PEOPLE MAKE IN DOWNSIZING A HOME

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Oh sure, the reason you have to do it is a good one...

buying an RV moving to Costa Rica taking that great new job cross-country selling the high-maintenance house now that the kids are grown eliminating the expensive self-storage unit

...but the actual downsizing?

Ugh.

Besides the pain of actually sifting through every single item youcurrently own to get to you more compact future, you're worried you'llmake a mistake, one that....

costs you way more than you budgeted for this move leaves you wishing you'd kept different things limits your options later because you brought too much stuff

Worrying about what to do with your stuff keeps you awake at night, andit's starting to dampen your excitement over the future.

RELAX. Take a deep breath. We've got you covered.

Below you'll discover 10 of the biggest mistakes people make in adownsize so you don't have to learn them the hard way.

And be sure to read all the way to the end for an extra bonus that isgoing to help you get started on your downsize without stress orconfusion...promise!

Now let's get started.

You need to get rid of a lot of stuff.

Pass the Buck"Let future me deal with it. She'll know what to do on the otherside, and I can just cram everything I own into a truck right now.Surely I'll figure this downsizing thing out by then, right?"

Don't pass the buck to your future self. She's not any smarterthan you are now! She'll pay more money, endure more stress,and have fewer resources to manage it on the other sidebecause of the lack of action you take now.

Don't start your future with a to-do list from the past.

Rewrite History"Hey, look. It's the bread machine Aunt Sue bought me 5 yearsago! I can't wait to make fresh bread with it every week. This isdefinitely coming with me."

You will not magically start doing the things you failed to do inyour past. Don't drag those old intentions with you. Be opento something new when you arrive.

If you aren't using it now, you won't use it in the future.

Don't Make TheseDownsizing Mistakes!

Avoid these mistakes and you'll get to

your new destination with just the right

amount of stuff to enjoy your new future.

Stock for the Block"You can never have too many towels or sheets. Am I right?"

WRONG. How many of a specific item do you need? A smallerspace means less room for towels, sheets, blankets, pillows,beds, televisions, dishes, and appliances.

Determine what you'll reasonably use and leave the excess.

Choose Cheap Over Frugal"These avocado-green appliances may not be perfect, but it will bea lot cheaper than buying new ones! I'll just buy a new roll of ducttape to make them last longer."

It is not always cost-effective to take what you have. Whybring old electronics or appliances that will need upgradingsoon anyway? Save yourself the hassle and expense and buybetter or more compact versions when you arrive.

Weigh overall expenses against immediate savings.

Size Matters"Oh look! A box of photos from our honeymoon! We should gothrough these now. It will be romantic!"

Size matters in downsizing, and spending all your time sortingphotos or organizing utensils or knick-knacks is a huge waste.Better to carry a box of loose photos with you if you run out oftime than worry what to do with a couch or library of books.

Focus on the big stuff first.

Hard Sell"I don't have time to sell this stuff now, but I don't want to give itaway! I'll just take it with me and sell it later."

If you don't need that snow shovel in Florida, what makes youthink anyone there will buy it? The same goes for kid's sportsequipment in an active seniors community.

Get rid of your excess where you live now.

Outta Sight, Outta Mind"I'll just dump all this excess in a storage building and come backlater to deal with it."

If you keep one foot in the past, you'll never be able to fullyenjoy your sparkling new future. You're just delaying theinevitable, and paying dearly for the ability to do so. Worse,you might forget to pay and find your stuff featured on theStorage Wars TV show. How embarrassing!

It's not downsizing if you don't get rid of anything.

"I paid too much for this to leave it behind!"

Just because it has value doesn't mean it has value to you.Value is determined by the consumer, and if you no longerneed it, then it has no value to you.

Don't cling to what no longer works or you'll never be open towhat does.

Depression‐Era Mindset

10

The Short View

Wave the White Flag

"I love this giant sectional! It is so comfy. We'll find a way to makeit fit."

If you start downsizing without considering your final space,you'll never come close--and then you'll have to do it all overagain after you arrive.

You may love it now, but if it doesn't fit in your future you'llsoon hate it.

"Downsizing seems too hard. Maybe I should just give up this crazyidea and keep doing what I've been doing. The urge will eventuallypass...won't it?"

Will you miss your grand opportunity because it takes a littleelbow grease to get there? Don't let your future go on withoutyou! Avoiding a little discomfort now means alwayswondering what could have been.

You can't downsize regret. It just gets bigger over time.

Now you're probably thinking:"Okay, I now know

what to avoid in a downsize.So can you help me out on

what I'm actually supposed to do?"

Ready and waiting for you right now is The Ultimate Guide to Downsizing,and it's all free.

Discover the roadmap for a stress-free downsize that leaves you with theperfect amount of "stuff" in your life:

So glad you asked!

Wishing you much success in downsizing!

A simple mental exercise that will clarify the whole project before youstart--no more guessworkOne easy question to determine whether something fits in your newfuture or not--you'll never get stuck in analysis paralysis againA counter-intuitive suggestion that can save you a lot of money andheadaches

Click here to read The Ultimate Guide to Downsizing now. Bookmark thepage, print it out, or save it to your Pinterest board for your big move.

We'll be popping into your email box a few times over the next several dayswith more time-saving, headache-preventing, wallet-preservinginformation for your downsize, so be sure to look for emails from Warren atAn Uncluttered Life.