Rightsizing? Stop Storing These 7 Things and Organize the Rest This Way

There comes a point when organizing becomes a very expensive way of avoiding the real problem.

We have too much stuff.

I see this all the time when I'm helping homeowners think about rightsizing.

Someone has a basement full of storage bins, closets packed to the ceiling and a garage that hasn't held two cars since approximately 2009. The natural reaction is:

"I need better organization."

Maybe.

But before you buy another set of matching bins, I want you to ask a different question:

Do I actually need to store this at all?

Rightsizing isn't about squeezing everything you own into a smaller house. It's about deciding what deserves to come with you into the life you're living now.

And yes, once we've figured that part out, I've got some favorite products that can help organize what makes the cut.

1. Stop Storing Clothes for a Life You Don't Live Anymore

This one can be surprisingly emotional.

We keep clothes because they were expensive. Because they might fit again. Because we wore them to work. Because we might someday attend an event requiring precisely that dress.

Meanwhile, the clothes we actually wear are squeezed into 30% of the closet.

Here's my test:

If you saw this hanging in a store today, would you buy it again?

If the answer is no, that's information.

Donate what is usable. Dispose of what isn't. Keep the pieces you genuinely wear or love.

Then organize what's left.

🏆 BEST OVERALL: Slim Matching Hangers

What I use: HOUSE DAY Black Velvet Hangers 60 Pack, Premium Non Slip Clothes Hangers

Why I like them: Matching slim hangers immediately make a closet feel calmer and more intentional while taking up less room than bulky plastic hangers. They're especially useful when you're trying to determine how much closet space you actually need in your next home.

Who should skip them: If you already have matching space-saving hangers, you don't need another set.

See My Pick → [Amazon affiliate link]

2. Stop Storing Mystery Cords and Dead Electronics

Somewhere in America right now is a drawer containing:

Three unidentified charging cables.

A phone case from 2017.

A remote control nobody recognizes.

Four power adapters.

And a cord everyone is afraid to throw away because it might be important.

I have news for you.

If you haven't figured out what it belongs to in five years, chances are excellent that civilization will continue without it.

Match cords to devices. Properly recycle obsolete electronics and batteries. Keep the cables you actually use.

💲 BEST BUDGET BUY: Cable Labels

What I use: Wrap-It Storage Cable Labels - Medium, White (30-Pack) Write On Cord Labels, Wire Tags for Cable Management and Organizer for Electronics, Computers and More

Why I like it: Labeling both ends of frequently used cords takes seconds and eliminates the ridiculous game of following a cable behind furniture to figure out what it powers. I particularly like this for technology, chargers, and home-office equipment.

Who should skip it: If you have approximately four cords in your entire house and somehow know exactly what every one does, congratulations. You're excused.

See My Pick → [Amazon affiliate link]

3. Stop Storing Containers Without Lids and Lids Without Containers

I don't know where they go.

Nobody knows where they go.

Somewhere there is apparently a retirement community populated entirely by missing food-storage lids.

Take everything out.

Match every container to its lid.

Anything without a partner leaves.

Then decide how many food-storage containers you actually need.

Not how many fit in the cabinet.

How many do you use?

There's a difference.

4. Stop Storing Things for Your Adult Children Indefinitely

This may get me in trouble.

If your adult children have established homes of their own and you're still storing their yearbooks, trophies, childhood artwork, college textbooks and six Rubbermaid tubs labeled "Jake," "Josh" or "Kids," it may be time for a conversation.

Notice I didn't say throw their things away.

I said:

Give them the opportunity to take responsibility for their things.

Set a reasonable deadline.

They can keep it, photograph it, donate it, dispose of it or store it at their house.

Rightsizing gets considerably easier when your home stops being the family storage facility.

5. Stop Storing Duplicates

How many towels does your household actually need?

How many sets of sheets?

Coffee mugs?

Mixing bowls?

Serving platters?

Scissors?

Black leggings?

Okay, maybe we're not touching the leggings.

But duplicates consume an enormous amount of space because each individual item seems harmless.

Try this:

Put every item from one category together.

Every coffee mug.

Seeing 31 mugs together creates a very different reaction than seeing eight in one cabinet, six in another and the rest scattered around the house.

👍 EASIEST TO USE: Clear Drawer and Cabinet Organizers

What I use: Acrylic 13-Drawer Storage & Makeup Organizer for Desk, Bath

Why I like it: Once you've reduced a category to what you actually use, clear organizers help keep smaller items contained without hiding them. If I can't easily see what's in a storage system, I'm much more likely to buy something I already own.

Who should skip it: Do not buy organizers until you've decluttered. Organizing 47 things you don't need into beautiful acrylic boxes is still keeping 47 things you don't need.

See My Pick → [Amazon affiliate link]

That last sentence is basically my entire rightsizing philosophy.

6. Stop Storing Things Because They Were Expensive

This is a tough one.

You paid $400 for it.

You barely used it.

Getting rid of it feels like wasting $400.

Except the money is already gone.

Keeping the item for another decade doesn't bring the $400 back.

Now you're simply paying for it with space.

Ask yourself:

Would I pay money today to move and store this in my next house?

That question changes things.

7. Stop Storing an Entire Lifetime of Paper

Tax records.

Instruction manuals.

Old warranties.

Bank statements.

School records.

Receipts.

Newspaper clippings.

Printed recipes.

Documents from companies that no longer exist.

Paper is sneaky because one piece weighs practically nothing. Forty years of it does not.

Some records absolutely need to be retained, and I'd check with your tax, legal or financial professional before destroying anything you're required to keep.

But a remarkable amount can be securely shredded, digitized or accessed online.

⭐ BEST SPACE SAVER: Compact Document Scanner

What I use: ScanSnap iX1300 Wireless or USB Double-Sided Color Document Scanner, Black

Why I like it: A good scanner lets you preserve documents you genuinely want without dedicating an entire filing cabinet to them. It's particularly useful when rightsizing because paper can consume a surprising amount of physical space.

Who should skip it: If you're unlikely to maintain a digital filing system, don't create 6,000 mystery PDFs instead of 6,000 pieces of mystery paper.

See My Pick → [Amazon affiliate link]

Now Organize What Earned the Right to Stay

This is where I finally give you permission to buy storage products.

Declutter first. Organize second. Buy containers third.

Not the other way around.

Measure the space before ordering anything.

Decide exactly what will live there.

Then buy the container that fits the space and the contents.

💎 BEST UPGRADE: Clear Stackable Storage Bins

What I use: IRIS USA 72 QT Plastic Storage Box with Lid and Latches - 8 Pack - BPA-Free, See-Through Organizing Solution, Durable Nestable Stackable Containers, Secure Pull Handle - Clear

Why I like them: For items that genuinely need longer-term storage, I prefer clear containers because I can see what's inside without opening six boxes. Stackable designs also make better use of vertical space.

Who should skip them: Anyone buying containers because they're pretty before deciding what actually needs to be stored.

See My Pick → [Amazon affiliate link]

My 5 Rightsizing Organization Picks

PickWhat It Solves🏆 Best OverallSlim matching hangers for closet space💲 Best Budget BuyCable labels for cords and technology👍 Easiest to UseClear drawer and cabinet organizers⭐ Best Space SaverCompact document scanner💎 Best UpgradeClear stackable storage bins

Here's the important part:

You don't need all five.

Buy the product that solves a problem you actually have.

That's how I want Chrisi's Home & Life Favorites to work. I'm not trying to convince you that everything on Amazon needs to arrive at your front door by Tuesday.

Quite the opposite.

I want us to own less stuff that doesn't serve us and better stuff that does.

Rightsizing Is About More Than Square Footage

One of the biggest misconceptions about rightsizing is that it automatically means moving into a tiny house.

It doesn't.

I've talked with people who needed fewer bedrooms but wanted a better kitchen.

People who wanted less yard but weren't willing to give up a two-car garage.

People who wanted one-floor living but still needed guest space for grandchildren.

People who actually moved into a home with similar square footage, but the layout fit their life dramatically better.

That's rightsizing.

You're not trying to win a contest for owning the least amount of stuff.

You're asking:

Does my home still support the life I want to live?

And sometimes that answer is yes.

Sometimes the answer is, not anymore.

Before You Start Shopping for Your Next Home

Don't begin with Zillow.

Begin with your life.

What spaces do you actually use?

What are you tired of maintaining?

What absolutely needs to come with you?

Where do you want your grandchildren to sleep?

Do you still want a yard?

Could you live on one floor?

What would you do with your time if you weren't maintaining rooms you rarely use?

Those answers tell us much more about your next house than the number of bedrooms on a listing sheet.

Thinking About Rightsizing in Central Ohio?

If you're starting to wonder whether your current home still fits your life, you don't have to be ready to sell before we talk.

In fact, I'd rather talk before you start making decisions.

We can look at what you have, what you'd want next, what homes fitting that description actually cost in Central Ohio and whether moving even makes financial and practical sense.

Sometimes we'll discover it's time to move.

Sometimes we'll discover your current home can be adapted.

Either way, you'll have a plan.

Let's Talk About Your Next Chapter →

Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I believe are worth considering.

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