simplify life:
We have some tips and tricks for moving for you today! It all comes down to what I call “the best of the best.” It’s time to downsize your home and that calls for a simple and reliable method to use every time you move. We have so many duplicates in our lives that we don’t even recognize them all. Let me ask you some questions to prove my theory:
- How many duplicate cooking and serving utensils do you have?
- How many throw blankets?
- How many decorative pillows?
- How many drinking glasses?
- How many coffee mugs?
- How many sets of bedsheets and linens?
- How many extra sets of towels?
My guess is as you read the questions, you started to recognize how many extras you have. Some extras are a good thing. For example, we keep an extra set of sheets and towels for guests. But what you may not know, is that before we started taking stock of our belongings, we also had two extra sets of….. floor mats for our car. Two sets. Extra. Why? I don’t know. Even now I can’t figure it out.
Tip Number One: Assessing multiples
When met with multiples, really stop and assess your belongings. If you have two sets of something, the simplest method we know – and use today – is to keep the best of the best. When we have multiple sets of bath towels, and we do because we have multiple bathrooms, we assess the items and keep the best of the best.
If we have two sets of kitchen dish towels, we look for stains, wear and tear, general over use, and only keep the best ones. Sometimes we upcycle them as cleaning rags, sometimes we donate them. It depends on where we are in our stage of moving. Sometimes we don’t need more cleaning rags – and sometimes the donation center is only a mile from our home.
Tip Number Two: Let go of the rest
When downsizing your home and keeping the best of the best, we often find multiples of multiples. It should be obvious, but sometimes it’s not. I’m going to tell you a little story, and believe it or not, it’s true. It’s a story of three couches. Currently, we own three separate sofas. We have a gray one in our basement family room, a brown leather one in our great room, and a modular one in our apartment.
The gray one we bought to replace a red leather one we purchased second hand. We purchased it when our children were both still living at home and we used the basement family room more frequently. It’s an okay sofa – not the best; not the worst. To be honest, it’s comfortable enough, but the cushions slide off the base every single time we sit on it. Every. Single. Time. If we just use it for decoration it’s perfect. But who uses a sofa for decorative purposes only? Not the best of the best.
The brown leather sofa is amazing. It’s well worn, sturdy, and still beautiful after 20 years. But it is so heavy it takes four strong men to move it. We love this sofa. It has literally been with us for most of our married lives. But, when downsizing, we knew we couldn’t move it. And so its weight makes it not the best of the best.
Then there is the modular sofa we purchased from LoveSac. It is comfortable, washable, movable and configurable. We can purchase new covers when or if we change our aesthetic, we can throw the covers in the wash, the bases are storage, and it’s light enough my husband and I can move it without help. It is the best of the best.
Tip Number Three: When culling is not always feasible
Downsizing your home by keeping only the best of the best is not entirely feasible for everyone. Sure, we would all like to discard, donate, and recycle all the used up, less than perfect items we own and start over from scratch. But, since I’m not rich (and I assume you aren’t either), this isn’t always an option.
However, what you can easily do is to keep a running wish list. If you have two sets of something and keeping the better set still leaves you with a less than optimal option, start a wish list on your phone app, on a note pad, or even on post it notes. Then, as your budget allows, assess your list, determine which item(s) you need to replace the most, and start there! Eventually, you will have looked at each piece in your new home with a keen eye and will be sure to have only the best of the best.
Keep these tips and tricks in mind, and you’ll be golden!
I like a good list. I hope you do, too! Here is a list to get you thinking as prepare to make your move. Remember only keep the best of the best. Here are some items you may have multiples of. Think of this as an opportunity to give yourself a genuine restart. You’ve got this!
- Towels and wash cloths – donate the really used ones to an animal shelter
- Bedding – repurpose mismatches sets
- Decorative Throw Pillows – keep the covers, keep only the best inserts
- Throw blankets that have seen better days
- Tools you have duplicates of
- Kitchen utensils
- Dishes, drinking glasses, and coffee mugs
- Appliances like coffee makers, toasters, or blenders
- Cooking utensils you have duplicates of
- Personal items you didn’t quite like
- Beauty items rarely used
- Shoes, purses, winter gear – only keep the best of the best
- Furniture – why keep three sofas?
- Decor items
- Artwork
- Lamps
- Rugs
- Placemats, napkins, and table cloths
- Serving pieces
- Holiday decor
- Lawn and garden tools
We have another article on How to Easily Decide What to Keep When Moving. Check it out 🙂 While you’re at it, why not follow us on Pinterest? We have lots of tips and tricks to offer.
Why do we talk so much about downsizing and moving? I’m glad you asked! Here’s The Moment that Changed a Lifetime.
xo, Billie
Want more resources? Here you go!
Becoming Minimalist has a great article on this topic.
Apartment Therapy has 50 things to get rid of when moving
Wayfair has moving essentials for a successful resetting
