Little House Living: 5 Tips On Downsizing To Fit Your Tiny House

Downsizing from a large house to a smaller dwelling can be daunting enough, but how does one prepare for little house living?

The answer is a lot of planning. Moving from a traditional sized residence to tiny home living is a major lifestyle adjustment. Read on for five tips to make the transition smoother.

1. List Your Keeper Items

A good first step when downsizing possessions for tiny home living is to take inventory of those sentimental items you cannot part with. They may include photos, gifts, mementos, and other irreplaceable items. Knowing what you need to save space for will help you determine what you can get rid of.

2. Declutter as Much as Possible

A major spring cleaning is an order when you downsize to a tiny home. You’ll need to donate, recycle, give away, and sell what you can including clothing, books, furniture, and linens, as a start.

Thankfully there’s no shortage of sites where you can sell your used wares. Here’s a partial list:

• Craigslist: it’s still one of the most popular online selling sites and searchable. Best of all, it’s free to place ads.
• Facebook Marketplace: updated with improved features in 2016, Facebook Marketplace makes your ads searchable by anyone, not only friends and friends of friends.
• Amazon: Amazon offers two options for sellers who want to unload personal goods, but keep in mind they’re not free. Fulfilled by Amazon charges a monthly fee, but takes care of listing and shipping your items. Amazon Seller takes a small fee per sale, but you have to do all of the work including shipping your item.
• OfferUp: this newer, app-based platform allows you to see ratings of buyers and sellers and communication via messenger for a more trusted selling experience. It’s free to use but does offer pay-per-use features that will help your ads stand out.

To recycle items, consult homeless shelters and charitable organizations that accept used items. Some, like The Epilepsy Foundation and Big Brother Big Sister, will even pick your items up curbside.

3. Replace Items With Their Mini-Me Versions

Your new tiny house probably won’t accommodate a 55″ TV, but you can place a 19″ in it. Take a look at appliances you currently own and where possible, replace them with a more compact version. Microwave ovens, refrigerators, and dishwashers all come in various sizes for smaller homes.

Portable appliances are also a good way to go; you can find washers, dryers, and dishwashers as portable units. Many appliances such as microwaves, food warmers, and freezers are also manufactured to hide away inside a 24″ wide drawer. This option provides the ultimate space saver for a tiny home’s kitchen.

4. Buy Furniture Made for Little House Living

Seek out furniture suited for tiny houses such as beds with built-in drawers, coffee tables that conceal compartments, and dining sets that fold up when not in use.

Go vertical when storing items. Invest in wall-mounted shelving, skinny bookcases, and hooks for holding coats, cleaning tools, and more.

5. Place Items in Storage

If you’ve sold, donated, and downsized what you can and still have possessions that won’t fit in your tiny home, renting a storage unit may be in order. It also provides a secure location for items that you plan on unloading but don’t have time yet to do so.

Plan Ahead

By planning ahead, you just may find you don’t miss living larger once you take the tiny home plunge. To read the latest posts about little house living, visit our blog.