What You Need To Know To Make Upsizing or Downsizing Your Home Simple
You surely know somebody who, in the past year and a half, headed for the suburbs or “the country” during Covid. They needed more space, wanted to get away from the crowds, or just decided to make that final switch to suburban life full time. Others sold bigger family homes due to attractive real estate pricing (25% increase!), tighter economic situations or, again, a lifetime goal.
In Order to Succeed has great ideas to make your upsizing or downsizing move even simpler. We look at this professional packing and moving service as three projects – The Sell, The Move, and The Better Home.
1. The Sell (Home Organizing and Staging Your Home for Sale)
There are two projects your home will need prior to selling – Home Organizing and Home Staging. From toys, clothes, paperwork….you name it, your house needs to look almost inhumanely neat to impress potential buyers. To get inspired, check out some home decluttering ideas to inspire you. These tips include ways to determine what to throw out and what not to, such as: enlisting the help of an unbiased person to help throw out unneeded items, considering when an item was last used, and determining if the item spark “joy”.
I can’t talk about cleaning your house out without mentioning Marie Kondo, who has turned into an international spokesperson for neatness and organization. In her Best-Seller, the Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up, she explains how all your belongings should spark joy. Clean your house by item category, not the room they are in. And don’t start with mementos. Designate a location for each item. This will be important for the next step of The Sell, home staging.
House staging is a necessity these days. I like to describe it as, “making your house look like no one lives in it, but they really do”. Anne Carr of Los Angeles-based Anne Carr Designs remarks, “Most people (read:buyers) cannot see beyond what is in front of …them. You need to show them what is possible. Sometimes rooms are awkward and you need to show people how a space can be best utilized.” They “may not be very good with space planning.”
Your house will most likely need rearranging, furniture substitutes, and/or redecorating so that you sell it more quickly. Be ready to paint rooms, put away carpets, store personal items, even hit a discount furniture store to replace a well-loved chair. Again, getting a professional interior stylist to help you can reduce the emotional stress of making buyers fall in love with your house, not your home.
2. The Move (Home Packing and Moving Services)
Denise Caron-Quinn, the founder of In Order to Succeed, directed me to not make this blog a sales pitch of the organization, so let’s just say I am lauding their abilities. Moving has become their speciality. They have been called “an army of angels”. They can help you move down the street, or across the country. They move clients from one home to two separate homes. They move your furniture, your artwork, your piano, and your cars. They literally manage the whole process. You can tell them, “Here’s my current house. I want it all to go to the new house, with the exception of xyz.” And presto, it happens. You will not find a better Moving Concierge than In Order to Succeed.
But let’s say, you’ve got this – you sold your house (congratulations!). Now you have to get all your furniture, art, personal belongings, everything, all out and over to the new house. You need to find a good mover, switch out utilities, and figure out what needs to be completed in the old and new house before you move. Will you need a storage facility if you are moving to a smaller home? Many find it an absurd idea, but those that have downsized find it essential to have a storage unit to keep items that are valuable but not necessary year round, like holiday decorations.
Some movers will just move the boxes of items you have packed, and your furniture, from one location to the other. Others will pack your belongings, including your trash. Finding the right company to pack and move your home can be stressful in itself. The most important advice, especially these days: book your move as soon as possible. Not only is there a significant increase in moving, things just take longer these days due to demand and lack of manpower.
Another tip, for every box or item you move, label it! Consider special movers for artwork, pianos, or if there’s one area where you want to get a professional packer, it’s the kitchen. Real Simple recommends packing your plates sideways. Who knew?
To take it to the next level, you can also make your move as eco-friendly as possible. Consider the following:
- Wrap fragile decor in soft fabrics vs. newspaper
- Rent reusable boxes or find neighbors recycling their moving boxes nearby
- Use bio-degradable packing material, like Greenwrap
- Be mindful whether a throw away item could perhaps be recyclable
3. The Better Home (Unpacking and Interior Styling Services)
Once you’ve gotten to your new place, how do you envision it? Most new dwellings require new furniture, renovations, repairs. In Order to Succeed can provide in-house Interior Styling services, or can coordinate working with your own interior decorators, repairers, and general contractors.
Most important – research, interview and hire contractors sooner rather than later. Plan your home remodeling or carpentry service needs as soon as possible. If you need work done in your new home, find contractors as soon as possible. They are busy! Hire painters, floor sanders, cabinet installers, appliance installers, so they can start as soon as you take possession of the home.
There is no better time to organize your home and belongings than when you first move into a new residence. I’m going to mention Marie Kondo, the famous tidy expert, again – to consider as you unpack after a move, do you need it? Maybe that pair of shoes will not be worn again. The second or incomplete set of dishes is unnecessary (or there is no place for them). Decide what stays in your new space. Every item needs a location.
Many people feel, as the pandemic (hopefully) wanes, that a new start is appropriate. Moving to a new home now may be less challenging than 2020, but can be even more so with some planning, organizing, and simplification from In Order to Succeed. Contact us today to see how we can help make your next move or home project a breeze!