Downsizing: what to keep, sell, and donate

Moving to a smaller home, an apartment, or a retirement community means fitting a lifetime of belongings into less space. Most people find the decisions harder than the packing. This guide offers a way to decide what to keep, what to sell, and what to donate, and how to get the rest out of the house without wearing yourself out.

It works the same if you're downsizing yourself or helping a parent do it.

Start with the new space, not the old one

The single most useful step is to measure the new home first. Get a floor plan, or measure the rooms, closets and kitchen cabinets. Then work out what will fit:

• Furniture. Which pieces fit the new rooms? A sofa that suits a large living room may overwhelm a smaller one. Mark furniture that fits and that you love; everything else is a candidate to sell.
• Storage. Count the closets, shelves and cabinets. If the new kitchen has half the cabinets, you need about half the kitchenware.
• Rules. Retirement communities and apartments may limit what you can bring: no large appliances, limits on storage units, rules about outdoor items.

Knowing the limits turns hundreds of emotional decisions into simpler practical ones: it fits, or it doesn't.

Sort into four groups

Go room by room, and give every item one of four labels. Colored stickers or painter's tape work well.

1. Keep. It fits the new space, you use it, or it means a great deal to you.
2. Family. Someone in the family has asked for it, or it should be offered to them first.
3. Sell. It has value to someone else: furniture, tools, collectibles, art, jewelry, good kitchenware, outdoor equipment.
4. Donate or discard. Usable everyday items go to donation; broken or worn-out things go to recycling or the trash.

Don't try to do the whole house at once. An hour or two a day, starting with the easiest rooms (a guest room, a linen closet), builds momentum. Leave the hardest spaces, often photos, books and the room you used most, until last.

How to decide what to keep

A few questions that help when you're stuck:

• Have I used it in the past year? If not, will I really use it in the new home?
• Do I have more than one? Keep the best one.
• Would I buy it again today?
• Is it the item or the memory I want to keep? A photo of a piece of furniture, or a single plate from a set, can hold the memory without taking the space.
• Is someone keeping it for me out of guilt? It's fine to let go of gifts and inheritances you don't love.

For collections, consider keeping a few favorite pieces and displaying them well, rather than storing the whole collection in boxes.

Offer things to family, with a deadline

Families often assume children and grandchildren want furniture and china they may not have room for. Ask directly, make a list of what's on offer, and set a date by which they need to claim it and take it away. Anything unclaimed goes to the sale. This avoids hurt feelings later and keeps the move on schedule.

If more than one person wants the same thing, decide in advance how you'll settle it: taking turns choosing, drawing names, or simply asking the person moving to decide.

What sells, and how

Things that commonly sell well at estate sales and online auctions include solid wood and mid-century furniture, tools and workshop equipment, collectibles, artwork, jewelry, vintage clothing, outdoor and garden equipment, and good-quality kitchenware. Everyday items sell too, usually for less, and a sale moves them out of the house in one go.

You have a few options for selling:

• An estate sale or online estate auction. A company sorts, prices or catalogs, advertises, and sells everything you're not taking, and is usually paid a percentage of what sells. Most companies are used to working around a move date. See how estate sales work and estate sale vs. online auction vs. cleanout.
• Selling a few things yourself. Online marketplaces work for a handful of items, but it takes time to photograph, list, answer messages and meet buyers.
• Consignment shops and dealers. For specific furniture, clothing or collectibles, a specialist may get a better price; ask about their terms.

If you plan to hold a sale, wait to give away or sell valuable items yourself until a company has seen the house. A few good pieces help draw buyers to everything else.

What to donate

Charities welcome clean, working household goods, clothing, linens, books and furniture in good condition. Before donating:

• Check what each charity accepts; many won't take mattresses, cribs, large televisions or items with stains or damage.
• Ask whether they pick up, and how far ahead you need to book.
• Ask for a receipt. Your tax advisor can tell you whether it's useful.
• Consider local groups too: libraries for books, shelters for linens and towels, schools for craft supplies.

An estate sale company can often arrange donation pickup for whatever doesn't sell.

A timeline that works

Every move is different, but many people find this rhythm manageable:

• Two to three months before: measure the new home, start sorting the easy rooms, ask family what they want.
• Six to eight weeks before: finish sorting, set the family's deadline, get quotes from estate sale companies and book one.
• Four weeks before: pack what you're keeping, and arrange movers.
• After you move: the estate sale or auction runs in the old house, followed by donation or cleanout of what's left.

Selling after you've moved means you're not living among price tags, and the company has the house to itself. Ask companies whether they can schedule the sale after your move date.

When you're helping a parent

If you're helping a parent downsize, let them lead. It's their home and their belongings, and decisions are easier when they feel in control. Offer choices rather than instructions, take breaks, and expect some days to go better than others. A neutral third party, such as a senior move manager or an estate sale company, can sometimes help a family past disagreements.

For a house being cleared after a parent has passed away, see cleaning out a parent's house: a step-by-step checklist.

Get help selling what you're not taking

Tell us about the home and your move date, and we'll share it with up to 3 local estate sale and auction companies so you can compare. It's free, and there's no obligation. You can also find companies by state and city.