Seven Strategies for Painlessly Downsizing in Retirement

For Baby Boomers planning to downsize, the transition from a large suburban home to a smaller residence is as much a psychological challenge as it is a logistical one. With the average home containing approximately 300,000 items, the sheer volume of possessions can feel overwhelming. According to the National Association of Realtors, about 25% of migrating boomers are seeking smaller homes to reduce expenses and live closer to family—a motivation shared by many over 60.

Ciji Ware, a novelist and author of “Rightsizing Over 70,” describes downsizing as a process of freeing oneself from being a “prisoner of your possessions.” Ware wrote her book after she and her husband, journalist Tony Cook, recognized they had handled their own six moves over a decade incorrectly. She notes that the primary obstacles are often psychological, including avoidance and procrastination, rather than simply the physical act of moving boxes.

Real-world experience supports this view. Shelby and Peter Van Meter spent five months downsizing from a 2,200-square-foot home in Sausalito, California, to a 1,390-square-foot apartment in a retirement community nearby. While they agreed on most decisions, Peter struggled to part with boxes of old files. After junk haulers removed the pile, Peter admitted he was glad it was gone. “There’s a lot of joy in getting rid of what is unnecessary and is not pertinent anymore,” Shelby Van Meter said.

To help others navigate this process, Ware and industry experts outlined seven tips for a smoother transition:

1. Accept that not everyone will value your items
Professionals warn that resale value for many household goods is low. Margit Novack, founding president of the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers, noted that coffee table art books and ordinary collectibles are difficult to sell. She cited the common misconception that an Oriental carpet retains significant value, when it may only be worth $100 to $200. MarketWatch columnist Robert Powell recently shared his own struggle to discard sentimental items like college hockey pucks and elementary report cards, acknowledging that family members rarely share the same attachment.

2. Think creatively about donations
Standard charities like Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity Restore typically only accept items in good, sellable condition. Non-functional furniture, such as a broken recliner or a damaged dining table, is often rejected. However, creative recycling can find new homes for such items. Shelby Van Meter’s painter was delighted to take a damaged but sturdy table that had seated twelve people, ensuring it would still be used for family gatherings. Similarly, Ware donated her World War II book collection to a bookstore’s Veterans Day drive, where they were sold for $1 each to benefit a library.

3. Permission to discard sentimental clutter
Letting go of family photos and slides can feel heartless, but it is often a necessary step. Ware and her husband spent weekends sorting through albums, discarding duplicates and unusable slides, leaving only a single shelf of their best memories. The Van Meters also found closure by saying goodbye to their parents’ photo albums, telling them, “We love you, but we can’t keep you.”

4. Implement a structured downsizing system
Experts recommend starting months or years before the move. Ware suggests using a “Rightsizing Project” book and colored sticky dots to categorize items: green for things to keep and used in the past week, yellow for uncertain items used in the last month, and red for occasional-use items not needed in the new home. She also advises creating a processing station in each room with labeled bins for Keep, Repair, Trash, Gift, Donate, Recycle, Sell, and “Don’t Have a Clue”—a category for items that require further decision-making later.

5. Seek professional assistance
Senior move managers can provide objective guidance, charging between $50 and $125 per hour. For a full house, costs may range from $1,500 to $5,000. Estate sale professionals are another option for homes filled with collectibles and furniture, though they may refuse jobs if the anticipated return is below $3,000 to $6,000. Ware noted that while one estate sale pro passed on her husband’s collection due to low estimated value, another professional agreed to handle it.

6. Leverage AI and social media
Tools like Google Lens, eBay Virtual Search, ChatGPT, and Google Gemini can help estimate item values. Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor are useful for connecting with local buyers, though Novack cautioned that these platforms require significant time to manage multiple inquiries and negotiations.

7. Avoid long-term storage
Experts advise against renting storage units near a new home, as costs can range from $35 to $250 or more per month, plus insurance and climate control fees. The goal should be to reduce possessions, not to relocate them to a temporary holding area.