If you’re planning to move to a smaller property, your first focus should be deciding what to take with you and what to dispose of. You won’t have the room for the household goods that you currently have today when moving to a smaller space.

By decluttering you’ll reduce the overall volume of the goods to be moved, which means we’ll need to move fewer cartons and possibly even use a smaller vehicle. All of these factors influence the overall price of your removal, so the less items you move the better it is for you.

Whatever your reason for downsizing, this 10-step guide will provide you with some handy tips for decluttering.

Step 1 - Evaluate the floorplan

When deciding how much furniture you need to get rid of, you’ll need to understand exactly how much space you’ll have in your new property. Plan your new room layouts using the floorplan for your new home. This way you’ll make the most of your smaller space, and the furniture you already have.

Step 2 – Make a list

Make a list of all the items that you don’t intend to take with you to your home. Apply a rule of thumb – do you like it? Do you want it in your new home? When was the last time you used that item? If it was over a year ago ask yourself – do you need to take it with you?

Step 3 – Be ruthless

Be ruthless with your decluttering. Don’t hoard items you rarely use or appreciate. Consider whether sentimental items are worth keeping, or if you should simply hold onto the memories. You could always take photos of items you want to remember but don’t want to keep.

Step 4 – Clear out your wardrobes

Do you wear everything in your wardrobe? Most people don’t. You’d be surprised at how much space your unwanted clothes are taking up. Clean out your wardrobes and donate the clothes you no longer want at a recycling point. Charities like Cancer Research UK Ltd and the Salvation Army welcome donations of unwanted clothes. They will be recycled to raise funds for research and charitable works.

Step 5 – Try selling your unwanted items

There is a huge marketplace out there for used furniture. A great way of getting rid of your unwanted household items is by selling them online. It’s a great form of recycling and you can make some money too. We recommend gathering up anything that you think has financial value and try selling it online through websites like Gumtree, Amazon Marketplace or eBay.

Step 6 – Donate to family or friends

Do you know someone who may be in need of a sofa? Before you throw away your unwanted belongings, ask your family and friends if they could use any of the furniture that you don’t want. If they don’t, they may know someone who does.

Step 7 – Store your items

Storage provides the perfect solution if you can’t seem to part with your furniture or you simply want a little more time to decide whether to keep it or not. Sending your furniture or personal effects to store gives you time to make that decision. You may even find that once you move into your new home, you had space for some more furniture after all.

Step 8 – Recycle your items

If you can’t sell your items or pass them onto any relatives then the next thing to do is to take them to your local recycling centre. Before you get there it’s worth splitting your goods into wood, plastic and non recyclables. Take a note of specialist recycling services like small appliances or batteries.

Step 9 – Get rid of bulky furniture

If you can’t seem to shake off your unwanted bulky furniture then you can contact your local Council and arrange collection. This can usually be arranged locally at a fee.

Step 10 – We’ll handle the rest

Now that you have decluttered ready for your move, you can sit back and let us do the rest. Our full packing service means we’ll arrive on move day and pack up all the items that survived the declutter, and deliver them to your new property.


If you are planning to downsize, Hoults Removals of Newcastle can move you to your new property. We provide a range of services to help our customers move home and store their goods.