Downsizing in DC

Tips for Downsizing Your Home

• Declutter first: Before you even think of packing up and moving, consider what you'll be taking with you—and how much. Remember, downsizing typically means your home will be decreasing in size, so everything you own now likely won't fit into your new place.
• Keep things you want, use, need, or like to look at: When downsizing your belongings, you might want to get rid of all the things you don't actively use, but doing so might take away some of the "home" from your house—and make it harder to adjust to a new place.
• Don't save for others: It might be tempting to save keepsakes or memorabilia for kids or grandkids, but remember that items that hold value to you won't necessarily hold the same nostalgia for younger generations.
• Give everything a designated spot: Before packing something up to take to your new (smaller) home, consider where it will go in the new place. If it doesn't have a spot in the house, it doesn't have a spot in the box.
• Take pictures... and label: Taking pictures of your old home will help you keep the fond memories you've made throughout the years... just make sure you take some time to label these photos (and any older ones) to remember why you took them!
• Pare down on paperwork: If you've lived in your house for a while, you have likely acquired a lot of paperwork over the years—and it might've been a while since you last went through it. Odds are, only a small portion of it needs to make the move to the new house.