Looking for hints & tips for an easy downsizing move.

[Roselilly36]

We are moving from a large family home to a much smaller property.

We have a lot of stuff that we won’t be able to take with us.

Any tips for efficient decluttering and moving day in general would be much appreciated, it’s been a long time since we last moved home. So we are out of practice.

Thanking you in advance.

Hi - I am doing similar, well moving to a new property with no garage or shed. Have been sorting the garage today and been strict with what is going to have to go in to short term storage. Nextdoor app for my local area has been great - managed to shift some stuff - wind breaks, boogie board, directors chairs for free, outgrown bike helmet, etc. Nearly all 7 things I listed at lunchtime have been collected already. You can sell things on there too or if you have stuff worth ££ EBay is ok too. Just make sure your pictures are good, people don’t read long descriptions. Do Buy It Now and collection only for larger bits. Good luck!

@GreenTea70 thanks that’s a good tip, I am happy to give stuff away, so someone can use it. I will download the app. Good luck with your move.

I downsized a couple of years ago. As I packed things, I imagined what I would feel when I unpacked them. If it wouldn’t spark delight, I put it in the charity bag. I found a charity shop open Sundays which had easy parking, which made it easier to quickly get rid before I changed my mind. Things like mugs, I decided we would need 3 each and a few nice visitor ones and selected them first. Rest went. Took a long, long time. We were on the market 7 months and I spent many weekends doing this. Only one game went that my older children now miss, need to find one in a charity shop to replace it!

My MIL downsized from a large farmhouse to a 2-bed bungalow.

I think she used house clearance people who took everything she didn’t need (90% of stuff basically) in one go. It was a pretty no-hassle for option once she decided what to keep.

We moved from a five bedroom house to a two bed flat with garage two years ago. We decluttered one (old) room at a time over many months. Much went to charity shops, friends and neighbours, such as gardening tools. The dump did well too.
We decided it was daft to pay for things to be moved that we didn't need.

We'd also had to clear parental homes of decades of clutter when they had passed away.

Part of downsizing was to not leave our kids this truly awful task to do.

Finally with some, but not all, of the difference in money between our old and new properties we have had our flat renovated to our ideal standard in a modern, plain but high quality way.

This includes a dream kitchen, a walk in wardrobe, two new beautiful bathrooms, a total
rewire, new flooring everywhere, built-in cupboards and more.

New furniture will be purchased when the shops are open. It's been great fun so far.

I'm so pleased we did this.

I'm doing this at the moment and whilst it's been months of slog it is so worth it not to drag lots of stuff with us. I got rid of lots of stuff by advertising it on Marketplace on Facebook for free. I also hired 3 skips that were regularly looted. I donated bags and bags of stuff to charity. For plant pots etc I left them on the drive and they went. When you get the other side of this you will be amazed how little there is to move.

It's good you are getting organised, it broke my heart to have to give away so much stuff as I couldn't sell it in the first lockdown. I was expecting to meet my removal costs with the sales :( I drive past my ex neighbour's house regularly and see my giant log basket is in their garden. I had a large drive and ended up lining it with the things I couldn't take with me - everything went as I was on the way to the supermarket. Including my green waste bin containing my freezer contents - I had to buy a new one.

I'd recommend buying boxes from www.kitepackaging.co.uk as well as the dispenser and brown tape. I bought the 12 x 12 x 18 which worked for books etc, I was able to lift them. The removal company bought along gigantic boxes I couldn't lift as my arms are too short.
Friends numbered their boxes, rather than labelling, and had an inventory of the number. They put coloured post its on the boxes for the rooms.

I agree that Facebook selling pages are great, pre lockdown I met lots of nice people who did turn up on time, with the cash. Ebay isn't quite as reliable. Unfortunately the charity shops are now closed, you could sell smaller items on there to post.

Good luck. Try not to look at things for too long, and photograph anything you need to dispose of that you are very fond of, but just don't really need any more.

Thank you everyone, some great advice, I am actually enjoying the clearing, I am absolutely determined not to take anything that we don’t need/use/or enjoy. I know it will be worth it in the end. Thanks again.

We did this a couple of years ago. Start decluttering well before the move. After 30 years in the same house, we started with the loft and double garage. Get everything out of the loft, make three piles, rubbish, maybe keep and definitely keep. Throw out rubbish and look at the two remaining piles again. Resort into throw, maybe and keep. Don’t put anything back in the loft! Revisit the piles after a week and resort again.
Then find somewhere for the keep to go.
Do the same with the garage, and then use the same system with clothes, books and kitchen ware.
Having said that, our current garage has a few unopened boxes and a couple of bits of furniture we can’t fit in!