When hearing the term downsizing, most people picture seniors and retirees moving to a small house with less maintenance and cleaning required. However, the truth is that more families are also starting to opt for such compact properties.

Selling or giving up the lease on a big house to go live in a smaller one means you don’t have to stress so much about finances or can put the money into other things, such as your children’s education or other support. Plus, when moving into a dwelling that’s not so big, you also get to enjoy the fact that less of your time each week gets taken up with house and garden work. 

However, downsizing isn’t necessarily a walk in the park. Moving is one of the most stressful things to do, and it’s compounded by adding children to the mix. If you follow a few simple tips, though, your downsizing plans for this year can go ahead smoothly. 

Planning

Planning will make moving to a smaller home easier. Work out what you need in your future property, so you know what to look for. This covers not just the size of the house and the number of its bedrooms, etc., but also whether you want to buy or lease a downsized home so you can be closer to shops, restaurants, bars, museums, healthcare, public transport links, and other services. Know your goals and plan accordingly when doing your house search.

When it comes to top moving tips for downsizers, remember that you don’t want to leave everything until the last minute, either. Once you know the settlement or lease date for your new property, you’ll see how many weeks until you move and can plan backward from there. Give yourself and your family members weekly deadlines to stay on track.

Suit Your New Home

When you downsize to a smaller property, not only do you have fewer rooms to put your possessions in, but some or all of the spaces may be more petite in size, too. As such, you could discover that your current furniture pieces don’t all fit. To deal with this, wrap your head around the dimensions of your future home ASAP. Do more than one or two inspections to understand what will and won’t suit the place. 

Take detailed measurements of each room, so you know the sizes you have to work with and the layout of the house. Also, pay attention to the width and height of doorways and the dimensions of windows and walls. 

Pare Back Belongings

Most families have to pare bare their belongings dramatically when downsizing. To do this job, first examine what you own. Inventory everything in your home, including spaces such as attics, basements, garages, and garden sheds, to see what you own and how much decluttering is needed.

Go through each room and rid yourself of duplicates. Convert what you can to digital records rather than holding onto physical “stuff.” Also, fill boxes with items your family no longer uses or that your kids have grown out of. Sell, donate, give away, recycle, or bin anything you don’t want to take with you. If you don’t know which possessions to keep, ask yourself what you would buy again if you suddenly had to restock your whole house. This exercise shows what’s truly important to you. 

Consider, too, whether your current furniture works for your new space. You may need to replace bigger pieces, especially sofas or king-size beds, with smaller items. Also, consider buying multifunctional pieces. These do double duty in more compact spaces. For instance, check out coffee tables that can also act as storage or that rise up to become desks, extendable dining tables, and fold-out sofas. 

In the weeks before you move, you and your family should change buying habits, too. When downsizing, you can’t continue to buy as many things as you did before. On top of that, you don’t want to undo all the hard work you put into paring back possessions.

Set New Expectations for Your Children

It’s wise, too, to discuss the downsize with your children. Help them create new expectations for the size of the property you’re moving to. They likely won’t be able to have as many toys, clothes, sports gear, or other possessions in the future, and they may have to share a bedroom and/or bathroom or get used to a smaller outdoor space. 

Help them understand the reasons why you’re moving to a more compact place and focus on the upsides. For instance, you might soon be able to work fewer hours and spend more time together as a family as a result of the change. 

Downsizing is a challenge for most families. However, when you know the reasons you’re doing it and follow the steps listed above, you should find the process goes more smoothly.