Is this the year you’ve finally decided to downsize? Perhaps all your children have left the nest, or you’ve just decided to scale back on a more lavish lifestyle. Either way, you’re not alone when it comes to making this decision. According to real-estate site Trulia, the average home size has dropped nearly 2,100 square feet, with 33% of Americans stating their preferred home to be under 2,000 square feet.

So if you’re looking to be a part of the growing number of Americans opting to live more frugally, then downsizing is a great choice. At Mastodon Moving, LLC, we understand that it’s a massive task, especially for those living either in Wayland, Weston, Sudbury and other suburbs who are looking to move into the city of Boston. Here are a few helpful tips to downsizing without going crazy.

Inventory all your things. This is the first thing you should do — and do it at least three months prior to your move. Having an inventory will make you realize how long of a list of stuff you have and it will also tell you whether or not you have duplicates of something. Imagine if you’ve lost all your possessions in a fire; what would you repurchase? Don’t forget that the smallest of items in a larger house will look massive in a smaller house. Organize everything into piles of “Need” “Maybe” and “Don’t Need.”

Donate, sell or dump. This is another tedious but necessary step for the downsizing process. Take a look at that “Don’t Need” pile and figure out whether or not you can donate or sell some of these items. Clothing can usually be donated, and furniture and toys can be sold. It is often easy to just dump everything in a trash can, but think of this step as making money you can use for new experiences. Don’t hesitate to call up Mastodon Moving for junk removal, either.

Get rid of the duplicates. Whether you’re new empty nesters or just wanted less house to maintain, getting rid of any duplicate items will help free up space in your new place. Ask yourself if you’ll really be needing two or even three sets of dishware, or two coffee tables. Always communicate with your significant other or family to make sure everything is on the same page with reducing duplicates.

Opt for storage space. If you decide that keeping duplicate items around is beneficial (perhaps you have a college student right now who will one day have their own apartment), then be sure that your new home has places to store that extra stuff. If you believe your new home doesn’t have the storage space you’re looking for, there are always alternative storage space options that are guaranteed to keep your stuff safe and dry.