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Are you faced with downsizing to a smaller dwelling in your future?

Are you a little bit daunted by the prospect of having to relocate to a smaller place to live?

If you answered yes to these questions, here are 3 strategies, the secrets to downsizing your space so you can face your move fearlessly.

It’s all about being prepared for change.

One couple was ready to leave their 2800 square foot home for the convenience of a retirement community.  Of course, that meant relocating more than 75 years of achievements and memories into just 900 square feet of space.

These strategies helped them scale down their belongings to what really mattered most to them and to use what they already owned in their old, larger home to their best advantage in the new, smaller one!

And it all started with being prepared for change.

What are some of the difficulties people find with downsizing into a smaller home?

If it’s been a while since you last had to downsize your living space, it can be a daunting task.

Every day, more seniors are faced with downsizing their living arrangements either for health reasons and more monitored care than they can get living alone in their larger home, or for the sake of convenience and less upkeep – opting for lifestyle changes that afford more flexibility and freedom than caring for a larger house allows!

Strategy #1 Psyche up for the move by organizing and designating every item you own into a category.

Imagine your belongings and household goods grouped into 3 piles for easier processing. So strategy #1, organizing and designating every item into a category, starts with this question… what goes into the 3 piles?

Pile number 1 includes things you refuse to live without. That stuff is going with you wherever you go.

The second pile contains things you may be more ambivalent about. You know you can live without them but still like them and wouldn’t mind having them around you if there is room in the new, downsized location.

Pile number 3 is all about letting go. These are things you don’t love or need any more – especially if you no longer have room for them. This is your give-away pile.

Now, you may have some give-a-way's in your other piles, also, but those items are important to you and if they are given away, you may want to specify who gets them.

For instance, one woman I worked with knew she was ready to let go of her 1000-piece costume jewelry collection, but she really wanted her granddaughters to share it, rather than sell the collection.

Pile number 3 is most likely going to go to a local charity like the Salvation Army or Goodwill.

If you have items in pile #3 that may bring extra cash before the move, you may decide to get them sold before the move.

You can have a yard sale or tag sale, either with help from  family and friends, or by hiring a professional.

If you don’t want to go to that much work, send these items to a consignment shop to be sold.

Moving things into storage is a stopgap measure that allows more time to consider where the items should end up and will help relieve the anxiety of parting with some of the belongings until we can become less attached to them.

So, just to review, Strategy #1 Psyche up for the move by organizing and designating every item you own into a category, the 3 piles are:

It’s all about being prepared for change.

Strategy #2 Recruit help.  Every difficult situation in life can be faced less stressfully with help. Strategy #2 is about recruiting help… and it’s about more than just physical help.

No one should have to downsize a space without emotional support from family and friends. Ask for it.

Set boundaries if you feel you need to, for instance one man I worked with didn’t have family, but his church fellowship was willing and able to come to his assistance, both emotionally and physically.  His main concern was in being talked into giving up or giving away memorabilia he was attached to – fearing that his community would think the items he esteemed were frivolous.

We resolved his concerns by appointing an advocate from among his helpers and gave the advocate these key words to follow: if he flinches, don’t get rid of it.

The advocate helped my client get a storage lockup for the items he flinched over, and his stress was greatly relieved.

We did take this one step further… my client also agreed to consign everything in the locker for sale at the end of one year if he didn’t have a reason to pull it out for use in his new home or space for it when he did want to see or use it.  That way he was able to let go in baby steps and save money on a long-term hire of storage space.

It’s all about being prepared for change.

Strategy #3 Maintain a sense of adventure. No matter how old we get, a positive mental attitude about our changing circumstances will serve us best.

I haven’t worked with anyone yet who handled downsizing their lives and their possessions better than those who face life with that brave sense of, "Gee, everything is occurring as it should, to my advantage and for my complete delight! I wonder what great thing is going to happen next?"

Relocating into smaller digs is nothing less than an adventure!  It can be a scary adventure for some, or rip-roaring great fun, depending on one’s attitude.

These are proven techniques that will help you eliminate the anxiety, doubt and trauma of downsizing – even if that move severely alters your lifestyle!  They will help you solve your downsizing problems!

It’s all about being prepared for change.

My job as an interior redesigner is about getting you to a sense of "home" quickly, economically and emotionally, especially if you are downsizing, no matter where you live, what you decide to take with you or leave behind.

I’ll help you use what you already own, what you want to keep, to your best advantage in your new, smaller space.

Call (661) 397-8480 for an appointment!

Downsizing... It’s all about being prepared for change.

Copyright © 2003-2008 Debra Blackmon, Interior Redesign. All rights reserved.

Reprinting this article: You are welcome to reprint, copy or distribute this article provided this copyright notice and a link to www.debrablackmon.com is included.

Debra Blackmon is a member of Interior Redesign Industry Specialists and an Instructor of Redesign Concepts for this prestigious association that provides the "talent" for the Interior Redesign segments on HGTV’s Decorating Cents. She is an Interior Design Society Associate, member of the American Society of Feng Shui, and a relocation/move-in expert.  Contact her before your next move.