The first and most obvious step is to decide what possessions you want to keep with you and what you feel you can part with. Items that don’t fit into the new space can be donated, thrown out, sold or stored. If you wish to donate them, thrift stores like the Salvation Army can be a great choice for larger items.

For smaller necessities like clothes, shoes, and toys, try looking for charities that give these items out for free to those in need. There are Orange County homes for sale that will fit the needs of any family. Still, many families find themselves needing to downsize into a more manageable home for convenience and location purposes.

The well-recognized top Brea realtor in Orange County, California has some advice for people considering downsizing based on 50 years experience Whether you are moving from a spacious house to a small condo or from a single occupancy apartment to a smaller shared space these tips should come in handy.

If you consider the situation carefully you’ll find you really don’t need so much furniture.  Just keep your most comfortable pieces. I always recommend you choose function over looks. Looks are temporary but a comfortable place to sit can be a joy every day of your life.

If you want to trash a large item that doesn’t fit in your regular garbage collection, call your local county office to see if they offer a pick up service. If not, there are private businesses that will take some items, such as old appliances, for free and refurbish them or use them for parts. You can find them on the website of your local newspaper.  Other garbage can be thrown out with the regular collection, but don’t forget to recycle what you can.

If you have possessions you can’t possibly take with you but can’t let go of, self storage can be a good choice. Just make certain that the storage facility has a climate that won’t damage your possessions, and that it is thoroughly secure. However, usually the best solution is to either give things away or throw them out.

One space saver that is often overlooked is the size of your furniture. Aside from the obvious concern that pops up when trying to fit a fat sofa through a doorway, having large and bulky furniture can eat up living space. If you have an abundantly large bed or sofa, consider trading it in for something more manageable.

Mounting items like flat screen TVs on a wall can eliminate things like TV stands and open up a room considerably. This and other strategies like high stacked shelving can let you take advantage of vertical room without taking up lots of floor space.

Don’t forget to consider closet space. If you are looking for a smaller house or condo, that can often mean that you will have fewer closets and less space to store items out of sight. This should be taken into consideration when packing up clothes and other items you wish to keep out of the way. Once again, items you don’t use regularly can be put into a nearby self storage unit for future use.

I hope these tips help you downsize with ease.