Downsizing Without Knowing the Size

I would put your things into a storage unit... When you get moved, you can play with the placement, and sell what you don't need.

We did the exact thing once... sold most of our furniture, because we knew our new place would be smaller... but hadn't seen it yet. It sucked, because I had sold a cabinet that hadn't been used in 3 years, and it would have been PERFECT in our new bathroom!

Of course, that only works if you are moving around in the same general area... If you are moving far away, I don't really have any advice. :P

I don't know if there is a website but it is fairly easy, you measure the furniture in a room, allow clearance for moving around the furniture, then determine the area needed to enclose the furniture.

So like my master bedroom. The width at 18 feet could cut down to 14 while still having clearance to pass the foot of the bed. The length at 20 could go down to 16 and still allow access to both sides of the bed so the minimum size of the master bedroom without getting rid of furniture is 14 by 16.

I feel your pain! I have spent the last two months doing all of this. I think that I gave Goodwill a whole store full of stuff, as many carloads as I took over. (Well, it feels like it!)

What I did was start in the bathrooms and dump everything that hasn't been used for a year. It's hard for me to do that. I try to use what I buy, but I don't always like what I think I'll like, so it's hard to get rid of it. But I was a bit ruthless. Then I moved to my kids' bedrooms, then other rooms. My bedroom was the hardest - especially my clothes. My husband's job was the garage. That was a lot of work and included selling some stuff out of that.

I have to admit that I had to make several passes, and I probably will do more. Giving up furniture, especially when it's part of a room design, is hardest for me. I took several rooms to family members and the furniture will stay with them until I decide if I want to take it back.

Planning to live in a smaller place is hard, but I look at it as "freeing" now that my kids are growing up. I have great memories from all my "stuff", but part of moving on to a new stage in life is allowing ourselves to let go of "things". I'm to the point now that I will soon be an empty nester, and I've made a decision to downsize as I become an empty nester to help make life easier.

It might not be the same for you, (you have smaller kids, I think). However, if you can look at this as a way to de-stress, rather than as a stress, it will help you.

Btw, I did try to use one of those websites that does furniture placement, but it was not helpful. Instead, I got thick stock grill paper where each block represents a foot, and cut out pieces of paper to represent my furniture. That way, I could determine the sizes of rooms and figure out which furniture would fit in each room. Maybe that would help you.

Good luck!
Dawn

I think what you are looking for are guidelines for the clearance you will need around and to access various types of furniture. Check your library for "Architectural Graphic Standards" or some interior design books that include guidelines for furniture placement.

As you consider future homes or apartments, ask if there is a floor plan available to use or borrow. If is is small, take it to a copy or blueprint shop and enlarge it. A blueprint shop may be able to enlarge it to a common scale, say 1/4 inch = 1 foot. Then you can draw your furniture to that scale, cut it out and arrange to your hearts content.

Start by listing each item in your rooms under 'Definitely needed' 'Nice to have' and 'Not needed'. Remove all the 'Not needed' items and put them in storage or sell/give them away. With the remaining stuff, imagine only the 'Definitely needed', and decide on a room size. Note it down. This would be your minimum requirement. Then try to fit in one or 2 items from 'Nice to have'. Imagine how much more margin you can allow. Stick to a maximum.
Do this for each room.
You have a planned dimension possible for each room now!
Although, when you do actually 'see' a house and you like it and its dimensions are nothing like the ones you've planned, be prepared to wing it. :))

You will need to get rid of what is not needed. If you haven't used it in a couple of years, odds are you won't use it again. Of course sentimental items are exempt. I gave my kids their pictures and baby/kid stuff, now its their problem.