Considerations When Downsizing

There are UBC homes for sale that will fit the needs of any family. Still, many families find themselves needing to downsize into a more manageable home for convenience and location purposes. As a professional in the UBC real estate market, I wanted to say that I understand this need, and give some advice based on my vast experience to clients who may want it. Whether you are moving from a spacious house to a small condo or from a single occupancy apartment to a smaller shared space these tips should come in handy.

The first and most obvious step is to decide what possessions you want to keep with you and what you feel you can part with. Items that don’t fit into the new space can be donated, thrown out, sold or stored. If you wish to donate them, thrift stores like the Salvation Army can be a great choice for larger items. For smaller necessities like clothes, shoes, and toys, try looking for charities that give these items out for free to those in need. If you want to trash a large item that doesn’t fit in your regular garbage collection, call your local municipality to see if they offer a pick up service. If not, there are often private businesses that will take some items, such as old appliances, for free and refurbish them or use them for parts. Other garbage can be thrown out with the regular collection, but don’t forget to recycle what you can. If you have possessions you can’t possibly take with you but can’t let go of, self storage can be a good choice. Just make certain that the storage facility has a climate that won’t damage your possessions, and that it is thoroughly secure.

One space saver that is often overlooked is the size of your furniture. Aside from the obvious concern that pops up when trying to fit a fat sofa through a doorway, having large and bulky furniture can eat up living space. If you have an abundantly large bed or sofa, consider trading it in for something more manageable in the long term. Mounting items like flat screen TVs on a wall can eliminate things like TV stands and open up a room considerably. This and other strategies like high stacked shelving can let you take advantage of vertical room without taking up lots of floorspace. Other tips on decorating a small space to make it aesthetically pleasing can be found here.

Don’t forget to consider closet space! If you are looking for a smaller UBC house or condo for sale, that can often mean that you will have fewer closets and less space to store items out of sight. This should be taken into consideration when packing up clothes and other items you wish to keep out of the way. Once again, items you don’t use regularly can be put into a nearby self storage unit for future use.

I hope these tips help you downsize with ease!