You never truly realise how much you own until you start packing it into boxes. Years of “just in case” items, holiday souvenirs, paperwork, and the odd thing you meant to fix but never did.
Downsizing offers the perfect opportunity to reset. It’s the ideal time to clear the clutter, keep what matters and move forward with less. Here are some simple decluttering tips to help you get ready to downsize into your beautiful new home.
Start with the spaces you use least
The easiest place to begin is with the parts of your home that don’t get much attention, like lofts, spare bedrooms, garages and cupboards under the stairs. These areas often hide things you’d forgotten you even owned.
Make sure to take everything out and look at it properly. Although it’s tempting to start boxing things up straight away, try and hold off. If something is broken, out of date or hasn’t been used in years, it probably doesn’t deserve a place in your new home. This early progress can be a quick win and help set the tone before you move on to more personal areas.
Be realistic about your furniture
Furniture that works perfectly in your current home might be too big or awkward in your next one. Large corner sofas, oversized dining tables and bulky wardrobes can change how you move around a room.
Before you move anything, don’t forget to take detailed measurements of your new home and think carefully about how you might use the space. Multi-purpose furniture like ottomans with hidden storage, compact dining sets or beds with draws underneath can give you a huge advantage when it comes to making the most of your space.
And if something doesn’t fit or serve a useful purpose, consider giving it a new life. Ask family members if they might want, donate to charity or take to a recycling centre. There’s no point paying to move and store furniture that’s just going to get in the way.
Get your paperwork in order
We've all got that drawer (or two) overflowing with old paperwork. This might be bills from years ago, expired insurance policies, receipts, instruction manuals and letters you have been meaning to file. Moving home is a great opportunity to finally sort your paperwork out.
Set aside time to go through it all with a shredder, scanner and recycling bin. Keep only what you truly need, things like passports, recent tax and medical documents and guarantees for items you still own. Organise them into clearly labelled folders so you can find what you need easily when you settle into your new home.
Streamline your kitchen
Kitchens are notorious for hoarding unused items, such as unused appliances, saucepans that only come out at Christmas, and baking trays that have seen better days.
One of our top kitchen decluttering tips is to focus on keeping only the things you use regularly. Choose your best-quality plates, cutlery, pans, and gadgets, then let go of anything that’s gathering dust. The same goes for utility cupboards, which often hide half-used cleaning sprays, ancient lightbulbs, and tools you can’t remember buying.
Don’t forget the forgotten spaces
Hallway cupboards, bedside drawers, and coat racks can be sneaky clutter traps. These areas attract old toiletries, tangled cables, and expired medicines, all of which could follow you into your new home if you’re not careful.
Be ruthless now so your stylish new home stays clutter-free from day one. You’ll thank yourself later when your cupboards are fresh, organised, and ready to use.
Handle sentimental items with care
Don’t leave sorting through family photos, old letters, and treasured souvenirs until the night before you move. Give yourself time to reflect and choose the pieces that truly mean something.
For larger items that you don’t want to keep, take photographs so the memory stays with you without taking up space. You can also create a small memory box for special keepsakes or pass meaningful heirlooms to children or grandchildren to keep them in the family.
Find the perfect home for downsizing with Crest Nicholson
At Crest Nicholson, we build beautiful low-maintenance homes that make downsizing simple. Offering practical layouts, modern features and manageable spaces, our new build homes can help you live comfortably and clutter-free.
Explore our latest new build development locations here and find a new home that fits your next chapter perfectly.
Back