February 18, 2016 By King Relocation

Whether moving to a smaller house, or into an apartment or condo, we have some tips on how to make the most of this transition.


There comes a point in life when many of us decide we need a smaller home. Either we are retiring and want to move from the home where we raised our children, to a condo or apartment in a senior community. Or, we are looking to change our lifestyle by moving from a large home in the suburbs to a classy urban condo, or a relaxing beachside cottage. Whatever the reason, downsizing a home can be a complex, and even an emotional process, for many.

The fact is, regardless of where you are downsizing to, you are going to need much less “stuff” once you move into your new home. Not only will you have less space, your new home will most likely require less effort to take care of and maintain than your previous home.

At King Companies, we know it can be difficult to part with the things you have accumulated and grown fond of over the years, and to help you make sure that you are not wasting time and effort moving items that won’t have a place in your new home, our relocation experts have put together “5 Tips for Downsizing your Home”:

1) Take inventory. Take inventory of what you currently have in your home including all furniture, artwork, appliances, dishes, clothing and shoes, household goods such as cleaning and gardening supplies, personal items and knick-knacks.

2) Measure. Before you decide what to keep and what to get rid of, it is important that you measure your new home. Smaller living areas mean you won’t need as much furniture as you had in your previous home. Also, your new home may have a smaller kitchen, smaller closets, and less storage space, which means that you won’t have as much room for your wardrobe, and for less frequently used household and personal items.

3) Decide what to keep. Based on the amount of space available in your new home, make a list of which items you will be keeping from your current home. List and tag the furniture and artwork you are keeping, set aside the appliances, household goods, clothing, shoes and personal items you want to keep. Don’t forget to identify items of sentimental value that you absolutely cannot part with. Also, bear in mind that you may want to purchase new furniture and other household goods, so make sure you account for those items when deciding what to keep.

4) Reduce, reuse, recycle. Create a plan for disposing of the items you won’t be taking with you to your new home. Household goods such as broken appliances and furniture, tools that are in disrepair, old and expired dry goods hiding in cupboards, useless trinkets and clutter can be thrown away immediately. Furniture, household items that are in good shape and can be repared, including clothing, can be donated to a local shelter or nonprofit organization such as Goodwill, Salvation Army or PickUpPlease.org, which supports America’s Veterans. You can also donate unused household cleaning supplies, dry goods and gardening supplies to a friend, neighbor, cleaning lady or gardener, rather than throwing these items away.

5) Storage. There are often scenarios where goods of significant or sentimental value must be kept, regardless of what space in a new home allows. From furniture to photos, those items can still remain in your possession and can be kept safely at the King Companies storage facility. Give us a call at (800) 854-3679 ext. 126 to discuss this helpful option.

If you are downsizing your home, or plan to do so at some point in the future, we hope that you will find these tips helpful. For more valuable tips and information on household moves, please visit the King Relocation Services Blog at Here.

About King Companies
As an agent of United Van Lines, King Companies has the resources and expertise to be your “go-to” resource for all relocation needs. Whether you are relocating your household, moving an office, or are in need of logistics services, we strive to ensure that your next move will be the best you will ever make. Call us today at 800-854-3679 to learn more.

We hope that you will consider King Companies for your future relocation needs. To learn more about our services, visit is at www.kingcompaniesusa.com. And, don’t forget to connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ for our latest news and updates!