The Truth about downsizing
Downsizing is one of the most physically and emotionally draining things I’ve ever done, but it can also be one of the most liberating! We started this journey almost a year ago and although we are physically moved into our smaller space, the process continues. So instead of going online and searching tips on “how to downsize”, my goal with this blog is to give you the real-life version.
the before house
5798 Square Feet, 6 bedrooms, 5 baths
the downsize house
2605 Square Feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths
The “before” house had a kitchen which was great for entertaining with a huge island and endless storage. We had a finished basement with plenty of room for a workout room, pool table, bar, and a man cave. The 4th floor attic was finished and functioned as a craft room. There was an outside multi-level patio and even a pool and koi pond. Why would you ever leave, right?
It’s funny how all the things you love about a house can become the most overwhelming. The yard with amazing mature trees dumped truckloads of leaves every fall and created so much shade that grass couldn’t grow. The pool needed weekly attention or would be stained with brown spots (reason still unknown after 4 pool companies). The koi pond needed as much attention as the pool between filtration and algae issues.
My amazing craft room turned out to be 100 degrees in the summer and 40 degrees in the winter even with a central air vent. A power bill arrived each month in the summer that would blow your mind.
All of that, and then your typical home maintenance issues of a house that’s 10 plus years old. There were already rooms that we barely entered, and we were less than a year out from becoming empty nesters, not to mention having two kids in college. It was time to simplify.
The Five downsizing truths
1. Timing of Downsizing
Timing is a big one! Downsizing is a major life change and to think you can do it in one week or even one month will set you up for failure. It needs to be broken into large pieces; one room at a time, one closet at a time. Give yourself extended time for the garage and the attic, which I like to call the “clutter” areas. The longer you have lived in the house, the more time you need. We took 4 months and we had only lived in the house for 5 years!
2. Cost of downsizing
Downsizing, in the long run this is going to be a great financial decision but don’t forget to consider the short term expenses. Those fall into 4 areas: moving expenses, storage expense, selling costs, and new home fees.
Moving expenses
Our big moves have always been paid for by my husband’s companies as a relocation, so paying for our own move was an eye-opener! I got several quotes from moving companies both national and local. The difference was as much as $10000. Consider packing yourself to save money as well as getting 2nd hand boxes. We also had to consider the cost in storing our furniture with the movers until our townhome was complete.
Storage Expenses
In addition to potentially having to store furniture between houses, it might be worth investing in a small climate controlled storage unit near your new downsized house. It was time to be realistic and I knew that my china and holiday decorations (although very downsized) would not fit into my new attic. The plan is not to have it forever but it was a nice crutch during the transition.
Selling Costs
Here is some Realtor advice. There are closing costs and most likely repair costs that you will need to consider with the sale of your house. In some cases, it could be as high as 8-10%. Make sure you budget for that.
New home fees
Your new home downsized home will hopefully have a smaller mortgage than your big home, but there are a couple of other costs to consider. If you are changing counties, you could have a property tax change. Your real estate agent or loan office should be able to tell you that. Another fee to consider is an HOA fee if you didn’t have one already. In some condo and townhouse communities they can be steep.
3. Planning when downsizing
It is extremely helpful if you know what your new space looks like and how it’s broken up. In my case, I had a floor plan, but went one step further measuring closets and counting kitchen cabinets and drawers. There is nothing worse than unpacking boxes with stuff that has nowhere to go. This is also the time to think about which rooms and which pieces of furniture will have multiple functions. My guest room will also function as an office and craft room. The cabinet that used to hold the printer in the office now has a home in the kitchen where it houses candle holders and placemats. Decide what each closet will be in the new space because those may also have more than one purpose. My coat closet houses cleaning supplies, and my linen closet doubles as a utility closet.
4. Emotional Cost of downsizing
This may be the reason that most people put the downsizing process off. Nobody wants to part with their stuff. And the more space you have, the more stuff you accumulate. My advice is to watch a couple of episodes of “Hoarders” and then jump right in. You may need a backup (a friend or spouse) to help you really decide what needs to stay. For me. it was time to throw out the diaries from 6th grade and the THREE boxes of Rescue Hero toys I was storing for future grandchildren. My Sticker collection and 8000 cups with lids had to go as well. Five Christmas trees were probably no longer needed and 4 saucepans, 3 coffee makers, and 2 crock pots were probably also overkill. It’s not easy to toss, but I promise you, there is nothing I regret getting rid of.
4. Physical Cost of downsizing
Decluttering is the hardest part of downsizing. The physical act of going through your things is time consuming. Take on one room at a time. Create 4 boxes: trash, sell, storage and keep. The trash is easy. If it’s broken or outdated this is the box it goes in. The sell box should contain all the things that have value for someone else. This box took me the longest time. Books went to a 2nd hand store (this is where you can make the most money). Some higher end branded clothes went to a 2nd hand store. Large items (furniture, workout equipment, rugs, art) went on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. What was left was gathered and priced for a good old fashioned yard sale. I had a wine and cheese preview sale for my friends. Then pick a weekend with good weather, make big obnoxious signs, and advertise on all the yard sale groups online. The turnout was amazing, and it was fun to watch people get excited about my old stuff. The little bit that was left over went to Goodwill.
WARNING:
the garage is the worst!
Let me be brutally honest. I wasn’t sure our marriage was going to survive the decluttering of the garage. My husband, who loves to repurpose things hates to throw away leftover wood, knobs, etc. from other projects. He also has a ton of tools. In addition to that, the garage held 10 years of sports equipment from the boys. The pile was big! We called 1-800-GOT-JUNK, and just like that it was gone. As the truck pulled away, I cannot tell you how good it felt!
So here we are, a year later, thrilled to be in our new smaller space, surrounded by the things that made the cut. Life feels much more simple and we can focus on things that matter to us. I’m much more deliberate with new things that I add to our home, and when one thing comes in, one thing goes out. Are there still areas that need work? Of course! Decluttering is an ongoing process, but the big work has been done.
One little side note:
It would not be the truth if I said getting rid of everything was easy. There were two things that I wish we could have found a home for in our new home. The gas tank cabinet was extra hard because it was something Garret created.
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