Downsizing property is more popular now than it ever has been. Relationships ending in divorce, and children fleeing the nest are two examples of why couples decide to downsize property.
Furthermore, with the stress of moving home and the responsibility involved, it’s easy to oversee the smaller details.
Here are five items that would be wise to consider when moving to a property with smaller dimensions. A tape measure and a few moments to measure doorways and rooms can save on potential pain in your new home!
The sofa is one of the biggest items you have at home, and careful attention should be paid to ensure it fits into your new home with ease to avoid any damage to the sofa.
You may well look at the living room and think it’s a similar size to your own. However, have you assessed the doorway measurements? The width at the bottom of the stairway, if you are moving into a home with stairs, could potentially pose a problem with entry.
It’s wise to measure each doorway entry, if your sofa has removal wooden or metal feet, measure from the base of the sofa. This can often be the difference between getting your sofa in safely on the day or not!
Kingsize beds come in many guises, a split divan will easily find its way through a door or up a stairway. Additionally, a large bed with wooden slats is something that can be disassembled in advance of the move to ensure easy access to your new property.
However, there are many beds that can be disassembled in three parts, leaving the base as one large unit to navigate the stairway with.
Check the entry point from your front door to the bottom of the stairs if your home has at least two floors, will it fit over the banister without causing damage to the walls?
Townhouses, in particular, can pose a real challenge with more than one staircase, often with a turn in the stairway.
If you have a kingsize bed, pay attention to its style from the above examples when considering your next house move and downsizing property.
If you are taking wardrobes to your new home it is a very good idea to measure the stairway of both properties you are moving into a property with stairs.
Prior to moving large wardrobes ask yourself, did this arrive as a whole unit or flat pack?
If it’s the latter then there is a very good chance that the wardrobe is not coming down the stairs without the potential for damage to walls, staircase, not to mention the wardrobe itself.
man trapped moving wardrobe, credit: hotworldreport.com
The thought of having to dismantle large wardrobes may feel a little too daunting, however, there are two alternative options available at the point.
Firstly, many removal companies offer dismantling and reassembly services, secondly, you may want to offer your buyer the opportunity to purchase it if you are selling the property.
American-style fridge freezers have been on the increase in the UK in recent years. The advantages of having this type of fridge for large families, in particular, are clear.
However, they are notoriously heavy to move from one property to another with the potential to easily damage doorways.
When measuring the entry point to your new home, pay particular attention to the height of your fridge/freezer, many doorways are Upvc and have a plastic lip at the bottom of the door that can easily be broken if it’s not moved in the correct way.
Most dining tables have detachable legs, however, this does not apply to all, some tables are bespoke builds that may easily fit into large properties.
But have you looked at the front door entry and any other internal door that a fixed dining table may need to get through to its final destination?
If your dining table has four fixed legs and nothing connecting the legs together, you may be able to swing around the door entries at a 45-degree angle to get your table through.
Similarly, that is all dependent on space on either side of the doors, a quick check prior to the moving date can alleviate this potential issue.
Are you in the process of moving home and have decided to share the moving process between family and/or friends?
If so follow these three words of advice before the day of the move, measure, measure, measure!
Do you need further advice on downsizing? We can provide you with additional knowledge and a free no-obligation quotation for your house move.
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