2020-04-01 Real Simple

If you’re considering downsizing,

try these strategies to figure out

how small is right for you.

GO SLOW. Overnight change

isn’t possible when downsizing a

lifetime of stuff. As you start to feel

the lightness that comes with fewer

possessions, you may feel more

confident about moving forward.

GIVE YOURSELF A FALSE SENSE OF

SMALL. Close the door to infrequently

used rooms and note how long you

can go before entering those spaces.

If you have spare bedrooms that

are empty most of the time, it may

be cheaper to pay for guests’ hotel

rooms twice a year than to maintain

a home with a guest room.

BE AN ANTHROPOLOGIST.

Observe friends and family who are

living in smaller homes than yours.

Try to glean what might work—and

what won’t—for you.

RENT TINY. Spend your next vaca-

tion in a rental house instead of a

hotel to give a small space a trial run.

Excerpted from

The Little Book

of Living Small

by Laura Fenton

with photographs

by Weston Wells.

Reprinted with

permission by

Gibbs Smith.

Test-Drive Tiny

KEEP

TOYS TIDY

Stash frequently used

toys in bins beneath

your child’s bed for

easy access—and

easier cleanup.

CLOCK OUT

Hide your home

office within a closet or

cabinet so work doesn’t

become a visible

distraction during

off-hours.

COURTESY OF GIBBS SM

ITH

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