Is Downsizing Your 2022 Goal?

Make Downsizing Your New Year's Resolution

Whether You’re Downsizing Or Embracing Organization in Your Current Home,
Make Your New Year's Resolution a Clean Slate

When it comes to buying or selling a home, we know that moving offers the prime opportunity to rid a home of “stuff.” Whether you’ve mastered the Marie Kondo art of keeping only what sparks joy or you’re just beginning your decluttering journey, there are practical ways to streamline your belongings and embrace reorganization. 

We’ve got lots of downsizing hacks coming your way all year long, so in addition to our blogs, be sure to follow us on social media for the latest tips and tricks.

We spoke with our in-house Design Team to designate the best ways to declutter. Whether staying put or a move is in your future, here are their suggestions for seven ways to embrace organization and downsizing in 2021. (Ready to sell and don’t want to do this alone? Click here so we can help you get started!)

1. Commit to getting rid of one thing each day.

When beginning a journey toward decluttering, the process can become overwhelming. Whether it's a donation, something worthy of selling or a throwaway, dealing with one item per day ensures you stay on track toward decluttering. We’ve noticed that getting rid of one item per day makes it easy to get rid of more!

Pro Tip: The people at Glad (yes, the trash bag company) recommend the “Four Box” method: 1) trash, 2) give away or sell; 3) storage; 4) keep and put in the proper place. Starting these boxes at the beginning of your journey may make the entire process easier as you continue your downsizing projects.

2. Find a charity you love supporting.

Are you finding it difficult to part with items because you know they should be cherished? Finding a charity that’s meaningful to you may make it easier to get rid of items you love because you know you’re giving them to a cause that you believe in. There is a wide range of donation centers available in the area. One option is the Humane Society of Montgomery County. They will often take used blankets and towels to provide comfy space for their newcomers. They also sponsor a thrift shop that accepts items to raise funds. 

Pro Tip: For those family heirlooms, consider making a list of all the items you’re ready to part with to send to your loved ones. Have them mark which items they’d like to pick up in order of which items matter most to them. This allows you to ensure these treasures are appropriately distributed and you can feel confident in selling or donating the ones that haven’t been claimed.

3. Reduce your kitchen gadgets.

Maybe you stopped using your Instant Pot when you got a new air fryer or maybe you haven’t used cookie cutouts in a decade. The reality is many of us keep bringing new items into our kitchens without thinking about what we don’t use.

Pro Tip: For home items, furniture, women’s professional clothing, gently used toys, and more, our team is a fan of A Wider Circle in Silver Spring and the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda. 

4. Digitize your memories. 

Take the time to scan your old photos and put them in digital picture frames, ensuring your memories are saved forever. You can also “frame” memories as they happen, as most digital picture frames allow you to send your photos via Bluetooth directly from your phone. Gift the original photos to friends and family and make extra room in your home.

Pro Tip: Are digital photos not quite your thing, but you’re looking for a way to cut back on the number of photo albums you own? With this method, you’ll only need four albums. One for all the photos from before your life (your family history, important family letters, etc.), one for your life until a pivotal moment in adulthood (when you had your children, when you moved to a location, or simply a year you choose) an additional album for that point forward (an album of your children, your memories up to today, etc.) and a final album for any other category you want to treasure (grandchildren, pets through the years, vacations, or maybe photos of locations you love.

5. Trade holiday-specific items for general seasonal choices.

Do you have a collection of boxes filled with holiday-specific items? As fun as it is to celebrate each specific occasion, consider keeping items for each season rather than individual holidays to minimize the amount of storage these pieces require.

Pro Tip: If you are moving to a smaller home, you may want to only bring a few seasonal items with special meaning with you and consider buying new items to suit your brand new space, while donating the rest.

6. Make a financial goal.

Thinking of selling some items before a big move? Make a goal as to how much you’d like to earn and plan what you will do with your new funds! When it comes to selling furniture and belongings, setting financial goals makes it easier to part with beloved items.

Pro Tip: Gone are the days of traditional yard sales being your only option to sell your home items. You can sell just about anything on the Facebook Marketplace if you’re willing to take the time. We recommend searching on Facebook for local groups in your area where you can list items you’re selling as well. For a more hassle-free approach to selling your used clothing, you may choose to sell your clothes in one large sum to an online store like ThredUp and DePop. These stores sell the clothing on behalf of you, so when an item sells, you earn money! It should be noted that some items may not be sold, however, so if earning top dollar is your biggest goal, this method may not be the right choice.

Need more help? 

For a really big job, you might need an extra hand. Let us know! It’s our job to ensure the home selling process is streamlined and positive. Our trusted experts understand how to handle any job–big or small–and help you navigate your downsizing journey so it’s as stress-free as possible.

There you have it! We hope these tips help you practice more organized living in 2021 or simply give you some ideas on how to refresh your home through simple decluttering. Ready to move or wondering what your next step should be if you’re thinking of moving in the coming year? Contact us today so we can help!