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Edit your belongings to downsize your house.

Whether you’re moving from an estate to a downtown apartment or finally moving in with your significant other, editing your belongings is important. Moving from a large home filled with personal belongings to condensing your essentials into a cozy space can be tricky. As a result, getting rid of your extra, unused, or unwanted items is a must.

Here’s how to make downsizing your home and declutter your possessions!

Determine what you have already.

Take a close inventory of your belongings. Make three lists including big items you could live without, things you could replace, and your ultimate must haves. Your must haves need to go with you to your new home, while you get rid of (donate to charity, if possible) what you can live without. Let me know if you need recommendations of where to donate your gently used items!  

Take the small stuff with you.

If you’re moving, you may be tempted to give away or sell a lot of small items (clothing, dishes, décor). It’s a good idea to go through your stuff to get eliminate the items you no longer need/want, and keep what you currently use, or use seasonally (keep your favorite holiday decor, but consider unloading items that don’t have special meaning). Only sell or give away items that have no purpose for you anymore.

Go through all your boxes.

You may be surprised to find out that you’re hoarding knick-knacks, old photos, high school projects, and old maternity clothes. When space is at a premium, every box matters. If you haven’t used something in over a year, it may be time to throw it out. However, you also may stumble upon useful finds and items that trigger special memories.  If electronics are outdated, please find the appropriate disposal sites.  This is also true for chemicals and paint as well you may have had in your garage for decades!  

Digitize what you can.

CDs, DVDs, cassettes, videos, pictures, and other documents that can be digitized and saved in a computer hard drive which frees up a lot of important space! Once you’ve transferred your graduation video from 1988 or your wedding video from 1995 to a digital file, you can recycle the old tapes.

Downsizing your home is satisfying and rewarding in the end! It pays to have a real estate agent with realty tips and local expertise. Get started on your home search by contacting Jenn Blake Real Estate Group at Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty in San Diego, California at 858-663-6788.