Downsizing Tips for Seniors: A Step-by-Step Guide & Checklist

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April 1, 2025

Whether you’re helping an elderly loved one relocate to a smaller place or declutter their home for better organization and quality of life, downsizing is essential.

By reducing clutter and simplifying possessions, seniors can reduce their risk of falls(Opens in a new window), lower stress levels and even improve sleep(Opens in a new window). Significant financial benefits also are associated with moving into a smaller home, including more affordable homeowner’s insurance, lower utility bills and decreased property taxes.

Downsizing can be a challenging process, from sorting through multiple rooms filled with items collected over the years to letting go of cherished belongings tied to important memories — but it’s possible if you have a plan.

Here are important downsizing tips for seniors to help make the process more manageable.

Your Downsizing Checklist: A Step-by-Step Guide

Decluttering and downsizing can feel daunting, but thinking through the process and developing a plan breaks it down into more manageable steps.

Here’s a checklist to get you started:

Create a Timeline. Break the process into phases, such as by room. Then estimate how long it will take to finish each phase. Be realistic — it may take longer than you think — but set deadlines to help you stay on track.
Make a Schedule. The first few days of decluttering may be surprisingly invigorating. But eventually, it may start to weigh on you. Determine how many days a week or hours per day you can devote to downsizing, and put it on your calendar.
Sort and Categorize. As you and your loved one work through their items, label them “keep,” “store,” “donate” and “discard” to make it easier to organize and manage them.
Assess Your New Space. If you’re downsizing in anticipation of a move, make sure you know what will fit in the new space and what won’t. Measure furniture and plan storage solutions to ensure everything fits comfortably. You may even want to sketch out a floor plan.
Keep Vital Documents Together. Organize all medical records, birth certificates, passports, financial records, etc., into a cabinet or file box. Keep it in a secure and accessible place throughout the downsizing process.
Ask for Help: Involve family and friends or professional junk removers, organizers and movers to make the process easier. Think about the help you may need at various points in your timeline — such as lifting heavy items or transporting items in bulk — and schedule it in advance.
Store Items: While the goal of downsizing is to get rid of unnecessary items, you may not be able to part with everything. In this case, look into securing a temporary storage unit near your new home. Keep a list of what will be stored and why to make future downsizing easier.
Give Items to Loved Ones. You may want to pass certain items onto your loved ones to keep them in the family, such as heirlooms or other sentimental possessions. This can be a good way to remove things from your home while preserving their memory.

10 Practical Decluttering Tips for Seniors

Not knowing where to start is typically the most daunting part of any decluttering or downsizing process. However, you can make it more manageable by following these tips:

Toss the Trash. Go through the house and get rid of all the trash you see so you don’t have to do this as you go. You’ll likely accumulate more, but this is a good way to start.
Start Small. Focus on one room or area at a time to maintain momentum and avoid burnout. Start with a small space in that room, such as a drawer, bookshelf or small closet.
Set a Timer. Declutter in short sessions (30 minutes to an hour). This can give you a sense of accomplishment and keep the process from becoming overwhelming.
Try the 10/10 Method. This is where you spend 10 minutes getting rid of 10 things — another simple way to make progress in short bursts.
Make a Mess. When you declutter a drawer or a closet, take everything out before sorting it to avoid missing anything.
Use the Four-Box Method: Label boxes as “keep,” “donate”, “sell (or store)” and “trash.” After you’ve donated, sold, stored and trashed your items, go through the “keep” box again, using the same process if you feel like you need to downsize further.
Ask for Support: Sorting through items alone often leads to keeping more than you should. Ask a friend or relative to help you decide which sentimental items are irreplaceable and which can be donated, sold or thrown out.
Give Everything a Place: Ensure everything you keep has a home. This is especially important as we age. By giving belongings a designated place, you avoid shoving things into drawers or closets and forgetting about them. It can also help with finding important items when you need them.
Go Digital: Consider taking pictures of sentimental items to preserve their memory without clutter. Transfer physical media like movies and music to digital files (stores such as CVS or Walgreens have these services), or hire a professional digitization service.
Don't Beat Yourself Up: Downsizing is hard work. You may fall behind schedule or keep more than you intended, but that's OK. The important thing is taking stock of your or your loved one’s belongings so you know what you’re dealing with.

How to Recognize When a Loved One Is Hoarding

Hoarding is not the same as collecting — although this distinction may not be clear to all seniors. Hoarding disorder(Opens in a new window) is a recognized psychiatric condition. Beyond just holding onto excessive clutter, it involves persistent difficulty discarding items. The result is an overwhelming accumulation of possessions that interferes with daily life.

Here are some signs of hoarding:

Entire rooms or areas of the house are filled with piles of unused items.
Essential living spaces — such as bedrooms, living rooms or kitchens — become inaccessible due to excessive clutter.
A buildup of dirty dishes, laundry, trash, etc., creates unsanitary and hazardous living conditions.

Hoarding can pose serious safety risks for seniors and any pets they may have, including fire, falling hazards and general difficulty navigating the home.

Letting go of possessions can be difficult for anyone, but for those with hoarding disorder, it can feel paralyzing. Rather than criticizing or pressuring them, offer support and approach the situation with empathy and patience. Remember: They aren’t being difficult on purpose.

However, excessive hoarding can be a sign of diogenes syndrome(Opens in a new window), or serious self neglect. If you notice other signs like extreme neglect of your loved one’s living space, health and hygiene and social withdrawal, speak with a doctor and encourage professional help if needed.

Hoarding Help for Seniors: Resources and Support

Fortunately, there are many resources to help those with hoarding disorder, including specialized therapists, certified professional organizers who have experience dealing with this problem, local support groups and geriatric care managers who work with hoarders. Your doctor can make recommendations if you’re unsure whom to contact.

Here are some additional resources:

Making the Transition: Settling into a Smaller Space

Moving to a smaller home can be a lot to adjust to, physically and emotionally. Be patient and kind with your loved ones as they make the transition.

Here are a few tips that can ease the adjustment:

Keep Clear Pathways. Arrange the furniture with safety in mind. Clear wide walkways throughout the house, and make sure rugs are secured with tape or nonslip pads underneath to prevent falls(Opens in a new window).
Maximize Storage. Make sure everything has a place. Create safe spaces for loose items and optimize the space you have with under-bed storage, vertical shelving or ottomans with hidden storage.
Make It Feel Like Home. Hang sentimental artwork on walls and place personal items and familiar decor around the home to create a warm and inviting space that feels comfortable for your loved one.
Connect with Community. It may take time for your loved one to adjust to their new home. Encourage them to stay connected to old friends and neighbors while finding ways to participate in their new community and avoid social isolation(Opens in a new window). This could mean joining a hobby group, gym or religious organization nearby.

Embrace the Benefits of Downsizing

Downsizing can create safer, simpler and less stressful living spaces for seniors. It’s not just about letting go, it’s about making room for what matters.

If you or a loved one needs help getting started with decluttering or downsizing, BrightStar Care can help you navigate key transitions and provide essential home care services. Learning how and when to downsize can lead to a more comfortable, fulfilling and stress-free life for seniors and caregivers alike.

How Brightstar Care^® Can Help

BrightStar Care^® is here to support your caregiving efforts for loved ones. Whether you're looking for in-home care services or assisted living for your loved one or a reliable medical staffing partner for your organization, our experienced local care team members are ready to help. Find a location near you, contact us online or call 866-618-7827 to learn more about how BrightStar Care^® offers A Higher Standard^®

Downsizing Tips for Seniors: A Step-by-Step Guide and Checklist