Moving home isn’t always straightforward, especially if you’re downsizing to a smaller property and may not be able to take all of your current belongings and household items with you. Take a look at our downsizing tips and home self-storage solutions at SureStore. 

Why do people downsize to a smaller house? 

People downsize for a range of reasons. It may be the right choice for you if you have retired and would prefer a smaller space, or your children may have flown the nest and you’re selling the family home. Downsizing can also mean less maintenance is required. People also often downsize to a smaller property, such as an apartment or terraced home, when separating or moving to the city from the suburbs or countryside.  

Discover our downsizing tips for a stress-free move. 

Plan your Living Space

One of the most important factors to consider when downsizing to a smaller house or apartment is your living space. 

An accurate floor plan can help you to visualise how much space you will have in your new property. Compare your new floor space to a plan of your current home to determine what you can take with you and what excess furniture or belongings you may need to sell or donate before moving. 

Save Money by Decluttering

Declutterring before moving house can be a rewarding experience and even help you to save money. 

Although it can be difficult to leave your happy memories behind, organising your belongings into items you want to keep, sell, donate or throw away can help you to keep hold of the sentimental items in your life and let go of items that you no longer need or may take up too much space in your new home. 

Decluttering can help reduce house removal costs and save money on storage. You may also make money back on some items if you’re selling furniture or household items. 

Before downsizing, consider whether an item is a necessity or if you would miss it if it was not in your new house or apartment to help you decide whether or not it should come with you when you downsize your home.

Don’t forget, you can always borrow or rent items that you don’t require often!  

Get Creative when Downsizing Your Home 

Another of our helpful downsizing tips is to get creative. It’s crucial that your new property doesn’t feel too cluttered with furniture and household items and you have as much space for living as possible. 

It may be a good idea to replace some of your furniture, such as a large 3-piece sofa set, for smaller furniture like a love seat or a 2-piece sofa in your smaller home. You may also choose dining room tables or office desks that fold away to save space or even buy multifunctional pieces with storage or a sofa bed for guests if you’re moving to a property with fewer bedrooms.

Make the most of Storage Space 

Once you’ve planned your living space, decluttered and got creative with your furniture options, you’ll now need to focus on finding a place for your belongings and a way to make the most of your storage space.  

Fitted furniture can help to maximise storage space in your smaller home as well as shelves and hooks. Take a look at our storage ideas for small homes.  

Book a SureStore Self-Storage Unit  

Although it’s important to declutter before downsizing and to make the most of the storage space in your new home, that doesn’t mean that you have to let go of everything! 

Our home self-storage service at SureStore is perfect for those who have less space in their home and require some additional secure storage. At SureStore, we offer a range of storage units from 10sqft to over 200sqft in size, perfect for whether you need to store a few boxes while you move home or even family heirlooms and seasonal belongings you don’t have the space for. 

When you choose a SureStore storage unit, you can benefit from long-term or short-term solutions with a flexible managed storage plan. You’ll also have the peace of mind that your stored belongings are safe and secure as our self-storage facilities boast 24/7 CCTV, hi-tech intruder alarms and a secure, remote access procedure. Our friendly and experienced self-storage team are also available on-site to offer advice and assistance. 

Find your nearest SureStore location to discover our professional and competitively-priced home storage solutions.