by PrincessNike

Created on: October 21, 2008   Last Updated: November 23, 2009

The secret to successfully downsizing your home is to have a plan. Downsizing is the newest trend in homeownership: some older couples no longer need their children's bedrooms, others just want their home to feel cozier, some people downsize their home in an effort to simplify their lives, and others do so for economic reasons. Whatever the reason for downsizing, homeowners reap all the benefits of small home, including lower utility bills, lower mortgages, and less time, effort, and money spent on upkeep. The hardest part about downsizing is deciding what to keep. Planning ahead ensure that you will have everything you need, will keep what is important, and that everything you keep fits in your new home.

STEP ONE: THE NEW HOME

When you see your new downsized home, take the opportunity to measure everything. Make note of window heights and door widths. Note views through windows and natural traffic patterns. Make a map of the floor plan. Take pictures of features, windows, doorway, and natural focal points. Get color swatches if available.

Note the size, height, and depth of cabinets in baths and kitchens. Take pictures and measurement of any built-ins. Write down ceiling and moulding heights. Measure how far out the baseboards jut and how tall they are. Take pictures of everything. Did I mention measuring and taking pictures of your new downsized home?

This may seem extreme, but in order to make well-informed decisions about your furnishings, you really need to know exactly how much space you will have in your new downsized home.

STEP TWO: WHAT YOU LOVE

Back at your old home, go through every room and write down everything you own. This will also come in handy when you insure your new downsized home. Do not list your stuff by which room it is currently in, but by object type: furniture, lighting, accessories, art, etc. For furniture and any other large objects, measure its height, width, and depth.

Look at your list: what objects do you love the most? Star or highlight these objects. No more than 25 percent of each object type should be chosen. Now is the time to make value judgments. Do not consider how useful anything is: we will get to that later. Just pick out your favorite stuff. We will found a place for all of these in your new downsized home.

STEP THREE: WHAT YOU NEED

What do you need to live? A place to eat, to sleep, to read, to entertain, to watch television, to write letters, to use a computer, and a place for any other activity you do at home.

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