Minimalist Checklist: How to Downsize with an Estate Sale
Downsizing in any capacity can be a daunting task to take on. Whether you’re moving from one home to another, have accumulated more clothes than your closet can handle, or simply want to start fresh, decluttering is the best way to start living a new way of life. One of the easiest ways to remove items from your home that no longer serve a purpose is to host an estate sale.
Estate sale companies can assist in the downsizing process by evaluating the value of possessions and facilitating the selling process, including online options.
At Blue Moon Estate Sales, we can help you downsize in days! With over 10 years of successfully planning, staging, and promoting estate sales, our experts can guide you through the most beneficial ways to start fresh and have a minimalist mindset.
The Benefits of Downsizing
Maintaining a state of harmony between yourself and your home provides a range of benefits that are backed by science. First and foremost, decluttering reduces stress levels drastically. Messy spaces mean more cleaning in the future. This means the mess continues to grow over time, and so does the mental weight of knowing your home is never fully clean. Client testimonials highlight the benefits of downsizing, emphasizing the positive experiences and emotional relief it brings.
Additional benefits include:
- Helps fight depression
- Makes it easier to focus
- Leads to better eating habits
- Improves air quality
Cut Back on Clutter
We know it well, the infamous mystery drawer. There’s always one drawer or cabinet in every home that acts as a catch-all. Some call it a junk drawer, others call it a hodgepodge. Regardless of how it’s referenced in your home, it’s the area where items enter and are never seen again. Don’t let your home become a catch-all for items you no longer need or use. Instead, cut back on the clutter, reduce your environmental footprint, and live a simpler life.
While downsizing, it's crucial to preserve family heirlooms and ensure these cherished items find new owners who appreciate them.
Start Immediately
One of the most common mistakes homeowners make when attempting to declutter their home is procrastination. What sounds like a great idea at the moment can quickly become an “I’ll do it tomorrow” problem. This is especially stressful during a time when you must vacate your home for a move in a timely manner.
Rather than putting off your downsizing attempts for another day, start as early as you can to provide yourself with enough time for a break. You’ll quickly realize you don’t feel as rushed to get things done, and you can comb through each item with care—feeling confident you made the right decision during the estate sale process. Many estate sale companies offer a free consultation to help you get started, providing personalized attention and tailored project plans.
Address One Room at a Time
Tackling a complete home decluttering project can seem like an impossible task, but there is a way to make it feel less overwhelming. First and foremost, focus on one room at a time. Trying to tackle multiple rooms at once can quickly become exhausting and confusing, but when you focus on a single room, you’re able to manage the process more effectively. Estate sale companies understand the unique situation of each client and tailor their services accordingly to meet specific needs.
Additionally, create small tasks in each room. Perhaps you start with the closet and make your way to the dressers and nightstands, or focus on the clothes first and then trinkets and books. Deciding on items to donate or sell from a section of the room will make the entire downsizing process go much more smoothly.
Categorize Your Items
Here comes the most difficult part of the downsizing process: determining what will stay and what will go. Sort your belongings into three categories: keep, trash, and donate/sell. Take careful consideration of each item before deciding which pile it belongs in. Clothing, for example, has a general rule of thumb—if you haven’t worn it in the last six months, chances are you won’t wear it in the next six months. Follow this rule for the remaining items in your home in terms of use and wear, and eliminate items that are no longer of value to you. Estate sale companies can help clients understand the market value of items, ensuring they are sold at fair prices.
Duplicates Aren’t Necessary
Have you ever wondered why you have 8 bottle openers lying around in your kitchen? Don’t worry, we wonder the same thing in our own homes. Duplicate items are easily acquired but are rarely discarded. Downsizing is the perfect opportunity to get rid of these duplicates and free up space for more useful items. Consider using online auctions as a method for selling these duplicate items.
Downsize Easily with a Blue Moon Estate Sale
Moving can be a lot of hard work, but eliminating valuables you no longer need shouldn’t be. With the help of Blue Moon Estate Sales, we can do the heavy lifting for you. Once you’ve gone through your belongings and determined what’s coming with you and what should stay, our professionals will come in and organize your estate sale. Blue Moon Estate Sales handles all the money involved in the estate sale process, relieving you of the stress of negotiating prices and dealing with monetary exchanges. We’re able to explain what items have the best resale value and what should be donated to your local thrift shop, assisting in additional decluttering.
If you’re ready to host an estate sale and better your living conditions by removing items you’ve held onto for years, find a Blue Moon near you to get started.
The Professional Estate Sale Company You Need
Blue Moon Estate Sales has been providing residential, commercial, and moving estate sale services since 2009, consistently exceeding our client’s expectations both in service and compassion. We have locations all across the United States and are ready to help you create the life you’ve always dreamed of living. We also prepare homes for prospective buyers by offering services like estate clean-outs and decluttering, making houses presentable and inviting. Visit bluemoonestatesales.com/have-an-estate-sale to get started.