Many of our moving clients have shared that downsizing can feel overwhelming for seniors. Whether you’ve lived in your home for a decade or longer, you’ve probably accumulated sentimental items and favorite pieces, along with some items you meant to get rid of years ago. That kind of pile doesn’t sort itself overnight.
If you are moving to a smaller space, a retirement or senior community, or closer to family, this guide offers practical ways to take that first step to downsizing your home.
Tip #1: Start much earlier than you think you need to.
If your timeline allows, give yourself time to think things through, several months if you can. Often, the hardest part is just starting! Start with an area that feels low-stakes, maybe a storage closet, a guest room, or your garage. Ask a friend or family member to join you for that first day of de-cluttering, play some upbeat music, and fuel yourself with your favorite drink or snack.
Pro tip: Sort one specific area completely, rather than pulling everything out at once. This can help prevent overwhelm, and the reward of seeing the finished spaces will fuel your momentum!
Tip #2: Measure twice, pack once.
If possible, get measurements of your new home when you tour it, or ask someone to do it for you. A key part of downsizing is getting rid of things, but it can be hard to decide when you don’t know what will fit in your new space. Measure your most important pieces and draw a rough floor plan so you can feel at ease on moving day. Don’t spend the weeks leading up to your move losing sleep about whether all your furniture will fit in your new space!
Tip #3: Create some sorting guidelines.
As you finish sorting through your “low-stakes” areas and move on to the more sentimental items, it can help to create guidelines for yourself. In a perfect world, you might be able to keep everything, but it's easy to get stuck looking through memories and reminiscing if you don’t create a roadmap.
Choose a number of years as your guidepost. For example, if you pull out a box of craft materials you haven’t thought of in 10 years, you can pretty confidently say you won’t miss them if you throw them out. It can also help to pretend someone else decluttered without you knowing. If you wouldn’t have noticed they were gone, you won’t miss them.
When it comes to the very sentimental items, the 10-year rule most likely won’t apply. However, it can be helpful to imagine where you want your belongings to end up one day. When you come across a sentimental item that reminds you of a friend or family member, it may be the perfect opportunity to gift it. If you’re having a difficult time going through the memories, ask a loved one to join you. It can help to have emotional support, share stories, and get a second opinion on the belongings holding you up.
Tip #4: Sort into four categories
Thinking about your belongings in only two buckets (“keep” or “get rid of”) may not help, since you’ll have to do a second round of sorting. Try four categories instead of just the two:
KEEP: This is everything that’s coming with you to your new home.
PASS ALONG: Items you have someone specific in mind for, whether that’s a family member or a close friend.
SELL: Items you no longer need or have space for, but that are valuable enough to make you some money; think quality furniture, collectibles, or valuable decor.
DONATE OR DISCARD: Everything else! Later, if you have the time, you can determine whether some of these items might find a good home in the community. Check out tip #3 in this blog, Moving Tips: What to Do With the Stuff You’re Not Taking With You, for a quick guide of local Charlottesville non-profits and thrift stores that will accept unconventional donations or support a good cause.
Tip #5: Let your movers help on moving day
If moving day is approaching and you’re still figuring out what to do with items in your donate/discard pile, you don’t have to sort them alone! If you’re working with us at Charlottesville Moving Solutions, ask your move coordinator about disposing of the items you’ve decided not to keep. That’s one less thing to think about on moving day! For a small additional fee, we’ll take care of the items you aren’t keeping, so you can focus on settling into your new home.
Downsizing is a whole process, not a one-and-done event. Give yourself grace, take it one room at a time, and remember that a smaller space can feel like a fresh start and bring you new energy and inspiration.
