6 Items to Throw Away Before Downsizing

Downsizing your home…and a lifetime of accumulated stuff? Save yourself some time, stress, and energy by throwing out the items you don’t need before you start the process. While there’s no doubt that downsizing can be a difficult transition, getting rid of your excess clutter can make things go much more smoothly from beginning to end.

6 Items to Trash Today

As you probably know, getting rid of clutter is an essential component of downsizing. In addition to making your move easier and less expensive by ensuring you’re not moving items you don’t need, tossing the things you won’t use helps your new, smaller life feel more enjoyable, more leisurely, and less stressful. Here are the first six things you should toss as your move draws near:

1. Old documents

If you’ve got boxes of old tax or medical records or receipts, get rid of them. While you don’t want to throw these things in the trash literally (thanks to security concerns), hiring a mobile shredding company is an excellent way to make fast, secure work of them.

Keep in mind that you are required to keep documents for a number of years (typically 3-6) for tax purposes, so you’ll want to ensure that timeline has passed. If you want to keep a record of the document but are sick of lugging the boxes around, use an app like Evernote to digitize them and save them to the cloud.

2. Clothes that don’t fit or are in bad shape

Now isn’t the time to be sentimental about your wardrobe. Get rid of anything that doesn’t fit, that you don’t wear, or that has holes or rips you won’t fix. These things only clutter your life and require more boxes during the move.

3. The contents of your off-site storage shed

If you have a storage shed that’s acted as a dumping ground, take this opportunity to go through it. Get rid of anything you don’t want to store any longer, but which won’t fit in your new, smaller home. If there are precious family heirlooms you can’t bear to get rid of, consider renting another, smaller storage shed after you clear this one out.

4. Unused kitchen appliances

Appliances like bread makers and ice cream machines take up an enormous amount of space in the kitchen. If you never use your appliance, or it’s been years since you plugged it in, get rid of it. You’ll free up more space in your new kitchen and simplify your life in the process.

5. Childhood toys and trophies

Sometimes, larger homes allow people to hold onto things they don’t really need or care about. If you have childhood toys or trophies laying around, consider donating them to charity before you move. Unless something holds real sentimental value, it doesn’t deserve a spot in your new home.

6. Too-large furniture

Like the boxes of documents – don’t trash this. Unless it’s in terrible repair, sell it or take it to a thrift store. Once you’ve gotten rid of it, replace it with smaller, more sensible furniture that will look great and perform well in your new space.

Stress-Free Downsizing Starts Here

Make your transition to a smaller space faster and easier by cutting the fat and trimming these six unneeded items from your life before you move.