What is the best way to start downsizing?

Start in one room at a time, & get rid of everything you don't use.

We downsized a few years ago. We did three things. Garage sale,curb free pile and donated.

Figure out what you use on a daily basis in each room and cut the emotional ties that you have with what is left and have an estate sale and any left donate.

I just retired, packed up and moved states and it is a lot of work. I think the best thing to do is sit down and make a plan first - why do you want to downsize - smaller house, able to travel, simplify life etc. then from that you can have an idea of what you need to keep. You can do can a room at a time or have a larger overhaul and then have a garage sale. Sort piles into keep, donate, sell, throw out piles and then action. I found it helpful to visualise everything in my new space - where would it go, would it suit my new lifestyle? Or I loved it so much I didn't care. Hence the 3.5k of books I moved at great expense and am still unpacking LOL. Good luck - I am still finding stuff I should have gotten rid of, but that's ok, if you are not sure whether you might need it put in Box that says keep for six months and if not opened throw out. Oh yes, don't forget to make a list of what is in it.

We set clear boxes around the house. One in each room. We put stuff in them that we called Keepers. In the garage we put the Donate boxes. We threw stuff in the garage for months. We made many trips to the Thrift Store. Then just before we moved out of the house we built, and raised our kids in - we ordered a huge garbage bin and filled it t the top!

I sure do wish I could figure it out. Seems like I'm always getting rid of stuff I shouldn't have and keeping the stuff I should of got rid of. Lol

Hi Carol, Here's the simple answer. "What would I replace, if it were all gone"?

Hope this helps, it sure helped me!