Downsizing can be bittersweet. Maybe your kids have moved out and you no longer need so much space, or maybe you’re excited about making the move from a small-town home to a big-city condo. We’ve compiled our favourite tips from empty-nesters and recent-movers from around Sonnet to help make the process easier!
Go in with a plan
“ The first thing I do is to start taking note of how much stuff is in my current home and where it will fit in my new, smaller space. I find it’s helpful to take an inventory of my stuff (as tedious as that sounds) so I can gauge what’s most valuable and what I want to take with me.”
Brittany, Content Manager
Most of the time it’s
Purge with purpose
“ A good way to tell if you truly don’t need something is if you haven’t used it in a month or two (obviously excluding seasonal things like holiday decorations, etc). I found it helpful to visualize this by putting items, like kitchen utensils for example, into a box. If I haven’t taken something out of the box to use it over a certain period of time, I toss it! ”
Lori, Claims
Purging things you don’t need is necessary to downsizing – being mindful of things that you need-to-have versus things that are nice-to-have is a good start! Also, don’t feel like you have to get rid of everything just because it doesn’t serve an obvious purpose. There could be items that make your home feel like home, and you shouldn’t consider that clutter!
Another bonus of purging is being able to sell perfectly good items to make a quick buck. Take some pictures and
Measure, measure, measure
“ You sometimes forget how small your new, downsized space is – which can make knowing how much of your current stuff will fit tricky. I measured every corner of my new apartment before move-in day, that way I knew how much of my stuff would actually fit. ”
Lauren, Customer Service Hero
Another tedious task, but your future self will thank you for it. If you’re unsure of certain things fitting, measure everything before the move. It will save you from transporting something all the way to the new place only to find out it has to go!
Buy things with multipurpose
“ Things like storage beds and extendable tables will be your best friend when downsizing. When we moved to a smaller condo, multipurpose furniture and storage units really helped with the transition! ”
Chris, Advanced Analytics
With limited space, items that serve more than one purpose will help big time when it comes to downsizing. Smart storage will also be key, but luckily there are plenty of
Make sure you have the right insurance
“ Whenever you move it’s important to review your policy to make sure that you’ll have the coverage you need for your new place. The good news is your insurance company is here to help with that – update them on the move and they can set up a new policy accordingly ”
Mercedes, Corporate Underwriting Analyst
If you’re moving from owning a suburban home to owning a condo or renting an apartment, details on certain coverages can change between homeowner/condo/tenant policies, so it’s a good idea to make sure you still have the coverage you need!
Even if you’re not moving from a home to a condo, you’ll still need to let your insurer know, and it’s still a good idea to review your policy. Keep in mind you’ll probably receive a different price since