A Smoother Relocation Begins With the Space Ahead 

Moving and downsizing preparations

Instead of focusing on what needs to go in your current space, start the decluttering and decision-making process by focusing on your new space. Ask for the floor plan, take measurements, and learn about any regulations and requirements before moving in so you can accurately envision which items will fit and what will work best in your new space. For example, that large dining table may have a lot of sentimental value but will likely feel overwhelming in a much smaller space.

Knowing what you have room for makes deciding what to keep easier. It can also help you avoid bringing too many things with you, only to have to sort through boxes when you arrive.

Once you know what will fit, it’s easier to make a list, room by room, that includes:

• furniture and other items you need
• your most meaningful keepsakes
• items to give away, sell, donate, or recycle
• items that need to be stored for a period of time
• items to throw away responsibly

Planning and organization make moving easier for everyone. Having a plan benefits the entire moving process, especially for busy families, older adults, and others dealing with a major life change that is full of big emotions. Instead of facing dozens of decisions all at once – What are we taking? Who’s helping us pack? Will all of our furniture fit? What do we do with everything we’re leaving behind? – you break moving down into smaller, more manageable tasks and everyone can be on the same page.

Downsize Without Erasing Memories

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed by the idea of downsizing. From a cabinet full of holiday dishes to a stack of old letters, our things hold memories and can represent routines, phases, and people. That makes deciding what to let go of hard, even when we know we won’t use or need our things in our new situation.

One helpful tactic is to separate usefulness from sentimentality. You may want to take pictures of certain items, pass certain items on to family members, or choose a few representative items from a category instead of bringing everything with you. That way you can still honor your memories without keeping everything.

Decluttering and making decisions about your stuff doesn’t need to happen all at once. Try breaking things up into smaller time-limited decluttering sessions (declutter a drawer or a closet, etc.) and limit decisions to keep/release/maybe so you don’t get stuck and stall out.

Skip This If the Move Is Temporary

An exception to downsizing: If you’re moving temporarily but keeping your things (i.e., your home will remain furnished while you’re gone), it’s likely you won’t need to declutter and downsize as extensively. In this case, focus on figuring out what you’ll need during your temporary living situation.

Build Flexibility Into the Timeline

Checklists are helpful, but they don’t always reflect real life. Your moving-in date might have to change, your family’s availability may be limited, your new place may need to be cleaned or repaired before you can move in, and so on.

Try to build in milestones and checkpoints along the way (Travel + Leisure spells this out at travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/moving-checklist) instead of just one due date at the end. Consider checkpoints like:

Packed household moving boxes

1. Explore the new space and take measurements
2. Start sorting through your things and make a plan for items you’re getting rid of
3. Pack up items you won’t need right away
4. Nail down transportation and logistics so you’ll be able to get into your space on moving day
5. Set up your most necessary space(s) before unpacking everything

Remember to factor in extra time to handle medications, important records, utilities, paperwork, and other details that are easy to forget, like forwarding mail and updating your address. On moving day, pack an easily accessible go-bag with medications, chargers, important documents, keys, and a few changes of clothes so you’re not digging through boxes to find the things you need most.

Pinpoint the Help You Need

Some people need help lifting and driving to their new place and that’s it. Others need help decluttering, packing, arranging pickups/donations, renting storage, emptying a home, or unpacking at their new place. Take inventory of where you think you need help (the Caring Transitions service page is at https://www.caringtransitions.com/service/relocation-services/houston-tx for reference).

Be realistic about what you can take on, factoring in your energy level, timeline, and any physical limitations. Consider how long certain tasks may take, for example, packing up a kitchen full of dishes, specialty cookware, and pantry items can take a long time. Are there any attics, garages, or storage units that need to be emptied?

Start With the New Space

When are you going to start downsizing and preparing for your move? The best first step is to measure and get a sense of the dimensions of your new space and an idea of what will and won’t fit in it. From there, start making a list of things you want/need to do with dates and assign tasks to make sure everything gets taken care of.

If you haven’t started yet, jot down these three things that will need to be taken care of first:

1. Your important documents
2. A list of important phone numbers and contacts
3. A plan for what you’re going to do with the things you’re not taking with you