Tips for downsizers: how to transition into your new home

As we enter the start of a new year and new decade, many of us have a fresh list of resolutions and goals that we’re hoping to achieve, whether it be embarking on a new fitness journey or perhaps even starting a hobby. For those who might be considering downsizing their property in 2020, what better time to transition into your new lifestyle than now!

Waterline Place is the ultimate address in Williamstown for downsizers with premium apartment and townhome precincts to suit a range of buyer needs. Here are our top tips to help you make the leap and downsize.

Move smarter, not harder.

This saying is one usually applied to the workplace however it works just as well in the context of downsizing. Take inventory of your belongings. Do you really need three coffee machines? Chances are that by taking stock of what you’ve actually got, you’ll be able to sell, donate or dispose of a number of duplicate items and clutter that you didn’t even realise you have. This will ensure you’re not taking unnecessary items into your new home and your new lifestyle. A minimalist approach to moving will also save you on the hire costs of big moving trucks.

Digital marketplaces are your friend.

Once you’ve gotten through the big task of de-cluttering, it’s time to get those unused items off your hands by either donating or selling them. It can be hard to watch your once-loved family items being discarded, so what better way to get rid of them than by rehoming valued possessions with someone who will love them just as much. This is where websites like eBay, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace come in handy! Enlist your friends and family to help you take photos of items and post them on the most relevant website. You may earn a buck or two.

Get creative with your storage space

There is no need to hire out an external storage space for the household items that you cannot part with. Instead, work with the space that you have in your new home. There are some unique and practical ways to store your belongings, if you’re creative. Some of these include, opt for a bedhead with a built-in storage unit or drawers, wall mount your coat rack or book shelf, build storage into the ottoman at the end of your bed or window seat, hang shoe racks and jewellery organisers or invest in custom, built-in shelving.

Go paper-less

Keeping hard copies of documents everywhere is not only bad for the environment, but it can be messy and take up precious space. With so many options out there for digital storage at the click of a button, it’s a no-brainer. Programmes such as Google Drive, Dropbox and iCloud ensure that any document you might need is filed away in a secure place, while still being easily accessible from the palm of your hand, whenever you need it.