Utilize Storage When Downsizing Your Home in Ottawa

Finally! You’re empty-nesters. You’ve got the place to yourselves! But wait, you still have to shovel the walk, cut the grass, water the flowers, trim the hedge and the list goes on…

The solution: downsize!

Whether it’s because you want to travel more or do less work around the place, or simply want a less stressful lifestyle, getting rid of stuff is the key to a new beginning.

The Trend of Downsizing

Judging by the books: Marie Kondo’s, Spark Joy; Fumio Sasaki’s, Goodbye, Things; or Margareta Magnusson’s The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning; the blogs: The Minimalists; and the podcasts: Design Your Second Half, it certainly looks like you’re part of a growing de-cluttering and downsizing trend.

Something all these downsizing guides have in common is a belief that simplifying and streamlining the clutter around you, however you decide to do it, is going to getting rid of stuff.

But downsizing is not for the faint of heart. At first glance this whole project may seem overwhelming, after all it’s taken you maybe 40 years to collect all the vases, photos, tools, furniture and what not, around you. Where to begin?

Downsizing Tips

While it might be tempting to jump right in and start tossing things away, it’s important to take your time and think about what’s important to you. It’s a good idea to think of three main groups of things to keep:

 

• sentimental, family heirlooms–photo albums, trophies, mom’s favourite dishes
• irreplaceable valuables–artwork, jewelry
• nice to have items for your next place–furniture, pictures, seasonal decor (Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc…), seasonal clothing

 

You don’t want to make quick decisions that you may regret. You need time to consult with children and grandchildren, as well as extended family, to find out what may be important for them to keep. That’s where a storage unit comes in handy. These are the things you are going to want to pack, clearly label and store.

How Storage Helps Downsizing

Self storage allows you to access what you may need in your new place, when you need it.  In the meantime, it frees up valuable space and gives you time to assess what will fit and work in your new place. A storage unit is a smart way to keep your things for a short term or the long term. Not only is it convenient, but it also gives you a safe and secure way to manage your things so that you don’t inadvertently get rid of indispensables. A storage unit is great for essential items that you may just not have room for, like:

 

• winter clothes
• boots
• seasonal decor
• outdoor furniture
• tools
• shovels

 

Self storage is a great solution as you transition to a smaller home. It gives you breathing and thinking time as you make a lot of big decisions. Then once you do find your new place,  you’ll have time to measure rooms to know what will fit, so you’ll know what to keep and what to dispense with.

 

All of the gurus of minimalism suggest taking it slowly. Plan, create a sorting system, and attack the process of storing, purging, packing and donating in stages. Downsizing is not a quick process and it helps to have a strategy.  

First set up a system.

Step by Step Downsizing into Storage

Go through one room at a time. Start with the easy rooms, like the garage or the basement, or maybe the kids’ rooms. Have boxes or garbage bags with different coloured tags ready for each room: one each for keeping, tossing and donating/selling. Set up a space in each room. It’s also a good idea to have a checklist so you can keep track of what you’ve done with what. Now that you have an overall plan, you can go through the house in stages:

 

Stage 1: Purge the obvious stuff.  Go through and get rid of things you never use, duplicates, books you’ll never read or have read already, and unnecessary knick-knacks. This is probably the easiest stage. You can donate items to Goodwill, family, local libraries or groups like the Diabetes Society.

 

Stage 2: Group items that are extras. In the bathroom, this could be towels, cleaners, toiletries. In your closet, it might be clothes you haven’t worn in over a year, extra bedding you won’t need. In the kitchen, you probably have extra sets of dishes, several pots, pie plates, utensils. In the basement or garage, it could be tools, shovels, or painting supplies.

 

Stage 3: Decision time for what’s left. This is the more difficult round of downsizing. You might be hitting a roadblock when you come up against emotional, sentimental items. It’s not a good idea to toss a family heirloom that someone might ask for later on, so storage might be the answer as an interim solution.  Now you have to be a little ruthless. See if you can remove anything you won’t absolutely use or need. If you’re uncertain, remember storage is the answer. It definitely takes a while to know what you’ll need in your new space. You will need time to get settled into your new space. If it’s in self storage and it’s clearly labelled, it’s accessible to you when you want it.

How Acceptable Storage in Ottawa Can Help

Step back, take a reality check. See what’s left and look at the floor plan for your new place. Check out the square footage. Can you really take everything that’s left? Ottawa storage is there for you, so don’t panic.

The takeaway: downsizing is a process that cannot be rushed. It can definitely wear you out. Although it seems daunting, with a little planning and organization it can be done. If you have a system and a vision, the challenge is less overwhelming, both physically and emotionally. The important thing is not to take on too much at once, and storage is the smart way to help you pare down your belongings and ease your way to a smaller, simpler lifestyle.

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