How to Declutter Your House: A Downsizers Guide 

The lifestyle benefits of downsizing to a Hometown Australia community are endless, from making a seachange to spending less time on home maintenance. Downsizing is a positive step towards an active lifestyle in retirement — whether you want a nest egg for your golden years or you’re excited to make the most of the community’s amenities. Before you can move to your dream home, you will first have to tackle a tricky job: decluttering.

Downsizing means living in a space streamlined for your needs; a home with lower maintenance and a better lifestyle — making decluttering the key to your downsizing success. The good news is that saying goodbye to clutter can help you reduce the chaos and free up some physical (and mental) space. It’s easy to be emotionally attached to our things, but with these decluttering tips, you can make sure you’re keeping the sentimental pieces and saying goodbye to what no longer serves you.

A proper declutter requires a proper game plan. Before you get started on a big cull, consider the size of the space you’re moving into and compare it to your current space.

For example, many brand-new Hometown Australia homes feature two bedrooms with built-in robes, plus a multipurpose room. If your clothes currently take up three wardrobes, you’ll need to declutter a third of them. Many downsizer homes have garages, while others have carports, so you might find your garage is a more important starting point. Your decluttering roadmap will be unique to you and your home.

Embrace Decluttering Phases

It’s easy to want to get stuck straight into some heavy-duty decluttering, but to avoid running out of energy in the middle of creating piles and piles, we recommend tackling the task in phases.

Begin with a ‘rubbish’ phase, sorting out broken or unusable items for disposal. The next step is the ‘sale’ phase, where you identify items that can be sold to recoup some money for the move. Use containers to separate these items, or tackle a different phase per day to keep your space livable while you declutter.

Need more tips for transitioning from a larger family home? This room-by-room decluttering checklist is the ultimate downsizing guide.

Planning Phase

• Establish how much storage space you will have in your new Hometown Australia home:
  • How many wardrobes?
  • How many kitchen cupboards?
  • Is there a linen cupboard?
  • Is there a separate laundry room?
  • Is there a garage? For one or two cars?
  • Is there a multi-purpose room? How do you intend to use this space?
• Compare this to your current storage space (and how full it is) to confirm how much to cull.
• Book a hard rubbish collection with your local council — or hire a skip bin if you have a lot to declutter.
• Create a realistic goal of what you can achieve each day, and tackle it room-by-room.

Rubbish Phase

• Look around your room for rubbish that can be put straight in a bin bag:
  • Empty or expired products
  • Broken items that can’t be repaired
  • Items too damaged or out of date for sale or donation
• Collect recyclable items and place them into the relevant bins or take them to the tip.

Sale-&-Donate Phase

• Gather together the items that are in good condition but that you no longer need.
• Decide whether you will give away any of these items to loved ones.
• Sell usable items on platforms like eBay, Gumtree, or Facebook Marketplace.
• Donate remaining good-condition items to charity or op shops.

• We use 20% of our belongings 80% of the time. If you always reach for the same glassware set, consider donating the rest.
• Stop saving belongings for ‘best’. Downsizing is an excellent opportunity to use your ‘good china’ every day.
• Follow the 20/20 rule: If you can find a replacement for $20 (or less) in under 20 minutes, it’s safe to toss.
• Use the 10-second rule: If you can’t remember the last time you used an item within 10 seconds, you likely don’t need it.
• Lead with your heart — keep things you love and let go of things you don’t, even if they were expensive.

Once you have finished decluttering your home, it’s time to move into your new Hometown Australia home! Some downsizers recommend packing essential items first and labeling the boxes as ‘priority’. Unpack these priority boxes first, then wait before opening the rest. You may discover you need fewer belongings than expected.

Remember that Hometown Australia communities offer many amenities that might influence your decluttering. For example, if you’re moving to Glenfern, having the community gym and cinema nearby might mean you don’t need to pack your weights and DVD collection. Browse Hometown Australia communities today to find the right fit for you!