Moving into a smaller home when you’ve spent most of your life in a large one can be quite a challenge. However, once the dust settles and you have successfully downsized, you’ll realize you made the right decision. Below are five keys to moving into a smaller home that will help make the transition a bit easier:

1. Thoroughly asses your new home: Get a gauge of home much storage space your new home has. This will give you a clear picture of how much room you have and how much you’ll need to downsize.
2. Make the tough decisions before you move: It’s time to make the tough choices and decide what you will keep and what you will have to get rid of. This can be a difficult and emotional process, but you must decide which items are absolutely necessary and which aren’t. Remember that you are moving into a smaller home and you will have to downsize your possessions accordingly. On a positive note, this is a great time to eliminate duplicate items, junk, old clothing and other useless things you may not even know you had!
3. Adopt a ‘one in/one-out’ policy: A smaller home means that storage space is at a premium, and if you’re not paying attention, it can become cluttered very quickly. A one in/one out policy will help you avoid this problem. For every new item you bring into your home, plan to eliminate one item from storage.
4. Always remember the benefits of downsizing: While you’re in the process of downsizing, don’t forget to focus on the positive benefits of downsizing such as less home maintenance, lower monthly bills and greater ease getting around your new home. Seeing things in a positive light will make your move far less stressful.
5. Consider storage options: There may be furniture or other large items which you don’t want to get rid of immediately because they could come in handy in the near future. Speak to your moving professional about full-service storage options.

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