Moving to a Smaller Home? 7 Things to Decide Before You Pack
By Tricia Garcia, Senior Real Estate & Inherited Home Specialist | Real Estate Toolbox, eXp Realty
THE SHORT ANSWER
Before moving to a smaller home, decide what’s worth paying movers to move. Sort everything into keep, give away, sell, donate, or replace later, measure the new rooms before moving furniture, keep a moving-day bag with medication and papers, and hire a licensed, insured mover. Plan the move and the sale together, ideally two to three months out.
Before moving to a smaller home, don’t start by packing boxes. Start by asking what’s worth paying someone to move. Movers are expensive. If the couch doesn’t fit, the china hutch has nowhere to go, and half the boxes never get opened, you didn’t downsize. You moved your clutter into a smaller space.
I’m Tricia Garcia. For ten years I’ve helped seniors and long-term homeowners in Ventura and Los Angeles County make big housing moves, with a lot of my focus in Leisure Village and Camarillo. Here are seven things to decide before moving to a smaller home, so you save money, avoid stress, and end up in a home that fits the life you want.
Why a Plan Matters Before Moving to a Smaller Home
Once packing starts, everything feels important. The extra dishes, the garage shelves, the boxes you haven’t opened in years, the furniture that has always been there. That’s how people move the old house into the new house. The smoother move starts long before moving day, with decisions made while you still have time to think.
7 Things to Decide Before Moving to a Smaller Home
What’s worth moving
Walk through your home and sort into three groups: must move, maybe move, and don’t move. Start with the new home, not the old one. Does it fit the new space? Do I use it? Does it have real sentimental value? Does it support the life I want next? Moving to a smaller home means the new place can’t hold every maybe. It needs to hold what matters, what fits, and what makes daily life easier.
Whether your furniture fits
The sectional that worked in a large den may block the walkway in a smaller living room. The china hutch may have nowhere to go, and the extra bedroom set may not be needed at all. I’ve seen it many times. Take the important pieces and the sentimental ones, but be honest about the habit pieces. The goal isn’t to recreate the same house in a smaller space.
Tricia’s tip: Measure the rooms, the doorways, and your biggest pieces before moving day. If something doesn’t fit or costs more to move than to replace, decide now.
What to keep, give away, sell, donate, or replace
People get stuck when every item has only two options: keep it or toss it. Use five instead:
- ✓Keep what you use, what fits, and what matters most
- ✓Give away what a relative will want and use
- ✓Sell what still has value but doesn’t fit your next home
- ✓Donate what could help someone else
- ✓Replace later anything that costs more to move than to buy again
Replacing later matters most if you’re moving to a smaller home out of the area or out of state. Buying new once you arrive is often cheaper than hauling bulky pieces across the country. If relatives will be sharing belongings, the photo-and-list method in Inheriting a House With Siblings? Watch for These 3 Red Flags works for downsizing, too.
What stays with you on moving day
Some things should never go on the truck: medication, important papers, jewelry and valuables, phone chargers, basic toiletries, a change of clothes, and anything irreplaceable. Keep one bag or one small box with you, like you’re getting on a plane. The last thing you want is to arrive tired, surrounded by boxes, and not know where your medication is.
Tricia’s tip: If you would panic trying to find it, it rides with you, not on the truck.
How you’ll organize before the move
“I’ll organize it once I get there” rarely happens. The boxes land, life keeps moving, and the clutter becomes part of the new home. Pack one room at a time. Label every box with the room it goes to, and color code if that helps. Mark the first-week boxes clearly. When moving to a smaller home, every closet and cabinet counts, so don’t fill them with things you forgot you owned.
Who you can trust to help
Don’t hire movers only because they’re cheapest, and don’t wait so long that you take whoever is available. In California, household movers must hold a permit, and the Bureau of Household Goods and Services explains how to check one before you hire. Ask for referrals and get answers in writing: Do they pack? Do they handle fragile items? What happens if something is damaged? Are there extra charges for stairs, distance, or delays? A big move may also need organizers, estate sale companies, cleanout crews, handymen, or stagers.
What you’re moving toward
This part is emotional. You may have been in your home for decades. Maybe you planted the trees out front, picked every paint color, or hosted every holiday there. Change is hard, so talk about it. But also talk about what you’re moving toward: being closer to people you love, less maintenance, fewer stairs, a smaller yard, a community that fits this stage of life, or more financial freedom from your equity.
“A smaller home doesn’t have to mean a smaller life.”
Tricia Garcia
Moving to a smaller home can mean less to maintain, less to worry about, and more freedom. I like to think of it as moving to the right home for this season of life. For the emotional side, read Downsizing After 60: What No One Tells You About Letting Go of Your Home.
How Early to Start
Most people underestimate how long sorting takes. When moving to a smaller home after decades in one place, give yourself two to three months if you can. Spend the first weeks deciding and sorting. Book movers, and any estate sale or donation pickups, about a month out. Pack the last two weeks one room at a time.
If you’re also selling, talk with your agent about whether to move first and then prepare the house, or prepare it while you’re still living there. Moving to a smaller home goes more smoothly when the move and the sale are planned together, not one after the other.
Moving to a Smaller Home in Leisure Village or Camarillo
If you’re moving to a smaller home in a 55+ community like Leisure Village, start by measuring the new rooms before you decide what to bring, and ask the seller or HOA about garage and storage space. And if you’re waiting on new senior housing or a government program before you move, read The ROAD to Housing Act: Why Seniors Shouldn’t Wait to Downsize first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first when moving to a smaller home?
Decide what’s worth moving before you pack. Sort into must move, maybe move, and don’t move, and measure the new rooms and your largest furniture so you only pay to move what fits.
How do I decide what furniture to take when downsizing?
Measure the new rooms and doorways, keep the pieces you use and love, and let go of pieces that don’t fit or cost more to move than to replace.
What should I keep with me on moving day?
Medication, important papers, jewelry and valuables, chargers, toiletries, a change of clothes, and anything irreplaceable. Keep them in one bag that travels with you, not on the truck.
How do I find a trustworthy mover in California?
Ask for referrals, confirm the company holds a California household mover permit through the Bureau of Household Goods and Services, and get the services, insurance, and extra charges in writing before moving day.
Is it cheaper to replace furniture than move it?
Sometimes, especially for long-distance moves. Compare the cost to move large pieces with the cost to buy what you need after you arrive.
Have Questions About Your Home?
Planning a move to a smaller home?
Have questions, real ones, specific ones? Reach out to my team and me directly. If you’re thinking about moving to a smaller home, selling a long-time home, or helping a parent move in Ventura or Los Angeles County, book a free 30-minute call before you start packing. We’ll help you make a plan and connect you with trusted resources.
Tricia Garcia & Steve Hise
Senior Real Estate & Inherited Home Specialist
805-424-6226
team@RealEstateToolbox.com
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