Melissa Harmel - LESS HOME, MORE LIVING

And don’t forget about the impact on the environment. Moving into a smaller home reduces energy, which is better for the environment and helps to keep your home “green,” reducing your carbon footprint.

3. Reduced Consumption

It’s a fact: The more space you have, the more likely you will feel the need to fill that space with something. If you’re an empty nester, it may be tempting to fill the extra space in your big house with stuff, even though you likely have more than enough of it. One of the great perks of downsizing is that it automatically reduces your consumption of “stuff ” because you first have to declutter before you sell and move. You will have less space to store your possessions — whether old or new — in your next (smaller) home. Downsizing can help you focus on your priorities in life so that you bring only what is truly necessary into your home or what you treasure most. The fact is, if there’s no place to put something, then you’re less likely to buy it. You won’t want all that decluttering to go to waste, so you’ll naturally buy less of everything — food, clothing, consumer goods, household décor, furniture, etc. You will focus more on what you need rather than what might be “nice to have” and avoid impulse spending.

4. Organization

Downsizing forces you to become organized. Decluttering might seem like a disadvantage to downsizing. After all, it’s time- consuming, exhausting, and sometimes even heartbreaking to go through all the stuff you’ve accumulated throughout the years and

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