Downsizing before a move: what to keep, sell or donate
Start with the floor plan of the new home
Do not start by looking at what you own. Start with where you are going. Get the floor plan of the new home, or measure the rooms yourself, and write down the size of each room, the wardrobes, the doorways and any awkward corners.
Then compare your furniture against it. A dining table that fills your current room might leave no walkway in the new one, and a three-seater sofa might not clear the stair turn. Use tape on the floor to mark where the large pieces would sit, and you will see what actually fits.
Sort into keep, sell, donate and dispose
Make four clear groups, and work room by room so the sorting does not turn into a pile in the hall. Keep what you use and what fits. Sell what has value and a buyer. Donate what is in good condition but not worth the effort of selling. Dispose of what is broken, unsafe or unusable.
Be firm about the dispose group. Councils run their own bulky waste collections and charities each have their own rules on what they will accept, so check their websites for what applies in your area. Arranging those collections is your job, so do it early.
Large furniture first
Decide on the big pieces before the small ones. A wardrobe, a bookcase or a dining setting takes up the most room in the truck, so it makes the biggest difference to the size of the move. Settling them first also tells you how much space is left in the new home for everything else.
Be honest about duplicates. If the new home already has a built-in wardrobe, you may not need the freestanding one. If the lounge is smaller, one sofa may be enough. Measure each piece you are unsure about, and keep only the ones that pass.
Sentimental items and family
Sentimental items are the hard ones. Set them aside for a second pass and do not make those calls when you are tired. Photograph pieces you are letting go of, and keep a small box of the things that matter most.
If other family members have a claim on the dining table or the piano, ask them early and agree a date for collecting it. Do not leave it until the week of the move, when there is no room to change your mind.
Time it before moving day
Sell or donate before moving day, not on it. Anything still in the house when the truck arrives has to be carried, and truck time is charged per 30 minutes. Paying to move things you plan to give away is an expense that is easy to avoid.
Work back from the move date. Advertise larger pieces a few weeks ahead, book any council or charity collection early, and set a cut-off after which nothing else leaves the house. If a buyer is collecting on the morning of the move, tell your coordinator so it is clear which items are going on the truck.
A smaller move can mean a smaller truck
Less to move can mean a smaller truck or less time on the clock. BARI's truck rates are $55 per 30 minutes for the compact truck, $60 for the medium truck with movers and $80 for the large truck with movers. After downsizing, ask your coordinator whether a smaller truck now makes sense. See how pricing works per 30 minutes for the full breakdown.
For the move itself, packing can be full or partial, or you can pack some yourself. At the new home, furniture is placed in the room it belongs in, which is easier when you have already decided what fits. The moving house checklist covers the rest of the planning, home removals in Sydney covers the service, and you can request a quote once you know what is coming with you.