The Three D’S – Downsize, De-Clutter, De-Stress CONTINUED…
Here are more of Serene Living Retirement’s handy hints for ‘The Three D’s – Downsize, De-Clutter, De-Stress’ continued from our previous blog:
Be Ruthless!
When going through the ‘Keep, Toss and Donate’ process, ask yourself how often you ACTUALLY use items and are they essential in moving forward?
Furniture
Removalists and storage can be very expensive, so why take furniture that you are not going to be able to use in your new home? While your family home may have 4 double bedrooms, if you are moving to a 2 bedroom apartment, you will only need 1 double bed and perhaps a single second bed for the spare room or a pull out sofa bed to save on even more space?
Clothing
Here is an example of a practical system for clothes sorting. At the start of every season, I put the season-suitable clothing into vacuum seal bags (eg. WINTER – heavy winter coats, scarves, beanies, gloves etc, SUMMER – swimwear, sarongs, shorts, singlets, beach towels etc) and store them in the garage for the following year when they can be brought out again rather than taking up valuable space in the wardrobe.
I then place each item of clothing on coat hangers and face the coat hanger backwards on the hanging rail. Each time I wear an article of clothing and go to place it back into the wardrobe, I place the hanger frontwards in the correct position. Any hangers that are still facing backwards over a 6 month period, have clearly never been worn, so I either sell them or donate them. This also allows some space to make a few new seasonal purchases each year, so a win-win really!
Odds & Ends
This is usually the place where you find a lot of items you had forgotten existed! Whether it be the toolbox with rusted tools and bibs and bobs that are no longer useful, to old baby clothes, children’s toys, books, old manuals, 3 Christmas trees and boxes of decorations, old oils, gardening tools and chemicals, tins of paint and workshop supplies, camping equipment, old computer and phone leads, dress up costumes – you name it!
Make sure to go through every box thoroughly. You would hate to simply offload a box that has been in the garage for years only to realise it contained sentimental family heirlooms etc. If in doubt, keep items in a bag or box, clearly labelled, and you can go through at a later date after you have moved.
The One Year Rule
If you haven’t used or worn a particular item in a year, chances are you are unlikely to use or need it any time soon. And if you can’t see yourself using or wearing it again in the next twelve months, it’s probably time to go!
Anything that you are keeping needs to either serve a practical purpose or hold sentimental value that cannot be replaced. Dumbells now acting as door weights and the ab roller you purchased from the tv shopping channel collecting dust in the corner, may be better appreciated by a new owner!
Do You Measure Up?
It is imperative to ensure your existing furniture fits into space within your new home. It is recommended to get a floor plan with measurements and a trusty tape measure to walk through and physically map out what furniture will go where based on ACTUAL dimensions, not simply what you ‘think’ looks like it will fit. Not just fridges and washing machines, but lounges, wall units, dining tables etc.
You may need to reconsider what you are taking – for example you may not be able to fit the 3-seater, plus 2-seater, 2 recliners, coffee table, buffet and entertainment unit you currently have in your home. Perhaps you need to consider taking a 2 seater and 1 recliner, coffee table and entertainment unit etc.
Also consider your storage space – will you have a double garage and 3-metre linen cupboard? It is also worth considering whether it is perhaps time to sell some of your older, large, heavy furniture and replace with a more modern, smaller setting better equipped for your new space?
These packages can be quite inexpensive and are often also available on an interest-free payment option. While you may not have the closet or garage space as at your current home, there are a multitude of home storage shops and centres that specialise in creating effective storage solutions such as wire racks, behind door storage, vertical hanging, under-bed storage boxes,
Hopefully, this information has helped to take some of the stress out of your move and everyday accumulation! We wish you all the very best!
Thank you for reading our Blog Post. If you would like to read all of the other handy hints and tips supplied on our original blog post, please click on the link: 
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Cover Photo by Mr Cup / Fabien Barral on Unsplash
