“I am Moving to a Smaller NYC Apartment” – How to Downsize Efficiently?

Minimalism is in.

Researched, written by Amber & The Team
Updated on December 16, 2022

Found in Healthy Home • Traveling & Relocating

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Minimalism is in. Perhaps all the hoarding programs are to blame. Perhaps it’s because we no longer rely on the dozen or so other technological devices that we did before our cell phones. Perhaps the cost of space itself has more to do with it these days. Just take a look at the trend for compact houses.

Less is more these days for many individuals, especially renters: more space, more time, and more money. If you rent an apartment, there’s a high possibility you move around a lot since you’re constantly looking for a better, cheaper, or closer job or family location. If you’ve moved around a lot, you probably already know how much harder it is to move when there is more to carry.

You’re not alone if you find it all intimidating, but maybe these suggestions can help guide you in the right direction. Today, Safebound Moving & Storage talks to us about downsizing.

What is Downsizing?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines downsizing as “the practice of moving to a smaller home, usually because your home has become too large for you or as a way of saving money.”

How To Downsize To a Smaller Home?

1. Imagine your new home

Action is preceded by inspiration. The first step in your downsizing strategy should be to decide how you want your living area to appear and feel. Look at interior photography online if you need some outside stimulation. There is a ton of this stuff on Pinterest and Instagram, and while some may be fantastical, it could be just the motivation you need to get up and begin moving.

If you’re getting ready to relocate, ask the landlord or property manager if you may make at least one more visit to understand the area and its possibilities better. As you think of ways to make the most of your new living space, take lots of photos and videos so you have much to work with. Roughly 30% of renters ask for second tours, which are nearly always granted. Request copies of the images they have on file if a property manager refuses to schedule a second visit and has removed the live listing with photographs to aid in your spatial reference.

2. Determine What Remains

It could be simpler to pick what you want to preserve first before deciding what you need to get go of. There’s a significant probability that the things you need are far outnumbered by the ones you don’t, and downsizing is the aim rather than cutting. Things become clearer after you’ve chosen the necessities. The cross-country moving service also becomes significantly cheaper when you have fewer items.

What is it that you depend on daily or frequently enough that its absence would cause a disruption in your routine? You’ll only wind up acquiring another one later, so don’t get rid of things you need, like your television and dresser. However, you could have a second, smaller dresser that is unnecessary in a studio apartment but might make sense in a larger home. Possibly keep your TV, but throw out those outdated DVDs. Director’s edits and box sets may exist, but do you utilize them? Even so, do you have a DVD player? Do you utilize your DVD player if you have one?

Investigate your kitchen. Verify every cabinet and drawer. How many of these tools and gadgets do you use regularly? How many complete sets of dishes do you own? You don’t need more than one of most things if you live alone or with a spouse, so duplicate goods should be top candidates for removal.

3. Consolidate

Be not deterred if this sounds like a cliche organizing trick. Consolidating undesirable goods is beneficial once you decide what remains and what goes. Your issue will be much simpler to understand after that is completed because everything will be in one location.

You are welcome to arrange items in a corner, but preferably, you should use bags or plastic containers. Bins are preferable since they facilitate better item organization, are frequently transparent, and may frequently be put on the list of things you don’t actually need. You must be cutting staff. Why keep all those containers around?

4. Earn Money From Junk

What is useless to one person may be valuable to another. Don’t undervalue some of the garbage you have accumulated. Outdated DVDs of yours? Someone is eager to pay money for your copy of Apocalypse Now Redux because they believe DVDs are superior to Blu-Rays. This individual may even live in your neighborhood. They could also require a small dresser. To store their DVDs, of course.

We are in the heyday of pedestrian marketplaces. Never before have buying and selling secondhand products without the assistance of a middleman been so simple. It would be foolish not to attempt to monetize your garbage when there are services and websites like OfferUp, Craigslist, NextDoor, and Facebook Marketplace.

Consider the broad picture first: what bulky things do you need to remove? Even secondhand furniture sells swiftly in the online peer-to-peer market. That includes extra lights, chairs, bed frames, and dressers. Next, think about the electronics and entertainment gear you own.

Even old devices are known to sell, whether it be an old gaming console, smartphone, or sound system that you haven’t used in years. Last but not least, you could own collectible items like vintage toys or books that, if sold in the correct market, might bring in a sizable sum of money. When in doubt, look on eBay, which is often a reliable indicator of collectibles’ worth.

5. Donate your garbage

When you think you’ve used up all of your liquidatable junk, you’ll likely still have more lying around, including items with a definite lack of value like cute coffee mugs, spoons, worn-out cables, plastic sunglasses, worn clothing, and electronics that are so outdated and useless that nobody is looking for them on OfferUp. Or maybe you overlooked tip #3 because you didn’t want to deal with the trouble of selling your used items and weren’t motivated enough by the minimal money it may bring in. Things might be time to pack it up and head to the thrift shop in either scenario.

Depending on where you live, there should be at least one sizable thrift store whose proceeds go to a charitable cause. These stores will gladly accept your items with no questions asked. They probably won’t care if everything is put into a single trash bag without even the most basic organizing. After all, they are receiving it at no cost.

After years of clinging to whatever came along, many of us are only now attempting to reduce. Cables galore, wicker baskets, and that cat-damaged chair that’s still kind of comfy. It may be challenging to let go of our stuff, and sometimes we are unsure of where to begin, but ultimately it becomes necessary to downsize for one reason or another, whether we are moving into a smaller area or are just in urgent need of less.