Downsizing Quickly for a Military Move? Tips to Make it Work

Members of the military often find themselves moving from one place to another. If you're a service member or are married to a service member, you may have to move many times before retirement. Downsizing before a relocation can make moving easier, less expensive, and can take the stress out of moving. The following tips can make downsizing easier.

Set Goals

Downsizing is a chore, but it's easier to manage if it's done in phases. People who are serious about downsizing can start by setting a goal for downsizing each room of the house. When downsizing each room, follow this pattern:

• Make a "donate," "sell" and "throw away" pile
• Eliminate anything that has not been used in more than one year
• Get rid of anything still in moving boxes from the last move

Go through everything in the room, and what is not put in one of the three piles mentioned above can be put in a moving box.

Donate to Local Charities

Local charities will generally take gently used clothes, books and other items. Some local charities, especially non-profits and sometimes churches, may accept donations of cleaning products. Anyone who plans to donate to local charities should start by contacting those charities to see what they will accept. This makes it easy to decide what to put in the "donate" pile.

Get Help Selling Things

Selling things takes time, and for anyone in a hurry, organizing a garage sale or selling something online may take longer than is realistic. A friend or relative may be willing to sell expensive items online and keep the profit or split the profit. This is one way to take the work out of selling items and reduce what needs to be moved.

Enlist Friends to Help With Sorting and Decluttering

Sorting and decluttering takes time, but it can be made easier by working with friends and relatives. Service members who need help moving quickly can organize a "sorting and decluttering" party. This is a good opportunity to bring together friends for one last get-together and also reduces the work that comes from sorting and decluttering. By sorting and decluttering in a large group, it becomes possible to downsize quickly.

Vow to Stay Clutter-Free

Many service members must move every year or every other year. Taking a "minimalist" approach in each home can make moving less of a chore. There are many small ways this can be done. Shred bills as soon as they're paid or no longer needed. Unsubscribe to magazines or recycle them as soon as the next month's magazine arrives. Keep holidays modest, and make gifts given at holidays small and thoughtful.

Additionally, it is helpful to declutter the house on a regular basis to eliminate things that are unneeded. Service members who have children should work with their kids to sort through old toys that are no longer used on an annual basis. The same applies to clothes: by sorting through clothes that no longer fit and getting rid of clothes that are too small, people can keep their house tidy and easy to move.

Work With a Real Estate Professional

By finding small ways to keep clutter out of a Southwest Colorado Springs home, and by working with a real estate professional, military service members can take some stress out of moving. If you're a service member who is moving soon, work with a real estate professional who can make your upcoming move easier and less stressful overall.