Downsizing, and getting ready to move from a house to an apartment in Toronto, ON or elsewhere in Canada? There are lots of advantages to doing so. Having a smaller living space (and fewer possessions) means that you’ll be spending less time cleaning. You won’t have yard work to do and can leave maintenance worries to your landlord. In addition, having a smaller space means that your utility bills will also be smaller.
The task of downsizing in preparation for moving from a house to an apartment can seem daunting, however. Here are seven steps to a seamless transition:
Seven steps to make moving from a house to an apartment (nearly) painless
- Clear out any clutter
You’ll be “downsizing” your possessions in preparation for moving from a house to an apartment, and you’ll give yourself a huge boost just by clearing out the clutter first.
- Organize
Organize your possessions. As you do so, keep three baskets nearby; one is for possessions you’ll simply toss, one is for possessions you think you can sell, and one is for possessions you’ll donate. (The possessions you intend to keep can simply be placed in their current “homes” for now.)
- Sort (again)
It’s especially helpful to do the sorting process several times. What you can’t imagine giving away or selling on your first pass through will often be easy to let go of by the second or third time you sort through possessions.
- Take an inventory of everything you plan to take with you
As you continue sorting, you’ll begin to see clearly which possessions are important to you. Take an inventory of everything you plan to take with you as you’re moving from a house to an apartment.
- Measure
Measure both the rooms in your new apartment and the furniture you plan to take with you. Sketch a layout for each of the rooms so that you’ll know your furniture will fit.
This will also help you figure out how much room you’ll have in comparison to your house. If your new apartment, for example, has one-third the floor space of your house, you’ll know that you’ll need to pare down furnishings to fit. Similarly, apartment storage, closet space, etc., should be measured and compared to the storage in your current house.
- Pare down possessions once more if needed
Now that you know what your apartment will hold, do one final run-through and pare down possessions to what will realistically fit in your new space if you need to. Revise your inventory as necessary.
It’s worth noting that you can rent Toronto storage if needed. Storing seasonal items like holiday decorations elsewhere, for example, frees up valuable space for the items you need on a daily basis.
- Leave the actual packing and moving to someone else
Perhaps the most stressful part of moving is the actual packing and moving. So why put yourself through it? If you’re well organized beforehand, with a neat inventory that clearly lists everything you’ll be taking with you, it’s a simple matter to let professionals do everything for you. (And no need to hunt for boxes and packing materials, or scramble for truck rental. Everything can be provided for you.)
When you arrive at your new home
When you arrive at your new home, your careful planning will pay off. You’ll have a place for everything, and everything in its place, in no time. Enjoy your new home!
Moving? We’re here to help! Tender Touch Moving & Storage offers a full range of packing, moving, shipping, and storage services in Toronto, ON and across Canada. Contact us today to ask a question, or to get a free estimate for your upcoming move.
