How to downsize like a pro - and free yourself -2-

To find customers for those belongings, check out Facebook Marketplace and your area's Nextdoor community. Just prepare to invest lots of time and energy.

"You might post something on Facebook Marketplace and get 15 inquiries. Then you've got to keep track of 15 conversations about what you've posted," Novack said.

7. If at all possible, avoid getting a storage locker near your new home

A storage unit can run $35 to $250 a month or more - plus insurance, a lock and possibly the cost of climate control for the space. My wife and I have friends who downsized, moved across the country and have been paying storage fees for units they never open or empty out.

Ware is strongly opposed to storage units. She and her husband paid for one for 15 years; now, she sees storage lockers as a form of downsizing procrastination. Novack generally shuns them, but understands it is a personal preference for those who can afford it.

Van Meter's overall advice for downsizers? Just do it. "It's lightening a load on your shoulders," she said. "We felt lighter. In fact, I became so enamored of it that I ended up tossing out a few things I shouldn't have."

-Richard Eisenberg

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

10-08-26 2003ET