Downsizing in Oregon: Practical Tips for Smaller Living

Measure the new place first

I can't stress this enough. Before you decide what to keep, get the floor plan of where you're going. Measure doorways, closets, the kitchen. That dining table that seats eight? It might not fit through the front door of a condo.

We've had clients in Lake Oswego and West Linn sell gorgeous furniture at their estate sale because they assumed it would fit and it didn't. Measure first, sell second.

The "one year" test

If you haven't used something in the past year, you won't use it in a smaller home. This applies to kitchen gadgets, exercise equipment, holiday decorations, and especially clothes.

Be ruthless. I know that's hard. But a 1,200-square-foot condo can't hold what a 2,400-square-foot house did. The math doesn't work.

Digitize what you can

Photo albums take up a lot of space. So do recipe boxes, old letters, and filing cabinets full of documents. Scan the important stuff and store it digitally. Keep a few originals that really matter and let the rest go.

Sell, don't store

A storage unit costs $100 to $200 a month in the Portland area. That's $1,200 to $2,400 a year to store things you're not using. After two years, you've spent more on storage than the stuff is worth.

An estate sale turns those items into cash instead of a monthly expense. Furniture, tools, kitchen items all sell well in the Willamette Valley.

Get help early

The complete downsizing guide covers the emotional side, but the practical side is just as important. We do free walkthroughs where we help you figure out what to sell and give you a realistic idea of what it's worth. Give us a call whenever you're ready to start.