How To Downsize When Moving House: Top Tips 2022

There are a number of reasons why people choose to downsize, often dictated by finances or personal circumstances. If you’re thinking of downsizing, here are some top tips by our removal team.

What Are The Benefits Of Downsizing?

Releasing Equity

If you’ve built up any equity in your home, then selling up and downsizing is an effective way to make money. If, when you come to sell, your house is worth more than when you bought it, any surplus money will be yours once you’ve paid off your mortgage. If you downsize, this could leave you with a sizeable chunk of cash, even after you put down a deposit on a new place. You may even accrue enough equity to buy your next property outright.

Utility Bills

By moving into a smaller property, you will usually notice a reduction in most your utility bills. When you consider water, electricity, heating and council tax, these can all add up to a huge saving in the long run. Consider the location you’re looking at moving to as the council tax may not be as cheap as you think despite a smaller property.

Mobility / Access

Many people struggle with mobility or access whether it be due to old age or disability. Consider looking at making your next home a flat or bungalow as it could make life much easier. You will also find that many of these properties may already have accessibility aids fitted. You may also benefit from extra security with these properties as some will have gates / doors which require security codes.

Maintenance Costs

The smaller the property, the less you will have to spend on maintaining it. This can be a fortune when you consider just how much you typically spend on maintaining electrical, plumbing, plastering, painting, doors & windows and flooring.

Clear Out

Many struggle to have motivation for a good & proper clear out, however moving can be the biggest boost of motivation. Whilst it can seem daunting, making a checklist & attacking 1 room at a time makes thing easier. You could even break it up into sub-categories.

Preparing To Downsize

Start Early

Give yourself plenty of time for this process, because it will inevitably take longer than you expect. Take your time, and don’t try to sort through your entire house in one day or weekend. A couple of weeks to a month is a more realistic timeline. Take it one room at a time, and take breaks throughout.

Essential List

Without an essential list, you may find yourself deciding to keep too many unnecessary things. If something’s sat in your attic or tucked away in storage space, seriously ask yourself if you need to keep it. Remember, the more items you keep, the more costly your removal will be.

It’s important to allow plenty of time (ideally a couple of months) as it can take a long time for you to be sure about which possessions you will be selling / getting rid of.
Bare in mind, the more possessions you keep, the more costly your removal will be.
Group your possessions into essential & non essential to help with deciding what you plan to keep.
Check the room sizes in your new home and remember furniture sizes can be deceiving, so be sure to measure before hand.

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