While decluttering & downsizing can work hand-in-hand, understanding the difference can help make the process go more smoothly.
Decluttering is the day-to-day work of letting go of trash & unused possessions. This is what I mean when I talk about the process of working through your home space by space.
Downsizing is officially going through all of your stuff & decreasing the amount you have to fit in a new and smaller space. However, to prepare for moving in the future, even if you don’t know where yet, you need to begin with decluttering & then move to downsizing.
What does this mean? This means understanding if you get injured or ill, especially once you are in your retirement years, you may need to move quickly. In order to make that process feel less painful, and help you feel like you are more control of the situation, you should start now.
In fact, for someone who has been in the same home for many years, beginning with decluttering before you need to move to downsizing can be a lot easier. Think about it this way, if you are overwhelmed going through your items now, having to go through them quickly in order to downsize is even tougher.
I always say, “Don’t do this to your kids”, referring to leaving it all for them to go through. But don’t do it to yourself either. If you get sick or injured, or maybe just see a great deal on your dream home at the beach & need to move quickly, you will be better able to do that if you have already significantly decreased what you have.
If you are in your later years, there is also always a chance you will need to move into some sort of care, whether it is rehabilitation, assisted living, or a nursing home. However, if you move to a home with one floor & no stairs, your chances of living longer, and living independently longer, drastically increase.
So where do you start? Like with any other organization process, you eat an elephant one bite at a time. So pick a room, or even a space in that room & start there. You, and your kids or other descendants, will thank you.
Plus, while you are living there in the meantime, you will actually be able to enjoy those items that are most important to you because you have them in an easy to find place.
So, while decluttering & downsizing are technically different things, decluttering now, can make downsizing easier later.
Need more help in going through the process? Schedule your FREE consultation.
Contact denise hudak at 330-414-0963 or denise.hudak@gmail.com
