Moving Tips When Downsizing Your Home

Congratulations, you’ve come to the decision to downsize your home! That’s a big first step into a new chapter of your life. Whether you’re downsizing into a smaller house, apartment, condominium, or senior living community, you probably have many thoughts racing through your mind. Are you making the right choice? Will you like your new place? How are you going to get all of your stuff from a larger home into a smaller home? Where will it all go? What should you get rid of, and what should you keep?

While we can’t help you answer all of these questions today, we can settle some of your concerns about the moving process when downsizing your home. Many residents come to Winchester Gardens from larger homes and choose floorplans that are much more manageable than their previous residences. Here are some of the must-know moving tips they followed.

Don’t Leave Home Without This Moving Checklist 

1. Start sorting your belongings Organize your items into three categories: keep, sell, and give away. Hold a garage sale or sell your “sale” items online prior to moving and donate your “give away” pile to charity, Goodwill, or friends and family. How do you know what to keep? Ask yourself what you would pay to replace if you lost it by burglary or fire. Anything you would replace, you should keep.
2. Start packing your “keep” items sooner than you think. It may seem like moving day is far enough away that you don’t have to worry about it for a while. Maybe you’re more concerned with holding a garage sale or shopping for the new place. That’s great – but don’t put off packing what you plan to take with you. Moving day can sneak up on you, and by planning ahead, you can avoid the stress that comes along with last-minute packing.
3. Use a floorplan of your new place to plan ahead. Before moving into your new home, take a close look at your chosen floorplan and match your belongings to certain rooms, if possible. That way come moving day, you can put relevant items in each room and avoid having to move too much and do additional sorting later. At Winchester Gardens, our Move-in Coordinator will meet with you to review the floor plan for your apartment or villa and help you determine how to arrange your furniture. Sample floor plans can be viewed on our website.
4. Move from room to room, starting with the least-used room. Don’t think of moving as a whole – think of it one room at a time. Quick wins are essential here, so we recommend starting with the rooms you use the least and working your way to the rooms you use the most. That way when things are packed away from lesser-used rooms, you don’t need them on a regular basis and can wait until after moving day to get them out again. Remember: the goal here is to avoid becoming overwhelmed!
5. Keep your new home in mind as you sort and pack. Because you are downsizing your home, items in one type of room at your current place might be going into a different type of room at your new place, so make sure to keep that in mind and label boxes for the new room, not the current room. That way when your belongings arrive at your Winchester Gardens apartment or villa, they can go straight into the room where they belong.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help – moving is a lot of work! You’ve probably moved many times throughout your life and know how time-consuming and physically-tiring moving is. That’s why we recommend reaching out to friends and family for support and help during this time. Offer to buy pizza and drinks for anyone who pitches in either before and during moving day. And think of it as some added quality time with anyone willing to help! Additionally, if you’re planning a move to Winchester Gardens, we offer a variety of services to simplify your move. Our Move-in Coordinator is available to help with realtor services, home staging, decluttering to downsize, and ensure your moving day goes as smooth as possible.

Enjoy A Fulfilled Retirement Lifestyle in Maplewood, New Jersey at Winchester Gardens

From the moment you step inside the front doors and take in the breathtaking, two-story Great Hall at Winchester Gardens, you’ll know you are in a special place. Don’t wait to start the next chapter of your life. Find out more about our vibrant living options and fulfilling lifestyle by contacting us today.