MR HOME GUY USA · MASTER TECHS SINCE 2008
What Should I Leave Behind When Downsizing to a Smaller Home?
Start with oversized furniture, duplicates, and belongings you only used because the old home had room for them. Give the things you use every day a place on the new floor plan first. Then set aside room for the keepsakes you want most. For anything else, ask where it will go and what you’ll use it for.
Four places to start when you have less room
Furniture that crowds the new layout
Measure the biggest pieces first, including the dining table, sectional, and dressers. Mark their footprints on the new floor plan and allow space to pull out chairs, open drawers, and walk past. Also check the doors, stairs, and elevator along the delivery route.
Duplicates from rooms you won’t have
Look for spare beds, desks, dishes, lamps, and other items that served a second bedroom or living area. Keep the version you use most or the one that works best in the new space. Decide whether the spare should be sold, donated, or offered to someone who has asked for it.
Gear without a place or purpose
Review yard tools, outdoor furniture, seasonal bins, and garage shelving against the space you’ll have. If a tool still has a job, decide where you’ll store it. If you’re giving up the yard or workshop, put the items you no longer expect to use on the sale or donation list.
Keepsakes that need a deliberate choice
Set aside the pieces you know you want and choose a cabinet, shelf, or box for them. Give family members time to decide whether they want anything you’re offering. For pieces you’re ready to let go, a photo and a short note about their history can help you preserve the memory.
Use the new floor plan to make your move list
- Place the essentials. Start with your bed, seating, and anything you need for daily routines. Include storage space for the belongings that go with them.
- Mark uncertain items. Write down the one detail you need to decide, such as the elevator opening, the number of closet shelves, or whether a table leaf can be removed.
- Give each item a destination. Label it keep, offer to family, sell, donate, or arrange pickup. Confirm what the donation or pickup provider will accept.
- Set a cutoff and a backup. Decide when to stop waiting for a buyer or family pickup. Give yourself time to use the backup before the movers arrive.
Example — A dining set and two guest beds
Suppose you’re moving from a four-bedroom house to a two-bedroom condo. Your dining table fits with its leaf removed, but all six chairs crowd the walkway. Keep the table and the chairs you’ll use, then decide whether the extras are worth storing. If the second bedroom needs to double as an office, sketch the desk and both bed options on the floor plan. Choose the bed that leaves enough room to use the desk and open the closet.
If you’re deciding whether to buy a smaller piece after the move, compare the added moving cost with the replacement cost before changing the inventory. See how to compare moving furniture with buying it again.
Still deciding what will fit in your smaller home?
Bring a floor plan or room photos, a few furniture measurements, and the pieces you’re unsure about. We’ll walk through the layout with you and help you decide what to measure again, what to move, and what to arrange to sell, donate, or pick up.
$39 · 20-minute virtual appointment · Book online 24/7 · Available nationwide — Mr. Home Guy USA
ConsultRelated downsizing and moving guides
- What should I measure before moving furniture into my new home?
- What can I donate and what needs to be hauled away?
- How do I plan a move into or out of a condo or high-rise?
- What should I schedule before moving out of state?
- Browse city moving and home-sale prep guides
Check out our How to Use Your New Floor Plan to Decide What Stays blog