Decluttering Before You Downsize

If you are planning to move to a smaller space, there’s a good chance you need to get rid of some of your stuff so that all of your belongings will fit. If you are downsizing to a condo or senior living community, while you may not be losing a lot of living space, there’s a good chance you will be losing a significant amount of storage space (basement, attic, etc.). 

Here are some tips to help you tackle this project.

First, let’s talk about Death Cleaning. 

Death cleaning is the act of removing unnecessary things from your house because you realize that you do not have endless amounts before you leave your loved ones. I believe the term was first coined by author Margaret Magnusson in her book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning.

Death Cleaning is something that everyone should tackle at some point, but if you are downsizing, it’s a great time to put this advice into practice.

Also, the younger you are, the more energy you have for not just moving heavy things around, but for making the endless decisions involved in decluttering. If you can take your time and do it yourself, you may need less help from others.  

“To go through all the things that documented our life together by myself made me feel very lonely. My husband and I should have done this job together, starting at 65, maybe even earlier, when we were stronger and our health was better. But everyone thinks they will live forever.”

-Margaret Magnusson, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

Here are some questions to ask yourself before you start your death cleaning:

1. How much space do you have in the new place?

2. How do you want to feel in your new space?

3. What is your timeline?

4. Do you need to hire help?

Okay, now it’s time to start decluttering. 

Always start with your storage areas first because you are most likely losing storage space when you downsize.

(Tip: Do not start with the sentimental items. More on that later.)

As you go through your things, here are some magic questions to ask yourself to make the process a bit easier:

Magic decluttering questions:

1. Have I used this in the last year?

2. Does it fit my current lifestyle?

3. Does it bring me joy?

4. Would I rebuy it if I lost it?

5. Am I keeping it to make someone else happy?

6. Am I saving it for someone?

7. Could I borrow it from someone?

Even with these magic questions to guide you, decluttering can still be hard.

There are lots of fears that can come up when you are decluttering - fear of waste, fear of guilt, and fear of being forgotten, to name just a few. 

Getting past the fear of waste is tough, but I find that it can be eased by knowing that your donated items will be getting a new home with someone else who will love, cherish, and use that item. For my list of donation spots in Northern NJ, click here.

The feeling of guilt comes up most often when you are going through family heirlooms. For tips on how to tackle sentimental items passed down from a family member, please check out my friend Chloe’s blog: How to Declutter Sentimental Items After a Parent Dies . 

Lastly, let’s chat about the fear of being forgotten. When you are downsizing and forced to pare down your possessions, it can be difficult to decide what to keep. A great guidepost in this process is the concept of creating a Legacy List.

Legacy List is a term coined by Matt Paxton in his book, Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff. It’s the idea that you are curating a collection of items that best relay who you are to the next generation. 

“A great Legacy item is one that helps keep people and their memories alive, long after they're gone from our lives. Remember that an item's value lies not in the item itself - the item is just the vehicle for remembering someone you love and how they made you feel. That's why good legacy items are rarely the most financially valuable items. They're ones that are emotionally valuable.” - Matt Paxton, Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff

Keeping this in mind when deciding what to keep can hopefully make the process a bit easier.

Final words of wisdom…

Your house is not a storage unit. Keep the items you’ve curated for your legacy list, and then keep things that you will use and love on a daily basis.  

Death cleaning is the chance to recall the meaning and memory of your favorite items and create a legacy to pass down.

If you don’t decide what to leave behind as your legacy, someone else will.