How to organise your downsizing move

Benjamin Franklin once observed that every minute spent organising is an hour earned, so we have some great tips that will help you prepare for the move to your new Living Gems home!

Will it all fit?

Remember when you moved out of home and had only the basics? Start with a thought exercise – what pieces of furniture do you really need? Consider your new life at Living Gems and the life you want to lead, then consider how much you need to bring with you (goodbye to all that fitness equipment!).

Some Living Gems homeowners decide they want all new furniture and furnishings to go with their brand-new homes and brand-new lives. But even if that’s not you, it is likely you will have household goods that will need a new home.

Grab the tape measure, take your Living Gems floor plans, and have a good look at your existing furniture to see what will fit.

If you find that you have too much furniture for each room, go back to basics and choose just one or two pieces that you know will fit, then design your new living space around these treasured pieces.

Now that the big stuff is out of the way, it’s time to sweat the small stuff.

Delve into decluttering

Once you start opening the cupboards and drawers you might be surprised (and alarmed) by how much stuff you’ve accumulated over the years.

Take the opportunity to rid your home of clutter and discover the things you really treasure.

Organisation experts recommend starting with the contents of one room that you’re not emotionally attached to – this could be the garage or the kitchen.

Start by throwing away anything that is broken or at the end of its useful life.

Next, identify all the double ups – who needs three can openers and four potato peelers?! Create a sell or donate pile. In the case of garage and shed tools, you might find they have a new lease of life in the Living Gems residents’ workshop.

Once you’ve worked your way through each room, decluttering as you go, create a project plan for packing.

Boxing clever
Your project plan should consist of a master list in which every box is numbered with a note about its contents.

Start by putting away items you’re not likely to use for the next three to six months – for example Christmas decorations when it’s July or winter clothing in December. Then pack in stages so the most important items used daily are packed last.

Assign each room in your new home a colour. When each box is packed, tape a matching coloured A4 sheet onto the box with the number and the room name printed on it. This makes it easier for the removalists (or helpful family and friends) to quickly put boxes in the right rooms to make unpacking easier.

When you arrive at your new home, check off each box from your master list to make sure nothing is missing.

If you’re not sure where to start, the website Move My Stuff has a printable checklist you can use straight away: bit.ly/3KcbNco