People decide to downsize their homes for a variety of reasons. Many people prefer a smaller home with easier upkeep as they age. Others downsize due to divorce. Others look at the financial benefits of downsizing, including a lower a mortgage and utility bills or profits made by selling their homes. However, all people downsizing tend to have one thing in common: they have too many belongings to fit in their new home. Fortunately, there are plenty of great ways to deal with too much stuff. Read on for five creative ways to manage excess belongings when downsizing.
1. Sell Belongings You Won’t Need in Your New Home
For people downsizing from a house to a condo or townhome, it is likely that your lawn and garden tools, appliances, and supplies are no longer needed. Lawnmowers, edgers, snowblowers, and leaf blowers can be sold online, in a garage sale, or at an estate sale.
2. Gift Loved Ones with Items You No Longer Want or Need
Downsizing can present an excellent opportunity to gift your friends and families items you don’t need, want, or need to sell. Friends, family, and children may love the dining room table that won’t fit in your new home. A guest bed and frame may be a great gift for a young person in your life just starting out. If you do not need to earn money from selling belongings, gifting your items can greatly reduce the number of items you need to move to your new home.
3. Rent a Storage Unit
If you’re moving to a smaller home but don’t want to part with your belongings, a safe, secure storage unit can house your items safely until you want them again. Just be sure you find a storage facility with features such as temperature control, humidity control, pest control, and robust security features.
4. Donate Items to Charities
If there are items you no longer want or need and don’t know anyone who would like them, consider donating to charities, thrift shops, or nonprofit organizations. Organizations that accept belongings include Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and others. Sometimes, the organizations will even come to pick up large items, including furniture you no longer want.
5. Shred Unnecessary Paperwork
If you have boxes of old paperwork you no longer need, you should take caution to ensure that it is safely shredded to avoid sensitive information falling into the wrong hands. In Eugene and throughout Lane County, you can often take up to two boxes of paperwork to various banks and credit unions for shredding. Retail stores such as The UPS Store provide shredding services,
Downsizing in Lane County: Armored Storage Offers Most Secure Storage
Armored Storage, located in a residential area of Eugene, provides the most secure storage facility in Lane County. As a top Google-reviewed storage facility, Armored Storage offers security features such as an onsite manager, perimeter fencing, 50+ cameras, alarms on each storage unit, climate control, and pest control. With 20+ storage unit sizes, Armored Storage can secure your belongings for the short-term or long-term. To learn more, call 541-688-1301 or send us a message.