There’s a myth that downsizing is just for empty nesters, rattling around a family home that’s too big to live in comfortably and too expensive to run. But moving into a smaller space can happen at any time of life: from your packed bedroom to your student digs, your uni room to your first flat, or from the countryside to the city. And there’s a lot to think about - do I really need that broken toaster that’s been in the loft for seven years? Will I ever use that penny-farthing I bought from that weird-looking bloke at the village fete? - and it can seem like too big a task to tackle. Well, fear ye not - we’ve put together a handy guide to downsizing to help make the process as smooth and as simple as possible.

1. Find your new home

Clearly, this is the best part. Browsing the internet (read: spying on other people’s decor under the guise of house hunting) for your smaller, but still perfectly formed, new pad is sure to get you excited about the downsizing process. Despite what other guides might say, finding your new property is the right first step to make. There’s no sense in evaluating what you want to keep before you know the space you’ll have to play with.

2. Do some floor planning

Take a floor plan of your current home and your new one, and measure your larger pieces of furniture. You’ll be able to see which ones are going to fit comfortably when you move, and which you’ll have to sacrifice. Think about what you can do with the rejects: auctioning sites such as eBay and Gumtree are good options, while Freecycle allows you to unburden yourself of unwanted furniture while making someone else’s day with the likes of a free sideboard or enormous fish tank. If there are items you can’t bear to part with, or think you might use one day, putting them in storage could well be the answer.

3. Assess the storage situation

Some houses are full of useful nooks, crannies, cupboards and shelves, while others are frustratingly lacking. It’s a good idea to check out the situation in your new abode, and to have a think about how you can make clever use of the space you have. Under the bed, all the way up the walls, in the stairs - there could be room in unexpected places.

4. Make lists

Lists are the best. They just make everything right in the world. Walk around your house and make a list of everything you absolutely couldn’t survive without in your new home. You might have to be brutal - sure, you love that life-size cardboard cut-out of the entire Buffy cast, but really… do you need it? (If the answer’s yes, well, good for you. We do like a fanatic.) Again, you can take anything you don’t need to charity shops, sell it or give it away.

5. Sort out your stuff

No matter the situation, there are likely to be things you can’t take with you, but that you don’t want to get rid of. You might have books, collectables, records or important documents that you’ll want back in your life when you next move house, which you just don’t have space for right now. And that’s where Boxman comes in. Ask us for a box, pay £5 to store it every month, and we’ll handle the rest: we’ll deliver and collect your boxes from your door at a time that suits you, and we promise we’ll take very good care of your things.

6. Unpack

Yes! You’ve moved all your stuff from A to B and you’ve dealt with anything you don’t have space for right now. First things first: give yourself a big pat on the back and revel in the gloriousness of your beautifully empty new home. Next, unpack the kitchen and bathroom as they’re most likely to be needed early on - it’ll be super easy, too, after your clear-out. It’s a downsizing dream.

7. Get organising

As you’re moving, you might as well do a big old reorganise. Put similar books together, make sure much-used pots and pans are easily accessible, and don’t put a box of sports stuff you need regularly on top of the wardrobe. This is your chance to make sure everything is as stress and clutter-free as possible - take it!

7. Enjoy

Make yourself a cup of tea, sit on the sofa and lounge in your stuff-free space.

8. Get your stuff back

If it’s time to move on, or you’ve just realised you really need something you’ve stored, you can always have your items returned to you. The Boxman site is fully searchable, so when you send your boxes off into storage, you can upload photos of what’s inside and add tags so you can find them easily again. It’s not goodbye… it’s see you later.