These were shared with us by Janice Landry of Transitions in Reading, Massachusetts at the NASMM 2003 Conference, and we want to share them with you.

 

10. START EARLY…END HAPPY

It’s never too early to begin the downsizing process. Begin by focusing on typical problem areas such as the attic, basement, garage, closets, file cabinets.

 

9. GET GENEROUS

Since you can’t take everything you own to your new home, now is the time to make arrangements to “gift” some of your treasures to special people in your life including and especially family, helpful neighbors, friends, favorite organizations, or church/synagogue.

 

8. SAVE YOUR MEMORIES

You may have boxes of old photos from every holiday, vacation and birthday party attended. What do you do with them? If you want to pass some along to your children or other family members, a scrap booking expert can take your photos and organize them for present and future family enjoyment. Thin out your photos, either by tossing the duplicates and those bad ones, or by separating them into shoeboxes to distribute to your children or other family members.

 

7. NEW LOOKS FOR BOOKS

Those of you who own large quantities of books need to spend time downsizing your collections. Books take up lots of space and are heavy to move. Consider donations to libraries or senior centers, or sales to used bookstores. Call on a book dealer for older books with potential value.

 

6. USE IT UP…DON’T MOVE IT OUT

Take an inventory of your canned goods, frozen foods, and paper products. Plan to use as many of these products as you can before moving. If you simply have too many of these items, think about passing them on to a food drive or pantry.

 

5. RECYCLE THE TOXINS

Take time to put together a box or two of household, yard, and automotive cleaning products, as well as paint, that are considered hazardous. Household hazardous waste is collected on the first Saturday of every month at the North Wake Landfill and on the third Saturday each month at the South Wake Landfill. For more information, call 856-6186 or visit the Wake County website at www.wakegov.com.  Not only are you doing something good for the environment, you will be saving money by not having to pay for removal.

 

4. DON’T LOSE TOUCH

Create a list of people, places, and utilities/services that need to be notified of your upcoming change in address.

 

3. FLOOR PLAN AHEAD

With a floor plan of your new place, cut out furniture templates to determine the pieces of furniture that will fit in your new home, and the best location of each. Knowing which pieces will fit in your new space will keep you from moving too much furniture.

 

2. PACK A SURVIVAL BAG

Put together a survival bag for move day. It might include personal needs (medications, eyeglasses, toiletries, change of clothes, important papers, etc); kitchen needs (snacks, drinks, folding chair, disposable cups/plates);basic tools (hammer, screwdriver, flashlight, tape, etc.); cleaning supplies (sponge, roll of paper towels, soap, etc.); and payment for mover – be sure you know which form of payment they prefer.

 

1. GIVE A YELP…ASK FOR HELP!

Don’t be too proud or independent-minded to ask for help. Moving is not easy and you shouldn’t do it all yourself. But don’t wait until the last minute to ask for help. Some of these downsizing steps take time to accomplish. Remember your goal is to move into your new home happy, healthy, and
ready to enjoy you new lifestyle!

READY TO START? Assisted Moving, Inc. can help with any and all of these steps. Take the next step and call us: (919) 845-8888

© 2003 Transitions, Janice.Landry2@Verizon.net  Reading, MA (781)942-1028     Reprinted with permission