We already went through step one which was space planning in downsizing.  Lets look at step two:  Assess future needs.  Basically, that is looking at what you need not what you have.  Everyone can make up a reason why they need to keep items when they move.  When moving or transitioning take a hard look at what you have and decide what you truly need.  Where and what type of home you are moving to will depend on what you need.  For example if you are moving to a warm weather climate, do you really need the snow blower?  When assessing future needs take a look at everything you have and ask these three questions:

• Is it family sized?

• Will it fit?

• Is it house oriented?

Is it family sized?  Do you have large items that might not be needed anymore – like a 12 person dining room table or riding lawnmower

Will it fit?  Do you have the space in the house for the larger items?  Compare the size of the items and compare it to the size of the room (square footage).

Is it house oriented?  Are you moving from a house to a condo or townhome?  Get rid of things you will not need like lawn mowers, large gardening tools, most outdoor equipment.

Assessing the future needs of all items will help the homeowner to get a better idea of what they need and what will fit.  It is a good strategy to help reduce the amount of clutter when moving.