So you have decided to live in a tiny house and become a part of the tiny house revolution. While it may seem to be an exciting thing to do, it would mean downsizing and get rid of many things. It will require much more than just your annual de-cluttering. When you transition from a comfy 2000 or 3000 square feet home to a 400 square feet tiny home, you will have to take some big downsizing steps. Downsizing to accommodate tiny living can be an illuminating experience.

The following tips should help you with the process, making it efficient, effective, and less tiresome.

1. Consider Using the KonMari Technique

The KonMari technique requires you to go through all your possessions by category. This helps bring a methodical approach to your downsizing process. For example, you may start with the books first and then move into other items such as clothes. Dump all the books on the floor and go through them one at a time. Once the books have been taken care of, you can take care of another category.

2. Start with One Room

It will be best to start downsizing one room at a time. This will help you easily see the impact the decluttering process is having on one area at a time. If a room is too complex to handle all at once, start with one drawer or one shelf at a time. Break up space into different sections and handle a section that can be dealt with in an hour. It is recommended to start with the dreaded junk drawer that you feel the guiltiest of creating.

When going through all the items, start with what you are most excited to get rid of. Don’t start with the ones that are of sentimental value to you. Those will be the most difficult to let go of. Examples include:

  • The books that you will never read
  • That chipped mug
  • That painting that you have personally never liked

3. Stay Organized

When it comes to downsizing for tiny living, it pays to stay organized at all stages. When going through all your stuff, ask yourself the following questions.

  • Is this item useful?
  • Have you used the item the last month?
  • Does it hold any sentimental value to you?
  • Is it a seasonal item?
  • Can you do without the item?

Overall, when you downsize to move into a tiny house, you must consider whether the stuff will add anything to your life. Once you have assessed an item, place it into one of these 3 categories:

  • Remove
  • Keep
  • Undecided

When getting rid of it, consider selling, gifting, or donating it before trashing it away.

4. Get Rid of Multiples

This may seem to be a simple strategy to downsizing but will make a big difference when you move into a tiny home. If you have multiple iterations of the same item that serves the same purpose, get rid of all but one. The kitchen is the best place to start from. If you have a small family and, you may not need more than 5 coffee mugs.

Again, start with items without any sentimental value and can be easily parted with. You would be surprised that once you learn how to eliminate things you aren’t attached to, it will become much easier to make better decisions when downsizing.

5. Learn the Difference Between Need & Want

When moving to your tiny house, you should learn to keep what you need and not just what you want. In a smaller home, every inch counts. You should choose and keep items that are really needed and are part of your life.

As a general rule, most people ‘want’ what others around them want. People buy and store things that society tells them they should want. Once you decide to make the tiny living transition, you should stop considering what people in your social circle have and what is considered cool by advertisements.

Keep only those items that bring great happiness to you or have practical value to them. All this will take some introspection.

Tiny house living requires following many principles of minimalism. However, it doesn’t mean removing things from your life that make you feel happy. When downsizing for tiny living, you should prioritize all the items to leave only the essentials in your life to feel productive and content. What defines essential is different for different people. So, you will have to spend some time going through your stuff to determine what matters the most to you.

So, consider all these points when downsizing and moving to your tiny home. If you need any information about mountain tiny houses and want to find the best property for yourself, it is recommended to contact Tiny Homes of Lake Norman at 704-489-6033.