If you have completed your military service, congratulations are in order. One of the benefits is that Temporary Duty (TDY) and Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves are a thing of the past. Now you can choose where you’d like to live. Whether you and your family are staying in the same area or moving across the country, you can reduce the stress associated with moving by downsizing ahead of time.
8 Tips for Downsizing After Military Service
Since moving ranks as one of the most stressful events in life, take some time to review and then implement these tips. Doing so can help make relocating and returning to civilian life less taxing for you and your family.
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Start to Declutter at Least Two Months in Advance
Since every family member needs to declutter, starting the process early is vital. If you wait, hurried sorting can result in breakage, frustration, and discarding items you’d like to keep.
What to consider when determining your start date:
If you have children who are still in elementary school, they’ll probably need some assistance decluttering their rooms. Before determining a date, make sure there is a family member available to help them.
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Create a List
Make a numbered list of the rooms and closets in your home. Be sure to list them according to which rooms/closets you will tackle first and last. Don’t forget to add in the garage, your cars, RV, and sheds.
Remember to adhere to your list: Complete the current room or closet you’re working on before starting another. This practice can help you and your family stay organized.
Another benefit of this list is that you can check rooms/closets off after decluttering them. This will give you and your family a sense of accomplishment. Furthermore, since there’s an end in sight, it could help reduce the overwhelming feeling that can accompany the downsizing process.
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Categorize Your Items
When downsizing, most people use four categories: keep, sell, donate, and toss. The easiest way to sort is with boxes. Be sure you mark them clearly with a black marker. If you have children, they each need four marked sorting boxes.
Once full, place the “donation” and “sell” boxes away from the boxes full of the items you’re keeping. This ensures that you don’t accidentally take them with you or get rid of a box with things you’d like to keep.
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Have a Box for Sentimental Items
You’ll want to carefully go through your sentimental items. Since you probably have them scattered throughout your home, they’ll need a separate box. As you declutter, you can move this box from one room to the next.
Prevent damage by protecting your items accordingly before placing them in the box. Make sure you’re well-rested when you start deciding which of these items to keep and which to donate.
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Each Family Member Needs a ‘No-Pack Zone’
There are things that we need to use every day. Packing these items could lead to chaos. For example, if a family member loses a contact, and the boxes of their new ones have been packed away, this could turn into a disaster. Creating no-pack zones can prevent these issues.
It’s a good idea to make a list of all the things you’ll need for about a week. Items to consider are toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, hairbrushes, razors, makeup, contacts, and medications.
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Divide Large Projects Up
When you have a large decluttering project to tackle (e.g., a toy room), it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. However, you can combat this feeling by categorizing the items in the room and sorting them accordingly.
Begin working with a category that you can manage easily. For example, when decluttering a child’s toy room, consider starting with the dolls, then the vehicles, the Barbies, and so on. By dividing projects up, you’ll reduce the likelihood of feeling overwhelmed and prevent burnout.
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Consider Donating Unnecessary Vehicles
Think about donating vehicles you don’t need anymore. For example, if you were living in a FamCamp on base and have a recreational vehicle you’ll no longer be using, consider RV donations.
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Digitize Papers and Photos
If you’re taking the time to sort through all your papers and photos, consider using technology to downsize.
While there are papers that must remain tangible (e.g., birth certificates, passports, and Social Security cards), consider scanning those that don’t need to be tangible into your computer (e.g., your child’s perfect attendance certificate).
These downsizing tips should make your transition to civilian life much easier. By decluttering before you move, you can start fresh in your new home, you reduce the number of boxes to move, and you won’t have to find storage for all the items you really don’t need.
You might have come up with a few new ideas after reading this post on From Base To Backyard: How To Downsize After Military Service. More suggestions can be found on this page: How to Choose the Best Home Considering Your Lifestyle
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