Austin Texas Real Estate Blog

What happens when you get to the point in your life when you realize your home is much too big and you’re ready to move from that 3,000 square foot monster to a more manageable 1,200 square foot townhouse? What do you do with all that stuff you have? Joanne O�Donnell, Chic Home Interiors, has a few good tips for deciding what to keep and what to let go.

The first rule of thumb she cites is if you haven’t touched it, looked at it, or used it in a year, you don’t need it. This is especially true for those packrats who collect mountains of stuff and squirrel it away for years, often forgetting it even exists. If an item is really that badly needed, the downsizer can easily go out and purchase a replacement.

Does your furniture go with your new smaller digs? Does it even fit in your new smaller digs? Different room sizes and configurations will dictate the decision on this one. Make sure, when purchasing new items, that they match the decor and size of the new place.

Family heirlooms, mementoes, photo albums, baby albums, things that are intensely personal and irreplaceable should be set aside and preserved. Putting a “must keep” label on these things helps in letting go of those items that are probably not as significant.

As with the suggestion above, be very clear about what your new home’s decor and theme is. For example, don’t bring along that heavy mahogany dining table if your new place is a light and airy stucco affair.

Lastly, it almost goes without saying that, when packing up the stuff you’ve decided to keep, stay organized. Pack by room and unpacking will be a breeze on the other end of your move.