Are
you thinking about home content
downsizing, moving, cleaning out a loved ones home in ? Where do you
begin? These top 10 downsizing tips by Joe Santoro and Nick Santoro
of Personal Property Managers are part of our best in class series of articles which will help you with the process. Personal
Property Managers, services New Jersey and Pennsylvania and specialized
in home downsizing, home clean-outs, estate sales, full service discount
real estate services and property management services. These tips and insights are especially important and true in the environment we are in today, with the global economy turned upside down, massive job losses, and the need for extreme social distancing due to the Corona Virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease. Additionally, during this challenging time in the Corona Virus and COVID-19 era, we help families that are unable travel or tend to their property needs by providing a true one-stop resource. We are focused on making life just a little easier for families during often difficult times. With Personal Property Managers, one call does it all.
These 90 videos will also give you some additional insights into making your life easier during the home downsizing process:
Downsizing support for Caregivers
Home Clean out and downsizing Services
Does my stuff have any value? Will someone want to buy it?
Top 10 Home Downsizing Tips
1. Write a list of all the items you love and can't part with; it will help you to discard the things that did not make your list.
2. Start going through your belongings at least three months before the move. Take some time each day, or a morning each week, to go through that jammed coat closet and overflowing filing cabinet. Make sure to take out all important documents. Put them in a safe place.
3. Get a feel for the size of your new home and the size of the room and compare them to your home. You may think you can squeeze in items from your old home into your new home and that may not be the case... so measure each room to compare and contrast.
4. Go through items in your home that don’t have as much sentimental value. Take the kitchen, for example; most people don’t need 10 mixing bowls and won’t get teary-eyed over losing a second spatula. If you’re downsizing from a house to a condo, target the garage. Snow shovels, the lawn mower, ladders - you won't need any of them. Please remember that when discarding unwanted items that not all trash companies or local municipalities will take items such as TV's, air conditioners, refrigerators, tires, paints and old computers. Check with your local providers and townships for more details.
5. Consider recycling or donating unwanted items. Recycle, reuse, sell and donate instead. Don’t be afraid to ask your neighbors if they can use any of the small items in your house (cleaning products for example) instead of just throwing them away.
6. Label your packing boxes... decide which ones you want to Keep or Sell or Donate. Just a rule of thumb... when downsizing...only keep about half of your current belongings. Charities are a great way to get rid of unwanted items. Some charities will even come out to your property and pick them up (depending on condition of the item as well as the size)
7. Don’t be afraid to ask others for their opinion. If you can’t decide whether to keep or get rid of a specific item, don’t be shy in asking for a second opinion either from family, friend or neighbor.
8. Be very mindful that when selling your goods, they will not sell anywhere close to what you originally paid for it.
9. Sketch out and map out a floor plan to prearrange your furniture before the move. This is another useful reality check. To start, draw plans if you don’t have any, and sketch in a furniture layout. Don’t wait until after you move to contend with.
10. Once you get to the packing stage, use a system to organize all of your boxes. There are many ways to help organize your move, but one way is to choose a color for each room and mark the boxes destined for that room with a coordinating color sticker. Another option is to do it numerically so each room will have a number.
Downsizing and home clean-outs can be a physically and emotionally draining process for anyone, especially when dealing with the passing of a loved one. Please keep this in mind. Often times we find that people are just overwhelmed and don’t know even where to begin. That's where we can help. Give us a call and we will take care of it for you.
We offer 6 primary services to help families or executors. They are:
Additional info can be found on this brief 90 second video or a full array of great tips and insights and video by clicking on our resource page.
For more insights, tips and videos please visit our Resource Page in the About us tab.
For more information on real estate or home downsizing please contact Nick Santoro or Joe Santoro of Personal Property Managers at 215-485-9272 or 908-368-1909. Personal Property Managers specializes in helping home owners transition from their home of many years into a new community. Personal Property Managers services Pennsylvania and New Jersey and offers downsizing services, estate sales services, home staging, discount full service real estate services via its association with EveryHome Realty. Learn more about Personal Property Managers from our recent News Stories.
