Published on 22/05/2025 & updated on 24/04/2026.
It’s natural for your home to expand over the years, but before you know it, you could have several decades’ worth of possessions.
Downsizing is on the rise, with research showing that 15% of UK homeowners, equating to around 6.3 million adults, are either considering or intending to move to a smaller property within the next five years.
Downsizing your home before moving house can help you make the transition into a smaller space, whilst enabling you to get rid of the items you no longer need.
If you’re looking to downsize your home before moving, but aren’t sure where to get started, this guide is here to help.
But first, let’s break down some of the benefits.
What Are the Benefits of Downsizing?
The benefits of downsizing your home include, but are not limited to:
It Makes Moving Easier
Downsizing can make for an easier, simpler process when it comes to packing your house up.
With fewer items to pack, load, and transport, you’ll save both time and effort on moving day, helping your removals company work more quickly and reducing the overall stress involved.
You’ll Have Less Clutter
Decluttering your home can create a more organised, calmer space, which can have a wealth of benefits for your mental health.
Letting go of unused or unnecessary items can make everyday life feel more manageable by reducing the time and effort needed to keep your home tidy and giving you mental clarity.
It Allows for a Fresh Start
Moving house is the perfect time to shed unwanted weight and curate a home that feels new and filled with the things that truly matter.
When you spend time reassessing your belongings and only keeping what you need, your home will start to feel fresh and purposeful.
6 Tips for Downsizing Before Moving
Now that we’ve explored why you may want to downsize, here are our top 6 tips on how to downsize before moving house:
1. Take It One Room At a Time
The first tip for downsizing your home before moving is to take it one room at a time.
To avoid overwhelm, tackle one room at a time, focusing on reassessing and decluttering items in one space. Prioritise the room that needs the most work.
Downsizing involves a lot of sorting through and organising your possessions. If you have a large family home, you’ll soon become overwhelmed if you attempt to tackle every single room at once.
Think of downsizing your home in stages, being sure to prioritise the rooms that need the most attention.
2. Measure Your New Home
A key tip for downsizing your home before moving is to measure your new home.
This will help you determine the size of the layout of the rooms and whether your current furniture will fit.
If your property sale is yet to go through, you can use the general size of the properties you’ve been looking at as a rough guide to help you.
3. Carefully Assess Your Needs
From the size of the new house to your lifestyle, there are many considerations that will come into play when assessing what you need to keep and get rid of when downsizing.
When choosing items you’d like to keep, ask yourself: Are you keeping items because you need them? Want them? Or are you just sentimental about them?
If you struggle with holding onto things for too long for sentimental reasons, try asking a friend or family member to help you sort through, as this can help to stop you from keeping and packing unnecessary items.
4. Use a Storage Unit
If you’ve already got an idea of the items you want to keep long term, but need them out of the way for now, a storage unit can offer the perfect solution.
For instance, you might not have the space for them in the new house.
Alternatively, you might need more space in your current house to properly consider what possessions are left over to allow you to thoroughly downsize. Hiring a storage unit can help ease this process.
If you’ve already got an idea of the items you want to keep long term, but need them out of the way for now, a storage unit can offer the perfect solution.
If you’re looking to free up some space in your bid to downsize your home, Falconer Removals can help.
Our premium furniture storage service in Swansea, Llanelli and beyond is great for both short and long-term furniture storage. Get in touch with our team for a quote today.
5. Research What to Do with Unwanted Items
There are a range of options when it comes to getting rid of unwanted items such as furniture, old clothes, and electronics.
If the items you’re getting rid of are in good enough condition, they could be sold on pre-loved platforms such as eBay and Vinted.
Alternatively, they could be donated or given away to local charities, for instance.
Planning what you’re going to do with unwanted items can help you let go of some more items, especially when you know they’re being donated to a good cause.
6. Give Yourself Plenty of Time
Whether you’re hoping to sell or donate furniture, kitchen appliances, or other possessions, you need to allow plenty of time to downsize, such as 3 to 4 months.
Depending on how big your current home is, this could mean weeks or months to allow you to properly sort through everything.
Downsizing can make for an easier, simpler process when it comes to packing your house up.
By giving yourself plenty of time for the downsizing process before your move, you’ll feel better prepared and less stressed about the next steps in the move.
How We Can Help
If you’re looking for a professional removal company for your move after you have downsized your home, look no further than Falconer Removals.
We use meticulous moving techniques, passed down and perfected through generations for over 130 years, to ensure your goods are moved with expert precision and kept in perfect condition. Get a quote from our team today.
For more expert advice on how to pack, unpack, move and store your belongings, or other FAQs on how removals work, check out our blog page.
