The best way to decide what furniture and belongings to take when downsizing is to start with the new home, not the old one. Look at the room sizes, storage, kitchen cupboards and the way you actually live today, then work backwards. After nearly 20 years helping people move, I have found this makes downsizing much easier than simply walking through the old house asking what should be thrown away.
When people downsize, the natural instinct is to stand in the current home and ask, “What do I need to get rid of?” I prefer to turn that question around: “What deserves a place in the home you are moving into?”
Look at room dimensions, cupboards, wardrobes, storage and the overall layout of the new residence.
Choose belongings for the way you live now, rather than the way the family home was used 10 or 20 years ago.
Give valuable space to furniture and belongings you use regularly rather than items kept for one or two occasions a year.
Compare what you have now with the capacity of the new home before boxes are packed or the removal truck arrives.
Downsizing is not about removing everything familiar. Important furniture, photographs, artwork and personal belongings still matter.
Items that will not fit may go to family, storage, auction, charity or responsible disposal rather than overcrowding the new home.
After seeing a client's belongings, I often find that the kitchen is one of the most challenging areas. Most of us accumulate far more kitchenware than we realise: multiple dinner sets, china, different types of drinking glasses, baking equipment, serving dishes, appliances and items kept for special occasions.
Instead of asking clients to empty cupboards indiscriminately, I ask a practical question:
“What is in each cupboard that you are unlikely to need in the next six months?”
For many older people, this makes the decision easier. They may no longer bake regularly, entertain large groups or need several sets of china and glasses.
If substantial sorting is needed, our decluttering and downsizing service can help work through the home systematically.
The next question is simple: how many cupboards and drawers are available in the new kitchen?
If the current kitchen has considerably more storage than the new one, the difference gives the client a much clearer picture of how much can realistically move.
A piece of furniture can be useful, valuable and in excellent condition and still be wrong for the new home.
A three-seater sofa may have worked perfectly in a large family home but can dominate the living area of a smaller apartment.
Large coffee tables and occasional furniture can take away valuable walking and living space. The scale of the furniture should suit the scale of the new room.
An eight- or ten-seat dining table may have been important when the whole family lived at home, but it may now be fully used only once or twice a year.
I often ask clients to think about how they actually live now, rather than keeping large furniture for one special family gathering each year.
A large dining table that accommodates the whole family at Christmas can consume valuable space every other day. Many retirement communities have communal areas that can accommodate larger gatherings. Even at home, family members are often perfectly happy sitting more casually when everybody comes together rather than every person having a formal seat around one large table.
The question is: is this furniture making everyday life in the new home better, or are we keeping it for an occasion that happens once or twice a year?
For people preparing to move into independent living, our retirement village relocation service includes planning around the size and layout of the new residence.
A floor plan is extremely useful, but measurements make the decision more practical. Before committing to large furniture, compare its dimensions with the usable space in the new residence.
Remember that a piece of furniture technically fitting into a room does not necessarily mean the room will feel comfortable once it is there.
Sentimental belongings are different from ordinary household items. Photo albums, family photographs, artwork and keepsakes can represent decades of memories.
When the new home is too small for everything, I normally look for alternatives before suggesting sentimental belongings be discarded.
This is particularly important when helping elderly parents downsize their home, because family members can often help preserve important belongings without filling the new apartment.
Get the floor plan where possible and look at room sizes, kitchen cupboards, wardrobes, storage and any garage or storage cage.
Identify the furniture and belongings used regularly and the personal items that will make the new residence feel like home.
Compare furniture dimensions and current storage with the space available at the new property.
Consider whether large furniture, duplicate kitchenware or other belongings deserve permanent space if they are used only occasionally.
Items that are not moving can be organised for family, auction, charity, storage or responsible disposal before moving day.
Making these decisions before packing begins can prevent the new residence from becoming overcrowded with furniture and boxes.
Once the Fit-First decisions have been made, our Sydney home relocation team can help with packing, moving, unpacking and positioning furniture in the new home.
If the destination is residential care rather than independent living, see our aged care relocation services in Sydney.
The goal is not to make the new home look empty or remove everything familiar. It is to create enough space for comfortable everyday living while keeping the belongings that are useful, meaningful and appropriate for the new stage of life.
I have worked in the moving industry for nearly 20 years and have helped people move into retirement living since 2007.
One thing I have seen repeatedly is that downsizing becomes much easier once clients can picture the home they are moving into. Instead of focusing entirely on what they are losing, we can concentrate on what will make the new home practical, comfortable and familiar.
That is the idea behind the Downsize & Move Fit-First Method: start with the space you are moving into and work backwards.
After nearly 20 years helping older Australians and their families through downsizing and relocation, I wrote Downsizing Into Happiness.
The book explores the practical and emotional decisions involved in leaving a long-term family home and creating a comfortable next stage of life.
A smaller home can mean less maintenance, less clutter and a more manageable living environment. The key is deciding what deserves space in that home before the move begins.
Start with a floor plan and accurate room measurements, then compare them with the dimensions of your furniture. Consider walking space and how the room will function, not just whether an item can physically fit.
Think about how often you use the full table. If it is mainly needed for one or two large gatherings a year, a smaller table may make everyday life more comfortable, particularly if communal entertaining areas or casual seating are available.
Compare the cupboard and drawer space in your current kitchen with the new one. Start with everyday items, then consider which appliances, china, glassware, baking equipment and duplicates you are unlikely to need in the next six months.
Consider giving selected items to family, packing and labelling them for suitable storage, or digitising photographs. An item does not necessarily have to be kept in the apartment or thrown away.
Depending on the item and your wishes, furniture may be offered to family, assessed for auction or sale, donated to charity, stored or responsibly disposed of.
Yes. We can help compare the new residence with existing furniture and belongings, assist with downsizing decisions and then coordinate packing, moving, unpacking and setup in Sydney.
We can help you look at the new space, work through your furniture and belongings, and create a practical downsizing plan before moving day. Once the decisions are made, our Sydney team can also help with packing, moving, unpacking and setting up the new home.