Downsizing with Care
Downsizing Case Study
My client lived in her family home for over 50 years. The house was filled with the belongings of a family of five—treasured heirlooms, decades of memories, and items long forgotten in basements and closets. When it came time to move into a two-bedroom assisted living apartment, the challenge was clear: deciding what to keep, what would fit, and what to do with everything else.
Her three adult children all lived nearby, but with busy careers and young families of their own, managing the downsizing process themselves wasn’t feasible. And with a realtor confident the house would sell quickly, there was no luxury of sorting room by room over many months. From the first realtor meeting to closing day, the entire transition needed to be completed in just 45 days.
Room by room, I organized the process—bringing the homeowner, children, and extended family through in waves to make decisions about what to keep. I coordinated sales with a local antique store, multiple charity pickups, and ensured weekly disposal runs kept progress moving forward. The home was staged just in time for the first showing, sold for over asking price, and was completely cleared in one week.
Services Provided
Personal Property Organization & Distribution
Floor plan of the new apartment to designate what would go, based on space and needs
Sorting of all non-furniture belongings in garage, kitchen, basement, and closets
Move coordination of all items going to the new space
Coordination with family and friends for items they wished to keep
Estate sales, consignment, and purchase partners identified and managed
Packing, donation coordination, and disposal of remaining items
House Staging & Sale
Worked with realtor to prioritize repairs, removals, and staging needs
Discretely labeled items staying for staging with post-sale disposition plans
Full move-out coordination to ensure staged and sold items reached their destinations
Her transition though condensed and challenging, became a smooth and thoughtful process. With clear systems, trusted coordination, and attention to her sentimental belongings, the move honored her past while preparing her for the next chapter.
