How to Declutter When You’re Downsizing Your Home
Decluttering before you move allows you to settle into your home more comfortably and naturally. It’s often described as a practical process but for many people it’s tied to major life changes; you might be leaving a long term family home, adjusting to retirement, or moving somewhere that better suits your needs now.
That’s why decluttering can feel like a huge task to tackle and many people don’t know where to begin. Jack & Jill Removals want you to approach this process kindly and with confidence.
Give yourself more time than you think you need
The time it takes to sort through everything you own will take longer than you predict, and one of the worst mistakes you can make is waiting until the last minute. It can easily turn an already stressful task into something unmanageable.
Pacing yourself is often the key. Try not to do everything all at once. A tip we would give is to assign yourself a room per day. During that day, create a list of tasks that need to be done. For example, in a bedroom you could empty out the wardrobe in the morning and pull out the boxes from under the bed in the afternoon.
Especially if you have a full time job that takes up most of your time or you don’t have additional people living in the house to aid with the process, breaking it down into bite size tasks really is key.
We would also suggest:
- Breaking your day down into sections
- Having bin bags, charity bags, and boxes ready
- Finding a good labelling system before you start
- Planning your decluttering schedule as soon as you find out you’re moving
- Sorting through a single category (for example books or kitchenware) per session
Expect emotional moments
Decluttering involves pulling all of the things you’ve accumulated over a lifetime out of storage or cupboards and flicking through them to figure out what you want to keep. This can bring a lot of emotions to the surface that you might not have expected when you first planned to downsize. A dining table may remind you of family gatherings, tools might relate to hobbies you once loved, and even everyday objects can carry a sense of familiarity and comfort.
It is very normal to find yourself struggling to let go of things you maybe don’t need anymore because they remind you of a different time but this is all part of the process.
Going into it prepared can help you process these emotions better when they arise. This is why it can be helpful to have someone with you to assist. They will be able to support you and lend a more practical voice to the process.
Think about how you want to live in your new home
Downsizing works best when you focus on how you want to live now, rather than trying to recreate your previous home in a smaller space.
Your new property may be easier to maintain or designed with comfort in mind. Let that influence what you bring with you. Items that suit a busy family household may no longer be necessary, while things that keep you connected to your hobbies may be more important now.
Ask yourself:
- Will this item make daily life easier in my new home?
- Do I have a clear place for it there?
- Does it suit the way I live now?
Work room by room
Breaking the task into sections keeps it manageable and helps you see how far you’ve come. Many people find it useful to start with areas that hold fewer emotional ties, such as attics, garages, airing cupboards, or spare rooms, before moving on to the main living spaces.
As you work through each room, focus on keeping what you genuinely use. For example:
The kitchen
You may discover multiple versions of the same utensil or appliances that haven’t been used in years. Keeping the items you rely on regularly is usually more than enough for a smaller home.
Living areas
Consider how much furniture the new space can comfortably hold. Fewer pieces often make rooms easier to move around in and more pleasant to spend time in. For larger pieces of furniture, it can be helpful to hire a skip or a van to help move it to a charity shop or to the dump and not have it lingering as you’re sorting through the smaller bits.
Bedrooms and storage
Clothing, linens, and general storage can quickly build up. Choosing what you wear and use most often helps reduce volume without feeling restrictive. Working this way provides a steady sense of achievement, which makes the overall process feel far less daunting.
Use a simple sorting system
Having a clear method helps avoid second guessing yourself.
As you go through items, sort them into categories:
- Keep: Items you use, need, or truly love can be put in your keep pile.
- Pass on: You might come across things that family members or friends could benefit from.
- Charity: A good way to declutter is give items a new home and help out a charity.
- Recycle or Dispose: Worn out or no longer useful items can be thrown away.
Be realistic about your furniture
Furniture can be particularly difficult to part with, especially if it has been with you for many years. But large pieces that suited a bigger property may overwhelm a smaller one, making rooms feel cramped.
Measure carefully, look at floor plans if you have them, and think about how each piece will function in the new space. Sometimes replacing one large item with something more proportionate allows the room to feel balanced and usable.
If you’re attached to something and you think it won’t work in your new home then you can always consider upcycling. This may take a certain amount of DIY know-how, but it is possible to shorten chests, narrow chests of drawers, or even make bookshelves shallower so they’re more suited to a more compact nook in a wall.
Don’t feel you have to do it alone
Downsizing is both physically and mentally demanding. Having someone to help with lifting, packing, transporting, popping out to grab lunch, or simply providing reassurance can make a significant difference.
Make space for the personal
Although decluttering is a methodical process, it’s important that you do prioritise the things that mean the most to you. The ones that hold memories, the family heirlooms, the photographs of your children, the books you love, the ornaments that make your house feel like home.
It should never feel clinical. If something brings you joy, it isn’t purposeless.
Allow yourself time to acknowledge those connections. You don’t need to treat decisions as purely practical. Some people find it helpful to pause and reflect, share stories with family members, or take photographs of items they won’t keep. This way, the memory remains even if the object doesn’t.
Sometimes it can even help when you’re organising to have a ‘maybe’ pile. Things you can’t decide on right away, but you can go back through once you’ve organised the rest of your stuff. This can take the emotional weight away from some of your decisions and give you the opportunity to really consider how important things are to you— if they are important, hold onto them simply for that reason.
Schedule in snack breaks
It is easier than you would think to get swept up in the process of tidying and lose track of time. Not to mention decluttering can be physically and mentally tiring, so scheduling in regular breaks to grab a snack or have some lunch can be really helpful and keep you motivated.
You could even see it as a challenge or a milestone. Once you’ve sorted through all the cleaning products under the bathroom sink, you can sit down for ten minutes with a cup of tea.
Downsizing can be a positive reset
Although it may feel challenging while you’re in the middle of it, many people find that once the move is complete, they appreciate the simplicity downsizing brings. Fewer possessions often mean less cleaning and more time to enjoy the things that really matter.
By taking the process slowly and making thoughtful choices you’re shaping a home that supports you comfortably in the years ahead.
Find the right removals company
A professional removals team can help ensure everything is packed carefully, transported safely, and placed exactly where you need it in your new home, taking much of the physical strain and worry off your shoulders. This is where Jack & Jill Removals come in. You can find out more about our house removals services, including how we help make moving day as smooth and straightforward as possible.
If you’d prefer to handle some of the packing yourself, we also supply boxes and packing materials to help protect your belongings and keep everything organised during the move.