How to Make the Most of Your Rightsizing Move: 7 Tips for a Fresh Start
Moving to a smaller, more considered home is one of the most positive decisions you can make. But to get it right, the move deserves a little more care and planning than a standard house move. Here is some advice from professional home organiser Emma Duncan that will help your rightsizing transition feel smooth, settled and joyful.
1. Should you declutter before or after a rightsizing move?
Always before. The most valuable thing you can do ahead of a rightsizing move is to declutter properly before a single box is even filled. Most people pack everything and deal with the excess at the other end but moving unwanted items into a smaller space just creates the same problem in a different postcode. Go room by room, be honest about what you use and love and let go of the rest. A professional home organiser can make this process faster, calmer and far less emotionally draining than doing it alone.
2. What furniture should you take when moving to a smaller home?
Measure everything before you commit to bringing any large pieces. A sofa that works in a large sitting room can overwhelm a smaller one or a table that seated eight may look odd with fewer chairs. Draw up a rough floor plan of your new rooms and work out what fits before moving day. This is not a compromise but an opportunity to invest in pieces that truly suit the scale of your new home and make it feel considered rather than crammed.
3. How do you plan storage in a smaller home?
The key is to consider this, once you have edited down all your belongings as you may not need as much as you did before. In a compact home, storage does a lot of heavy lifting so consider built-in solutions, footstools with hidden storage and ottoman beds. Think about vertical storage (backs of doors, built-in to the ceiling etc) as well as horizontal. A professional home organiser can help you plan storage layouts that work with your belongings and your lifestyle, so everything has a home from the very start.
4. How should you decide on colours in a new home?
Before committing to paint colours, spend a little time simply observing how natural light moves through your new rooms at different times of day and live with the space for a while. Never paint a sample colour on to a wall, directly but onto a large piece of card and move it around the room at different times of the day to observe how it changes in the light.
5. Is a rightsizing move a good time to declutter your wardrobe?
Yes and one of the most freeing parts of the process! A smaller home might mean less wardrobe storage but see this as an opportunity not a compromise. Keep only the clothes you wear and feel good in. Investing in slimline, matching hangers makes a real difference to how much you can fit but remember my 80/20 rule which is 80% full so you have room to see everything hanging. An edited wardrobe curated around your lifestyle is way more satisfying than a crammed rail of things you can’t even see.
6. Is it worth getting professional help with unpacking after a move?
For a rightsizing move, yes and especially in those first few days. The decisions made when unpacking tend to stick. Furniture rarely moves once it has been placed and cupboards rarely get reorganised once they’ve been filled. Having a professional home organiser and unpacking specialist help you arrange and set up from the very start means your new home can feel settled much sooner and no tripping over boxes after six months.
7. How do you make a smaller home feel personal and beautifully finished?
Give yourself time to curate the finishing touches rather than rushing to fill every corner. Once you’re unpacked and settled, you’ll know your home better so you can then think about finding the pieces that make the space truly yours. The best homes look as though they have been gathered with love over time, because they have.
Frequently asked questions about rightsizing
What is the difference between rightsizing and downsizing? Rightsizing is the positive, deliberate choice to move into a home that fits your life as it is now, freeing up time, money and mental space. Downsizing always implies a compromise but Rightsizing is a step forward and a conscious decision to live intentionally.
When should I hire a professional organiser for a rightsizing move? Ideally at two points: before the move, to declutter and decide what comes with you and around moving day, to unpack, organise and set up your new home so it works beautifully from the start.
Emma Duncan Home Styling offers a Moving Home Unpacking and Organising service covering Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire and Oxfordshire. The service includes a pre-planning video consultation and seven hours of in-home support. See here for latest pricing and to chat more about your upcoming move.
