Three essential tips to ensure a stress-free downsizing or decluttering process

Downsizing can be a difficult stage of life, as you come to terms with the decision to pack up and leave behind your family home for good, combined with the rush of excitement at the thought of the new adventures to come. Whether you choose to move into an apartment, retirement village or lifestyle community, you most likely won’t be able to take all of your belongings with you, which is where decluttering becomes important.

However, after decades of accumulating ‘things’, from children’s toys to clothes and accessories, to homewares and the drawer full of charger cables that almost every home seems to have, it can be extremely difficult to know where to start. Thankfully, we have a handful of tips to make the process as seamless and stress-free as possible for you.

1. Don’t leave it too late

As with any house move, downsizing is no small feat and the energy – both mental and physical – required to carry it out can take its toll on even the most able body. This becomes more of an issue as we age, as stress and physical exertion can both negatively impact your health. This is why it is vital to ensure you don’t make the decision too late in life.

The longer you leave it, the harder it gets, as your environment becomes more and more familiar, now that the threat of leaving it behind looms more prominently.

The best way to approach this critical step is to take it as soon as the decision has been made. Put your best foot forward and take the leap as soon as you can. Not only will this make it easier practically, but on a psychological level it will be much easier to wrap your head around the concept of change the less you delay it.

2. Prioritise personal items

Another major issue that arises when people downsize is how to prioritise items that are important and that should make the journey to the new place with you, and those that should be left behind or sent to a new home. If you fail to do this, you run the risk of simply taking everything with you, which means your new residence will be cluttered and overcrowded from the get go.

Meanwhile, others take the opposite view, simply parting with absolutely everything and starting again from scratch. While this sounds  exciting, what ends up happening is essentially extra costs to restock on basic furniture and a potential feeling of loss and disconnect from your new place.

Consider hanging on to a few special or sentimental pieces, because these will inform the decoration of their new space and immediately allow the new residence to elicit a sense of belonging.

3. Recruit some helping hands

The Beatles once sang, “I get by with a little help from my friends”, and this mantra can make the world of difference when it comes to downsizing. If you’re lucky enough to have a close circle of family and friends around you, make the most of the extra pairs of hands and call in some back-up – and why not get them to help with the decisions too?

Having someone to help you out, whether it be a family member or a professional designer, can enable you to establish real connections between your items and determine which pieces will work together in your new residence.