Downsizing Checklist: What to Keep, What to Let Go, and How to Start
Downsizing doesn’t have to mean moving. AARP’s 2024 survey found 75% of adults 50 and older want to stay in their homes as they age. In 15+ years of designing homes, I’ve helped clients downsize in two ways: editing the house they love so it lives smaller, or choosing a smaller home and bringing only what works there. This checklist covers both.
Downsize in place, or move?
| If this is true | Consider |
|---|---|
| You can get in the front door and live on one floor with a few changes | Downsizing in place: close off unused rooms, move the bedroom to the main level, edit furniture |
| Every bedroom and full bathroom is upstairs | A first-floor addition, or a move to a single-level home |
| Upkeep of the yard and rooms you don’t use costs more than it gives back | A smaller home or a condominium with exterior maintenance included |
| Family nearby could use the space | A multigenerational setup or in-law suite |
What I tell clients before they downsize
Don’t start with the attic. Start with a floor plan. Measure the rooms you’ll actually live in, draw the furniture to scale, and decide what fits before anything is sold or given away. It is the single step that saves the most money and the most regret.
The downsizing checklist
Three to six months before
- Decide: downsize in place, or move. Use the table above.
- Get a floor plan of the new home, or measure the rooms you’ll keep using.
- List the daily routines that must work on one floor: sleeping, bathing, cooking, laundry.
- Walk the route from the car to the bed. Note every step, threshold and dark spot.
- Talk to family about any pieces they want, before decisions are made for them.
Choosing what comes with you
- Keep chairs with arms and firm seats that are easy to rise from. Let deep, low sofas go.
- Keep the bed at a height where feet rest flat on the floor when seated on the edge.
- Keep one beautiful dining table that seats the people who visit most, not twelve.
- Keep rugs only with a non-slip pad underneath, or let them go.
- Keep the art, photographs and pieces that make a room yours. Editing is not erasing.
- Measure every piece against the floor plan. If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t come.
Selling, donating and passing things on
- Offer heirlooms to family first, with a deadline.
- Sell higher-value furniture and décor through consignment or resale sites.
- Donate the rest, and ask for a receipt for your taxes.
- Shred old financial paperwork; keep wills, deeds, insurance and medical records together.
- Consider a senior move manager, who handles sorting, selling and packing. Find vetted professionals on our Find an Aging-in-Place Pro page.
Before the first night
- Install lever handles, a keyless lock, and night lighting along the path to the bathroom.
- Put the things used every day between knee and shoulder height.
- Set up the bedroom and bathroom first, so the first night is comfortable.
- Keep 36 inches of open floor along walking paths through every room.
Pieces worth keeping or buying
The right few pieces do more than a house full of furniture. A rise-assist recliner that looks like a club chair, a washable rug on a non-slip pad, and large, easy-grip pulls on the cabinets you use every day.
Golden Technologies Titan Lift Recliner
Medium-sized, stylish overstuffed seamed back, plush chaise pad. The least institutional lift chair on the market.
Ruggable Cyrus Rose Gold Tufted
Machine-washable luxury rug with a non-slip base. Beautiful and practical.
Mohawk Home Dual Surface Felt + Rubber Rug Pad
Rachel’s rule: no rug without this pad. Best grip + cushion for hard floors.
Prescott Brass Appliance Pull
The Prescott profile scaled for appliances and large drawers. Available in three lengths — 200mm, 328mm, and 520mm — in brass, aged brass, bronze, and black.
Wyze Palm Lock
Palm recognition. No keys, no codes. Works in complete darkness. Transformative for limited dexterity.
Lutron Maestro Occupancy Sensor
Auto-on, auto-off. Eliminates fumbling for switches in the dark. Non-negotiable for bathrooms and hallways.
For more, see lift chair recliners that look like furniture, motion sensor lighting and keyless entry locks.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first when downsizing?
Start with a floor plan, not the attic. Measure the rooms you’ll live in, draw your furniture to scale, and decide what fits before selling or giving anything away.
Can I downsize without moving?
Yes. Many people downsize in place by moving the bedroom to the main floor, closing off rooms they don’t use, and editing furniture. AARP found 75% of adults 50+ want to stay in their homes as they age.
What furniture should I keep when downsizing?
Keep chairs with arms and firm seats, a bed at a comfortable sitting height, a dining table sized to who actually visits, and the art and pieces that make the home yours. Let go of deep, low sofas and rugs without non-slip pads.
What is a senior move manager?
A professional who helps older adults sort, sell, donate, pack and set up a new home. It is one of the most useful hires when downsizing.
The design comes first
A smaller home designed well never feels like a step down. Fewer, better pieces, a single level, light where you need it and nothing to trip on. Think Four Seasons, not hospital. That’s what downsizing should look like.
