Downsize a Home

Sort decades of belongings, sell what has value, donate the rest, handle family heirlooms diplomatically, and execute a move without regrets.

Sort

• Work one room at a time — box everything into four categories: Keep, Sell, Donate, and Trash
• Apply the one-year rule for clothes: if it wasn't worn in the last year, it goes
• Photograph every piece of furniture and the room arrangements before disassembling — useful for memory and resale listings
• Measure all furniture against the floor plan of the new space before deciding what to keep — a sectional that doesn't fit is a donation, not a move
• Hire a professional organizer for the first weekend if the task feels paralyzing — NAPO (napo.net) has a national directory

Sell

• List large furniture on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist first — local pickup eliminates shipping complexity
• Use eBay for smaller collectibles, tools, and electronics — it has global reach that local marketplaces don't
• Hire an estate sale company for large volumes — they handle pricing, advertising, and the sale weekend for 30–40% commission
• Consign antiques and jewelry through a reputable auction house — Sotheby's, Christie's, and regional houses often have lower-value consignment arms
• Sell books to ThriftBooks (thriftbooks.com sells bulk lots) or Half Price Books — a full car trunk of books may yield $50–$150

Donate

• Call Habitat for Humanity ReStores — they pick up furniture, appliances, and building materials for free
• Donate clothing to local shelters first before Goodwill or The Salvation Army — shelters have more immediate need and take seasonal items
• Donate working electronics to a local school, library, or Human-I-T (human-i-t.org) — they refurbish and redistribute
• Get a tax receipt for any donations over $250 to a 501(c)(3) organization — photograph donations before drop-off

Family Heirlooms

• Hold a family 'selection day' before selling anything of sentimental value — let family members claim items before they go to market
• Photograph heirlooms and document their stories — write a brief note with each piece (provenance, occasion, who it belonged to)
• For disputed items, consider a lottery or a rotation system among siblings — put the process in writing before you start

The Move

• Get 3 binding estimates from movers — use FMCSA's mover search (protectyourmove.gov) to verify licensing
• Declutter down to your actual Keep pile before the movers arrive — you pay by weight or cubic foot; don't pay to move things you'll donate at the other end
• Label every box with room destination and top-3 contents on the side, not the top — boxes get stacked and you can't see the tops
• Pack a 'first night' box: bedding, toiletries, phone charger, medications, and coffee setup — this box rides in your car, not the truck