Right now, the housing market remains strong as demand continues to be robust for all people interested in buying and selling in Texas. For some people who are looking at options, it’s because they are curious about downsizing their homes.
There are many reasons why you might choose to downsize your home. Some downsize because their income changes and they want to spend less on their homes. Others would rather move to a nicer, luxury area. For others, their kids have grown up and moved out and they just don’t need the space but want to remain in a welcoming neighborhood.
Travisso offers the perfect blend of community. Families, empty-nesters, and single working adults all call our neighborhood home. If you are considering downsizing your home, here are our do’s and don’ts to decluttering and deciding where to call home next.
Get Started Downsizing Your Home
1. Measure Your New Space
If you’ve already secured your new home, or if you know the square footage you are aiming to move into, you should begin by comparing your current area to your new space to determine how much needs to go. This will give an idea of what you can keep, what you should replace, and what you should do away with entirely when downsizing your home. You probably won’t be able to keep all of your furniture when empty-nester downsizing, for example. But, you won’t know until you start measuring.
Don’t have a space yet? Don’t worry, estimating can be a great place to get started. You’ll likely have an idea of the square footage of the spaces you’re looking at. Use that as a guideline to help you get started. Most of the homes at Travisso range from 2 to 6 bedrooms. You can check out our model homes, and use that as a guide for square footage if you are unsure where to start.
2. Choose What To Keep
First, you need to choose what to keep. Some of these items may be sentimental and some may be more practical. Just make sure you’re choosing wisely – which can be a difficult task. It’s never easy to seperate with items that you love or hold memories.
Try using a technique like Marie Kondo’s “does it spark joy”, can be a useful tool to guide this type of decision making. Look at the item, and consider does it spark joy in some way. If not, get rid of it. If it does, keep it for now. While this won’t work for every decision, it can help get some of the easier decisions out of the way.
In short, the KonMari Method for decluttering includes the following steps:
- Discarding by category: Categories (in order)- Clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellany), and mementos.
- Break a category into subcategories as necessary.
- Keep only those things that spark joy.
- After you’ve finished discarding, organize your space thoroughly and completely.
- Do it all in one go. Fully commit to decluttering.
3. Sell, Donate, Or Give Away
If you’re in the process of empty-nester downsizing, you’re probably investing in a new home and spending a good deal of money on moving costs. Selling some of the items you don’t want to keep can be highly beneficial, allowing you to recoup some funds. As the days of garage sales start to dwindle, apps like Facebook Marketplace and Offerup can be excellent tools, allowing you to easily advertise what you’re trying to sell in front of a large audience.
Remember that not everything is worth selling, so you can donate and still recoup some value through tax write-offs. Goodwill and other local charities can be great options for items that aren’t worth the time to sell yourself.
Local Donation Locations Near Austin, TX:
- Austin Habitat for Humanity ReStore
- Austin SAFE
- Salvation Army Thrift Stores
- Goodwill of Central Texas
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores
- Arms of Hope
Of course, certain sentimental items may be better to give away to friends and family. At the end of the day, you may have to make some tough decisions on what stays and goes.
4. Begin Investing
Begin investing in your new home, your new belongings, and the costs of moving. Address this early, and budget accordingly. Downsizing will ultimately save you money in the long run, but the initial costs may seem daunting if you’re not organized. So prepare ahead of time!
Remember: Downsizing is a good thing! While it may take a little effort, the benefits of downsizing heading into retirement should not be understated.
Finding a New Home at Travisso
Life at Travisso is full of fun with new adventures around every corner. Once you have decided to downsize your home, consider starting this next chapter of your life as a part of our community. Homeowners choose Travissos because of our location in Leander, TX. Leander is one of the most affordable places to live in Central Texas, it offers easy access to outdoor recreation, the city life of Austin, and the relaxation you desire. Explore the Travisso Lifestyle today!
Don’t forget to explore all our online resources to get you started on your journey to becoming a Travisso community member! Contact us with any questions or to visit our community.
