating the harder things until you’re out of time. If you have to go through all of your stuff, start with a single closet. Then, once that is complete, move to another small section of your home. By taking smaller bites at a time, you can pace yourself, and not be as emotionally or physically drained.
Another thing to consider is to have a ‘keep’ pile, a ‘maybe’ pile, and a ‘donate/sell’ pile. This way, you can visually see the progress you are making. Organizing it this way makes it easier to move forward through each section you are going through. You could even place the ‘maybe’ pile in a location where you see it during the week. Likewise, you can add or remove items as you go throughout your days. You might find that, after more thought, you are moving more to the ‘donate/sell’ pile.
The Departure
Another pain point, often felt when downsizing, is going through your wardrobe and clothing storage. Are you holding onto clothes that don’t fit? If so, you probably won’t miss those items if they are gone. A good rule of thumb is if you haven’t worn it in the last 6–12 months, you can get rid of it and not feel that item’s absence.
Moving the furniture and larger items that you want or need to get rid of during this process can be difficult. However, you can use resources like Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist to sell your items. Likewise, you could also give them away for free. If you choose this route, you have the option to have the buyer come to you. Generally, they expect to come and move it out themselves. That way, you don’t have to do any heavy lifting. You can even make some extra money. Doing this can take the stress out of getting rid of those larger items.
Changing Location
Changing your location, which may come with downsizing your home, can be a tough decision. This might affect your proximity to work and friends. However, if you are eliminating the costs that come with a larger home, you may be in a great position. You can be more selective with your next living space. It can be hard to find the right living space when you have a particular timeline. This is if you are following with the selling process, but we may be able to help. If you’ve made it this far, keep reading! It gets better.
During this process, you may need to look into any outstanding repairs that your current home needs. This can be costly and time-consuming on top of all the other things you need to focus on during this transition. If you are selling your home the traditional way, you’ll need to make those repairs. However, we may be able to take that off of your shoulders. We buy homes whether they need repairs or not, so you can cross repairs off of your list!
Need to downsize? We Can Help.
Ultimately, if downsizing is right or necessary for you, we hope you have a smooth process. We also might have the ability to help you, and even eliminate some of your pain points. We buy homes in Logan in any condition, and you get to choose your closing date. This can eliminate the stress of realtor fees, finding a buyer, making repairs, having an inconvenient close date. Likewise, you don't have to go through the arduous selling process. One quick conversation will determine if this is an option for you. Spoiler alert: it probably is! Give us a call at 801-939-0123. We are more than happy to discuss if this can benefit you, and give you a no-obligation cash offer. Your answers are just one call away.
