Downsizing and decluttering your home, whether by choice or necessity, can be a daunting and overwhelming task. Many seniors downsize to a smaller home to travel or to move into assisted living; this can be very overwhelming. The first step is to come up with a plan, set goals and take inventory of your stuff.
Take a close inventory of your belongings by walking through your house or apartment and evaluate everything you come across. Go through every room, closet, drawer, attic and the garage, checking your belongings and decide what to keep, throw out, donate or sell. Only keep the items you will have a use for in your new location, whether they bring back memories or they are functional, necessary items.
If you find you have items you want to keep and just don't have the space for, consider renting a self storage unit. Self Storage units are typically rented month-to-month with no long term commitments so you can rent one for as long as you need.
Make three lists: Keep, Get Rid Of or Replace. The stuff you are going to keep will go with you to your new home, space permitting. If you do not have enough space at home, renting a self storage unit can give you the extra storage space you need to keep your most prized possessions.
At Elite Self Storage in Edmonton, we offer month-to-month storage rentals with no long term commitments. Our Edmonton storage units range from 14 sq ft to 150 sq ft. Rent only the storage space you need.
Your "get rid of" list, or bin, are the things you could sell, donate or should put in the garbage. If space becomes an issue, these should be the first items to go. It may be hard to get rid of certain items because they may still be in very good shape. If you haven’t used something in over a year, chances are, you won’t use it in the future and don’t need it.
Your "replace" list should be the things that you could sell and buy something smaller. This could be items like a smaller couch, dining table or entertainment furniture. If you don't have space to store all the items you want to keep, review your list and determine if you really wish to keep them or if you should consider donating them to a local charity.
Minimize the number of duplicate items you have and only keep your favorites. You certainly don’t need 20 of everything and this is true no matter how much space you have. Keep the items that are in the best shape and that are of a higher quality.
This is also a good time to go through your kitchen cupboards and pantry to look for expired food or food that you feel you won't use, or won't have space to store. Toss anything that is expired and look into donating the items that are still good but you no longer need. If you are moving from a full-service kitchen to a kitchenette, go through your dishes and cutlery and donate or gift anything you will not be using.
Take stock of the things that are actually important to you and ask yourself if you've used it in the past year. If so, how often? What would you replace if it were gone? It is a good idea to measure the furniture you plan on keeping in advance and map out a floorplan to figure out if your furniture will fit in your new space.
When making your floorplan, don’t forget to mark where windows and doors are as this will impact where your furniture can go and how much will comfortably fit. This will also make moving day much smoother as you will already know where everything goes.
Plan for reduced storage. Your new place may have less space for storing things like seasonal clothing, decorations, luggage, seasonal yard equipment and anything else you may be used to keeping in your basement or closets. For these items and stuff that you really have a hard time getting rid of, rent yourself a storage unit.
A self storage unit will allow you to keep items close, without having to get rid of them. Renting a self storage unit is a cost effective way to gain extra space and a great alternative to having to give up items that mean a lot to you. At Elite Self Storage Edmonton we have climate controlled storage units and drive up access storage units in a variety of sizes.
Be creative with your storage solutions. Under-bed storage boxes, door storage organizers, space bags for excess clothing and blankets, are all creative, out of site storage options in your new, smaller space. Take advantage of vertical space. If you can make use of your walls for storage, shelving is the best storage solution available for your smaller space. This will keep things off of the floor and out of your immediate living space.
Not sure what size of storage unit you need? Call one of our storage rental experts at 780-452-8242 to help determine the size of storage unit that best suits your needs.
At Elite Self Storage we sell packing and moving supplies for all your storage and moving needs. We have small moving boxes all the way up to wardrobe boxes, mattress covers, tape, packing paper, bubble wrap and so much more. Stop by our rental office today and pickup the supplies you need.
Our storage facility is conveniently located in South Edmonton, just off of 34 Street and Parsons Road. We are in close proximity to Calgary Trail, Gateway Blvd and Whitemud Drive. Serving Southeast Edmonton, Southwest Edmonton, Leduc, Beaumont and Sherwood Park.
Elite Self Storage Edmonton caters to your everyday needs for personal storage, household storage and business storage. Our indoor heated storage units are clean, dry and offer the security of inside access. Featuring indoor loading bays to keep you dry and warm all year long.
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