Downsizing to a Smaller Living Space

Many people are downsizing these days, whether from necessity when they move to a bigger city or a nicer area, or from a need to live quieter, simpler lives. If you’re making a move into a smaller living space, you’ll get a chance to simplify your life by getting rid of things you don’t actually need. In the end, you’ll probably be happier with fewer possessions and be more organised. Getting there, however, is the hard part.

If you’re moving to a smaller domicile within driving distance, you have the option of keeping more of your own things. The next big task becomes deciding what out of all your stuff you want to haul along with you. And considering that you will have less space, whatever you bring will have to be useful and important.

Start by getting rid of anything that you haven’t used for a year or more or that is a duplicate of something else you already own. This includes books you’ve read once and are not likely to read again, cooking utensils and appliances that are superfluous, clothing you don’t like or doesn’t fit you, and seasonal decorations that won’t fit into your new place. Donate working and gently used items to a charity, give stuff away to friends and family, throw it away, or sell it for extra cash.

With the stuff you’ve got left, you’ll need to go through a further refining. If you have the dimensions of your new, smaller place, measure your furniture to see what will fit into the new space. Get rid of the rest.

Sort through your papers and shred old bank and credit card statements, bills, and other sensitive documents that you no longer need to store. Reduce your paper load to the absolute essentials. In cases where you don’t need an original but still need to keep a record, scan documents, receipts, and other papers and save them to folders on your computer.

Moving outside the country for work usually means you’ll be downgrading your living space. Furthermore, the cost of bringing all your stuff with you would be astronomical, so it's simply more cost-effective to seriously reduce your possessions. If you will only be living away from home for a few months or years, consider storing your stuff in self-storage units to await your return. If this is a permanent move, you may want to sell many possessions and start fresh in your new city.

Follow the steps listed above to get rid of your furniture and extra possessions, except that you will be ridding yourself of everything except what can fit into a couple suitcases per person. You can mail documents to your new address, but trust that you’ll find plenty of new stuff to clutter your life after your move and don’t sweat bringing anything with you except the bare necessities.

While you may wish to bring (or ship) items that are difficult to affordably buy in your new home (e.g. bed sheets and towels in Hong Kong), plan to buy most of your furniture and other household goods after you move. It may take a few days or weeks to make your new place into a cozy home, but perhaps you’ll be more mindful of what you bring into your life in your new space.

Spacious can help you find the perfect living space in Singapore, Hong Kong, or other Asian locations. With our extensive network, passion for excellent service, and reliable information, we’ll help you find a residence that fits your budget and your needs. Visit our Home page to get started house hunting in the Asian market.