For many people, the thought of leaving the family home can bring mixed emotions. The family home has been exactly what they needed for many years.

You may have lived there for decades. It might be where you raised your children, celebrated birthdays and Christmases, welcomed friends and family, and built countless memories.

But life changes.

The children move out, the garden becomes harder to manage, there are rooms that aren’t being used very often and suddenly you find yourself looking after a home that is much bigger than you really need.

That’s when many people start thinking about downsizing.

And while it can be a big decision, downsizing doesn’t have to mean giving something up. It’s about deciding what you want the next stage of your life to look like.

For many of the families we’ve helped, it’s actually been about gaining more time, less maintenance and a home that suits the way they want to live now.

Less house, more life

One of the biggest benefits of downsizing is simply having less to look after.

A smaller home can mean:

• Less cleaning and maintenance
• Less gardening
• Lower running costs
• Fewer rooms sitting unused
• A home that is easier to manage
• More time to spend doing the things you enjoy

Perhaps you’re thinking about travelling more, spending more time with family, taking up new interests or simply having weekends that aren’t spent maintaining the house.

You may not need five bedrooms anymore. You may just need somewhere comfortable that feels like home.

You don’t have to leave the area you love

Downsizing doesn’t necessarily mean moving away.

Many people want to stay close to the places, people and communities they already know.

You might choose a smaller home nearby, an apartment close to shops and transport, a townhouse, an over-55 community or an independent living or retirement village.

There are many different options, and what suits one person may not suit another. And sometimes, it’s about looking ahead rather than waiting until a move becomes necessary.

The important thing is to think about how you want to live, rather than simply looking for a smaller property.

Ask yourself:

• Do I want a garden?
• How important is being close to family?
• Do I want to be able to walk to shops and cafes?
• Do I want public transport nearby?
• Would I like access to shared facilities and activities?
• Do I want to travel regularly?
• Would I prefer a completely independent home or somewhere with additional services available if I need them later?

These questions can help you work out what your next home needs to offer.

Think about your new home before you start sorting

One of the easiest ways to make downsizing decisions is to have some idea of where you’re going.

Before you start pulling apart cupboards and filling boxes, think about what you want from your next home.

Would you prefer:

• An apartment, villa or townhouse?
• A smaller house with a garden?
• Independent living or an over-55s community?
• A retirement village?
• To stay close to family and friends?
• Easy access to shops, medical services and public transport?
• A home with less maintenance?
• Somewhere with room for visitors, hobbies or pets?

There are many different options available, and what suits one person may not suit another

Once you’ve decided where you’re heading, the process becomes much clearer.

Understanding the size and layout of your new home gives you a much better idea of what can realistically come with you. If your new home is significantly smaller, there simply won’t be room for everything.

Measure rooms where possible and think about the furniture you genuinely want to take with you. That makes decisions much easier.

Instead of asking:

“How can I possibly get rid of all this?”

you can ask:

“What do I actually want to take with me?”

It’s a much more positive way to approach the process.

From there, you can work through your existing home room by room, deciding what you love, what you use and what will have a place in your next home. The rest can be sold, donated, gifted, recycled or disposed of responsibly.

Once the house has been decluttered, you’ll often see it very differently. This is the time to look at cleaning, repairs, painting, gardens, carpets, styling and any other work needed before putting the property on the market.

Then comes the move itself, packing, organising removals and, importantly, setting up your new home so that it feels like home from the moment you walk through the door.

The Emotional Side of Leaving the Family Home

This is often the hardest part.

When you’ve lived somewhere for 20, 30 or even 40 years, you’re not just looking at furniture and belongings. You’re looking at your history.

That’s why we don’t believe downsizing should be about simply getting rid of as much as possible.

It’s about deciding what is important enough to come with you.

Some things will have enormous sentimental value. Others may have been kept simply because you’ve always had them.

It can help to ask yourself:

Do I love it? Do I use it? Does it have a place in my next home?

And remember, you don’t have to make every decision in one afternoon.

Taking the time to sort through belongings properly can make the whole process much less emotional and much more manageable.

Downsizing the belongings is often the hardest part

The property search can sometimes be the easy part. It’s deciding what to take with you that’s difficult.

After living in the same home for decades, you can accumulate an enormous amount of stuff, often without even realising how much you have.

There are the things you use every day, the things you might use one day, the things you’ve kept because they belonged to your parents and the things you’ve kept simply because you’ve had them forever.

You don’t need to make all those decisions in one weekend.

Starting early gives you time to work through your belongings properly.

Begin with the garage, spare room or cupboards. Then work through the areas that have accumulated the most over the years.

This means that when you eventually decide to sell, you’re not faced with the enormous task of sorting your entire home at the same time as preparing it for market.

And if you’re not ready to sell yet, that’s okay too.

Keep the things that are important to you and that will work in your new home. Give family members the opportunity to choose things they would like. Donate what can be useful to someone else and responsibly dispose of what is no longer wanted or usable.

And don’t underestimate how good it can feel once you’ve started.

We often hear from clients:

“I wish we’d done this years ago.”

Start looking before you have to

One of the best pieces of advice we can give is don’t wait until you have no choice.

If you are thinking about downsizing, start looking at your options while you still have plenty of time.

Visit different types of homes and communities, attend local downsizing or retirement living information sessions and talk to people who have already made the move.

If you’re considering retirement village living, the NSW Government provides useful information about choosing a retirement village, including the Retirement Villages Register, a prospective resident checklist and a retirement village calculator.

Local information sessions also change regularly, so check your local council and Services Australia websites for upcoming events.

Don’t forget the financial side

Downsizing can also have financial implications.

Selling your family home may release equity, reduce your ongoing housing and maintenance costs, or allow you to put some money towards your next home or other plans.

For eligible Australians aged 55 and over, there may also be an opportunity to make a downsizer contribution of up to $300,000 per person into superannuation from the sale of an eligible home, subject to the relevant rules.

Selling your home and changing your living arrangements can also affect Centrelink or Age Pension assessments, depending on your circumstances. It’s worth speaking with your accountant, financial adviser or Services Australia before making decisions based on assumptions about your financial position.

Where Downsizing by utterDECLUTTER can help

We’ve helped hundreds of families through the process of downsizing, and we know that every situation is different.

Some people want help sorting through decades of belongings.

Some need help deciding what will fit into their new home.

Some are ready to move but don’t know where to start with the family home.

Others are preparing to sell and need someone to coordinate the decluttering, packing, removal, cleaning, repairs and other work required to get the property ready.

We can help you work through the practical side of the process, step by step.

And importantly, we don’t expect you to make every decision at once.

Downsizing is about creating a home and lifestyle that works for you now, not simply moving into a smaller property.

Downsizing Can Be a Fresh Start

Leaving the family home can be emotional, but it can also be incredibly liberating.

Imagine having a home that’s easier to clean, easier to maintain and easier to lock up when you decide to go away.

More time for family. More time for travel. More time for hobbies. Or simply more time to enjoy your life without a long list of jobs around the house.

Downsizing isn’t about giving up.

It’s about choosing what you want more of and letting go of what you no longer need.

If you’ve been thinking about downsizing but don’t know where to begin, we’re always happy to have a conversation.

At Downsizing by utterDECLUTTER, we understand that every family, every home and every move is different. We can help you work out where to start, what needs to happen and how to make the whole process feel more manageable.

Downsizing by utterDECLUTTER can help you get there – one step at a time.

Useful resources

• NSW Fair Trading – Retirement Villages Register – Search registered retirement villages by suburb or local government area and compare available information.
• NSW Government – Living in a Retirement Village – Information about retirement village contracts, costs, rights and responsibilities.
• Australian Taxation Office – Downsizer Contributions – Current eligibility information for downsizer super contributions.
• Services Australia – Age Pension Assets Test – Current information about how assets can affect Age Pension eligibility and payments.