Getting ready to move and thinking about downsizing your belongings? One of the best times to decide if there are items you can part with is when you're about to move.

An important part of organizing your move is to create an inventory, so the timing is perfect to take a look at everything you've accumulated and decide where to trim the fat. The thought of packing up everything you own and hauling it to a new location usually makes people more willing to part with things as well.

Moving doesn't necessarily mean you have to get rid of any of your things, however. If you're trying to decide if it's time to clean house (so to speak), ask yourself these questions first.

Questions to Ask Before Downsizing

• Are you moving to a smaller space?
• Do you feel overwhelmed by the amount of "stuff" you have?
• Do you have items that are worn out or outdated?
• Do you have items you rarely or never use?
• Has it been a while since you last downsized (maybe since your last move)?
• Have you been meaning to downsize your possessions?

If you do decide to downsize, you'll want a plan of attack. Otherwise, you risk accidentally getting rid of things you still want or need or getting overwhelmed by the process.

How to Downsize Before a Move

Whether you want to downsize your possessions or not, if you're moving you should start by creating an inventory of your home. A moving inventory will make your whole process smoother (downsizing as well as moving) and help you ensure everything gets moved safely.

The most logical way to create your inventory is according to each space in your home (kitchen, master bedroom, office, etc.). You can multitask while making your inventory by adding a column to note downsizing categories like: keep, throw, donate, sell, or gift. If you aren't sure what to do with an item yet, leave it blank.

• Keep – Things you still need, use, and/or get joy from
• Throw – Things that are broken, worn out, etc.
• Donate – Things you no longer want or use that are still usable
• Sell – Things you no longer want or use that are valuable
• Gift – Special things you want to "rehome" with a family member or friend

A Few More Tips for Downsizing

• Don't move things that don't have a designated space in your new home (you may love that table, but if your new dining room is half the size where will you put it?)
• Do follow "in with the new, out with the old" (when you get something new, get rid of something else if possible)
• Don't keep anything out of guilt (just because it was a wedding gift doesn't mean you must keep it forever)
• Stay on top of paper (recycle or shred papers you no longer need and file the ones you do)

Bonus: How to Keep Your Home Clean & Organized Long After the Move

When All Else Fails, Store It

If you need more time to decide the fate of your belongings or just a temporary storage solution while you're moving, AAA Movers has your back. AAA is Minnesota's number one full-service mover — we've been making moving easy for over 50 years!