Six Month Downsizing Plan

Six Months Out

Walk through your whole house noting items that you know you don’t need and can easily give up.
List the rooms/areas in your current home that you don’t plan to have in your new space.
Make a first pass at your clothing and shoes, eliminating anything you haven’t worn in 2 years.
Assess your collections, prized possessions, and memorabilia. Determine how much space you want to dedicate to them in your new home.
Identify items of value; consult with a collectibles advisor, auction house, or estate liquidator.
Designate items to give to friends and family members. Set a plan for removing anything you are storing for other people.

Five Months Out

Hire an experienced Realtor® who understands the downsizing process.
Determine repairs and/or upgrades that will be necessary to sell the property.
Work with your Realtor® to get estimates from reputable downsizing professionals in your area.
Gather important documents and store them safely. Shred/Recycle as much paper as possible.
Stop subscriptions; purge magazines, reduce book collections to what will go with you. Eliminate outdated media for content that is now available electronically. Set photos aside for digitizing or sorting at a later date.

4 Months Out

Start sorting through small storage spaces: closets, bathrooms, bedside tables and junk drawers.
Collect all cleaning products in one place; try to use them up without buying more.
Go back through your off-season clothing and remove items not worn in the last season.
Cull hobby supplies; identify and remove abandoned projects and materials.
Pare down holiday decorations to what you will use in your next space.

Three Months Out

Schedule the necessary repairs or upgrades to your property.
Hire an experienced Move Manager to make a detailed plan for your move.
Measure your furniture and create a floor plan for your next home.
Complete sales or re-homing of valuable items not going with you.
Address remaining items in the home including the attic, garage, basement, shed, etc. Schedule auction and junk removal for unneeded household items.
Purge the pantry of outdated or unwanted food. Declutter your kitchen and reduce tools, appliances, cookware, and entertaining items. Go back through closets, office, hobby areas looking for things you won’t need.

At the end of the third month, assess your progress on your decluttering efforts. If you are having trouble, consider hiring a professional organizer or move manager to pitch in.

Two Months Out

Select a trustworthy and dependable Mover; schedule your move.
Complete any landscaping or delayed maintenance projects.
Separate out your best clothing, keep only what fits and flatters.
Go back through closets, office, hobby areas looking for things you won’t need.
Finish all donation drop offs or pickups.
Complete estate sale or auction if necessary. Finish all donation drop offs or pickups.

One Month Out

Revisit your list of repairs and upgrades; make the final list of projects still needing attention.
Coordinate all schedules and tasks with your Move Manager.
Continue to reduce the food in your kitchen, pantry and freezer.
Prepare for the next steps: Selling Your Home or Packing and Moving.

Thinking about Downsizing, but want to know how to prepare your home for the market? Call me for a free Home Salability Assessment 267-397-6291 or at the office 215-395-6277 or Contact Me.