If you’re wondering where to start with downsizing, start with what you want life to look like after the move. Keep that answer beside this downsizing checklist as you work through the decisions that follow.
We’ve been there in our own families, and we work with downsizing clients every day. We know how many decisions can sit behind one simple thought: “I think it’s time.” We’re here to help you sort through them and figure out what comes next.
What do you want life to look like after downsizing? Dream It
For one person, the dream may be a condo that makes it easier to travel. For someone else, it may be a first-floor home closer to family, less yard to maintain, lower monthly expenses, or simply a home that fits everyday life better.
What would you like more time for? Think about what you would be glad to spend less time maintaining, along with what an ordinary week could look like if your home fit the life you want now.
Your Dream It checklist:
- ☐ Finish the sentence, “I’m downsizing so I can…”
- ☐ Write down what you want more room in your life for.
- ☐ Think about what you would like to spend less time managing.
- ☐ Talk through the picture with the people who will be part of the decision.
If you are having trouble putting that picture into words, we can help you talk it through. Our Free Downsizing Guide is another good place to begin.
How do you turn that picture into a downsizing plan? Decide It
Once you have a clearer picture of what you want next, we can start putting the practical pieces around it. This is where location, housing options, finances, timing, and your current home begin to come together.
Your Decide It checklist:
- ☐ Explore locations and home options that fit your priorities.
- ☐ Look at the financial side of the move and what fits your plan.
- ☐ Talk with us about your current home, likely preparation, and selling timeline.
- ☐ Identify the family members, professionals, and resources that may need to be involved.
We can help you look at your current home early, even if the move is still months away. Knowing its likely value, what may be worth doing before you sell, and how the timing could work can make the rest of the plan much clearer.
How do you decide what to keep, sell, donate, or let go? Release It
Once the plan has some shape, belongings decisions have more context. A dining table is easier to evaluate when you know the size of the next dining area, and garage items look different when you know what storage the next home will have.
Your Release It checklist:
- ☐ Identify what you know you want to bring into the next home.
- ☐ Ask family members directly about items you are considering giving them.
- ☐ Make plans for donations, items worth selling, recycling, and disposal.
- ☐ Measure larger furniture and give sentimental pieces or valuables the time they need.
Furniture can take more time to place than people expect, so we like to get those decisions moving early. We walk through the options in What to Do With Furniture That Won’t Fit in Your Next Home.
If the volume of belongings is the hardest part to manage, we can also help connect you with estate sale, donation, organizing, cleanout, and moving resources.
How do you prepare your home for a downsizing move? Refresh It
As belongings begin moving out, it becomes easier to see what your current home may need before it goes on the market. We can walk through the home with you and help prioritize where your time and money can make the most difference.
Your Refresh It checklist:
- ☐ Complete the repairs or updates that make sense for your home and selling plan.
- ☐ Finish donation, sale, and family pickup arrangements.
- ☐ Schedule movers, packing help, cleaning, and other services you need.
- ☐ Coordinate packing, listing, closing, possession, and moving dates.
If you are considering updates, 6 Low-Cost Ways to Refresh Your Home Before Selling can give you ideas to talk through with us.
We also put together How to Prepare for a Downsizing Move Before You Start Packing for the details that are easier to handle before the boxes come out.
How do you settle into your next chapter after downsizing? Live It
This is where the reason you wrote down in Dream It gets to become part of everyday life.
Set up the parts of the home you use most, then see how the space works for you. A furniture arrangement may change, storage may work differently than expected, and a few belongings that made the move may turn out to be unnecessary.
Your Live It checklist:
- ☐ Set up the spaces you use every day first.
- ☐ Arrange rooms around the way you live now.
- ☐ Adjust storage after you have had time to use the new space.
- ☐ Make room for the people, activities, travel, hobbies, or quieter days that were part of your reason for making the move.
We love seeing clients reach this part. The conversations start to shift toward how the new home is working and what they are looking forward to next. We’re here for you through the planning, the move, and the settling in.
Frequently Asked Questions About a Downsizing Checklist
How far in advance should I start downsizing?
You can begin well before you have a move date. Dreaming about what you want next, exploring housing options, talking with us about your current home, and working through some belongings decisions can all happen early.
Do I need to know where I am moving before I start sorting?
You can begin with belongings that are already clear decisions. Furniture, storage, and other items that depend on the next home usually become easier to decide once you know more about the space.
When is the right time to talk with you about selling my current home?
We’re happy to talk early. Looking at the home before you begin projects can help you understand what may be worth doing, what the timing could look like, and how the sale fits with the rest of your downsizing plan.
If you’re thinking about downsizing and want a clear place to start, you can begin with our Free Downsizing Guide:
https://downsizingroadmap.com/guide/
If you prefer to learn by listening, you can explore The Downsizing Roadmap Podcast:
https://downsizingroadmap.com/downsizing-roadmap-podcast/
We share ongoing insights on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/downsizingroadmap/
You’re also welcome inside our private Facebook group, Downsizing & Decluttering for You or Your Parents | Downsizing Roadmap, where people ask questions and share experiences:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/downsizingroadmapcommunity
And if you’re ready to talk through your situation, reach out here:
https://downsizingroadmap.com/help/
Jodi Rosko and Heather Fisher and Downsizing Roadmap work with clients every day to help them move through downsizing with a clear plan, so progress can happen without creating more stress along the way.
