The easiest way to decide what to keep when downsizing is to start with the new home’s floor plan and keep what fits and gets used. Hamilton homeowners moving from a family house into a smaller home or a 55+ community almost always own more than the new space can hold, so measuring first saves a lot of second-guessing. Fred Gomberg, an SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist), shares these rules with sellers:
Measure the new rooms and sketch where the big pieces go. If a sofa doesn’t fit the sketch, it doesn’t make the move.
Keep what gets used every week. The everyday dishes and a favorite chair come along. The third set of holiday china probably doesn’t.
Start with the garage, basement, or guest room. Those are less emotional than photos and keepsakes, and finishing one builds momentum.
Ask family early what they want, and set a date for them to pick it up.
Take photos of pieces that can’t come. A picture of the piano can hold the memory without taking up a wall.
Give sentimental items one home, like a single cabinet or a set number of boxes.
Sell, donate, or hand off the rest through an estate sale company, a consignment shop, or a charity pickup.
Sorting nearly always takes longer than people expect, so it pays to start before the house is listed. It helps the sale too, because a home with less in it looks bigger in photos and at showings.
Gomberg works with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach in Princeton. He plans the listing date around the sorting, so the house goes on the market when it’s ready and the seller isn’t rushed.
