How to Plan and Prepare for Downsizing Your Home

Buying Real Estate in Billings MTSelling Real Estate in Billings MT
Written By Natalie Davis

Welcome to Part 2 of the Downsizing Your Home Series here on the blog!

This series was born after I had a client go through a major downsizing of her home and throughout the process she kept asking really good, valid questions that I know that other people are likely wondering too.

Most of the time when someone decides to downsize their home, it’s a really emotional journey. 

Sometimes it’s because they’re empty nesters, sometimes it’s a widow situation, and sometimes it’s simply because a family has decided they don’t need as much space as they once did.

Regardless of the reason, a lot goes into it and when you throw the extra emotions into the mix, it can feel extremely overwhelming. 

But as your friend in real estate, I’m here to make sure that your journey to downsizing your home is as smooth sailing as possible. 

Throughout this 3 part blog series, we’ll be diving into:

Once you’ve made the often difficult decision to downsize your home, it’s time to plan and prepare to make it actually happen.

In this blog post we’ll be diving into assessing your needs for your next home, tips for sorting and decluttering your belongings, a downsizing timeline, AND a list of local Billings, MT professionals that can help you throughout the downsizing process.

The First Step To Take When Downsizing Your Home

When you’ve finally decided that downsizing your home is the right choice for you, the FIRST step is to assess your needs and determine the size and type of home you truly need. 

Many times, people choose to downsize because they’ve become empty nesters and they don’t need as many rooms as they once did. 

Other times it’s because they desire a more simple lifestyle and no longer need that huge backyard or other amenities that once were a priority.

Whatever your case may be, it’s important to evaluate your CURRENT reality and lifestyle and understand your new wants and needs.

To effectively assess your needs, ask yourself:

  • How much space do you realistically require?

  • How many bedrooms and bathrooms are a true necessity?

  • Aside from the basic rooms of a house (i.e. kitchen, living room, etc.), are there any additional spaces, such as a home office or hobby room that you’d still like to have?

  • Are there any mobility requirements, such as a single-story home, walk in showers, etc. you need to take into consideration?

Once you have a better understanding of your needs, it’s time to consider the location!

Aside from the logistical needs of the home itself, it’s also important to understand what’s still important to you from a location perspective.

So again, ask yourself:

  • Do you desire to be in close proximity to family and friends? What about schools, shopping centers, parks, or other facilities?

  • Do you want to live in a neighborhood or do you want a more secluded space that provides more privacy?

  • Is there a certain community or area that you’d like to live in?

Everyone's reason for downsizing is different, so the new location you choose will be specific to YOUR reasoning!

For example, if you enjoy social activities, you’d want to look for communities with active social calendars and events.

If you no longer need to live in a particular school district, you might consider moving across town to a more desirable area for your season of life!

Overall, prioritizing these factors will help ensure that your new home meets the goals you have and provides you with everything you’re hoping for when downsizing.

Once you have a clear understanding of your needs and have a general idea of the location you’d like to move to, it’s important that you get in touch with a local realtor so that they can set up a specific home search for you!

(For a closer look at what it’s like to work with me in Billings specifically, CLICK HERE!)

This will remove yet another layer of overwhelm because you aren’t having to do the searching on your own. Instead, you can trust that you’re in good hands with a professional and can then focus on the next step of the process… sorting and decluttering!

How To Sort and Declutter Your Home For Downsizing WITHOUT Getting Overwhelmed 

Decluttering is a fundamental step in the downsizing process and I’ll be honest, this step is what usually gets people feeling super stressed out!

How in the world are you supposed to declutter belongings that you’ve had for decades?! How are you supposed to make decisions on what to keep and what to get rid of?!

It can definitely be a challenge, but with the following tips my goal is to help you knock this part of the process out of the park and avoid feeling overwhelmed along the way.

First things first, start EARLY! If you know that downsizing is in your future, don’t wait until your house is listed for sale to start the purging process… start NOW.

The best way to do it is to begin with one room at a time so that it feels manageable and allows you to see progress to keep you motivated.

If you’re not sure how to navigate the purge process, I suggest following a simple method that involves 4 sorting piles:

  • Keep: Items that are essential, hold significant sentimental value, or are frequently used

  • Donate: Gently used items that you no longer need. When it comes to donating, thrift stores can be a good option, but you can also donate to local shelters or charities so you know your items are going to a good cause!

  • Sell: Valuable items that you no longer need. You can use online marketplaces, garage sales, or consignment shops to earn some cash for larger things that still hold value.

  • Discard: Items that are broken, worn out, or no longer useful. 

Use this method for every single room and most importantly, DON’T rush yourself. There’s a good chance that along the way you’ll come across lots of memories – whether it be through photos or significant items that take you back – and you’ll want to allow yourself to soak it all in.

A few pro tips to consider when decluttering and organizing your belongings:

  • Follow the One Year Rule – if you have trouble deciding whether to keep an item or not, think about if you’ve used it within the last year. If you haven’t, you probably won’t within the next one either, so go ahead and get rid of it.

  • Use a Labeling System – as you clean out each room and decide what to keep, make sure you label each moving box by room and the contents inside. This will eliminate any confusion as you move the boxes into your new space.   

  • Digitize Memories – it’s easy to want to hold onto photos, cards, letters, and other memorabilia, but these are often the items that become hard to store. To save space, consider scanning and digitizing your most beloved photos and old letters so you can easily look back on them at anytime. 

Local Professionals To Support Your Downsizing Journey in Billings, MT

Additionally, since this decluttering process is much larger than your typical spring cleaning, you may want to consider bringing in the big guns to help you out!

Hiring a professional organizer, decluttering expert, or other professionals can significantly reduce any stress or overwhelm that you might experience. 

If you’re local to Billings, MT, my top suggestions are:

The Ultimate Downsizing Timeline 

Finally, to help you stay organized throughout the entire downsizing process, there’s a timeline that I would encourage you to follow AND to help make sure you cover all your bases, I’ve included a checklist below!

Remember, this timeline is just a suggestion to give you a starting point. By no means do you have to follow this to a tee! 

  • 6-12 Months Before Moving:

    • Connect with a local realtor to start the conversation about downsizing so they can help you start the search for potential new homes and locations 

    • Begin decluttering and sorting through belongings using the method described above

  • 3-6 Months Before Moving:

    • Continue decluttering, focusing on less frequently used areas

    • Hire the professionals that are best fit for your scenario (suggestions above!) 

    • Begin minor repairs and improvements to prepare your current home for sale (your real estate agent can provide guidance if you aren’t sure what your home needs!)

  • 1-3 Months Before Moving:

    • Finalize your new home selection and complete any necessary paperwork

    • Plan and schedule the moving process, including hiring movers

    • Notify important parties (utilities, postal service, etc.) of your upcoming move

  • 1 Month Before Moving:

    • Pack non-essential items and label boxes clearly

    • Continue to declutter, focusing on remaining areas

    • Hold a garage sale or schedule donation pickups for unwanted items

  • 1 Week Before Moving:

    • Pack essential items and personal belongings

    • Confirm moving details with your moving company

    • Do a final walk-through of your current home to ensure nothing is left behind

Ready to downsize your home?

Overall, choosing to downsize your home can be an emotional decision, but it’s also the RIGHT decision for many people.

Once that decision has been made, the real fun begins!

The key is that you have someone on your side throughout the entire process to make the journey as simple, straightforward, and stress free as possible.

You want someone that can answer your questions, help you navigate selling your current home, AND help you find a new, better suited home that you love. 

This is why you always want to partner with a trusted, local realtor to help you do it right. Your real estate agent is the person that works with you from start to finish to make this process feel way less overwhelming and get you to the ultimate outcome that you truly want!

So, if you’ve decided that it’s time to downsize and you’re ready to start the process in Billings, MT, CLICK HERE to get started and I’ll help you get started on the right foot. 

And if you aren’t local to Billings, good news for you – I know people!

Connect here and I’ll get you in touch with a trusted agent in your area that can help you downsize your home with ease.

Natalie Davis
Next

5 Signs It May Be Time To Downsize Your Home (And The Benefits That Come With It)