Empty-nester downsizing: What comes with you? What do the kids want?
Americans age 65 and older made up 17.3% of the U.S. population in 2022 — that’s one in every six Americans — and that number is expected to rise to 22% by 2040.
While more seniors choose to age in place by staying in their existing homes, many are still making traditional moves to downsize to smaller homes or senior living communities.
Often overlooked by those planning to downsize is what to do with all of their furniture and belongings that can’t make the move with them. Going from a four-bedroom house to a one- or two-bedroom condo can be a daunting decision-making challenge when it comes to what to keep and what to let go.
Start by asking children or other family members what they might want: what is old or no longer of use to downsizing older adults, part of the past they simply see no need to keep or may have meaning to their kids.
“That’s why we recommend engaging family members on the front end where keepsakes and memorable items are in question, making sure people distribute those and have a plan for those in advance of the move,” said David Cox, president of Sterling, Virginia-based JK Moving, which like a growing number of movers, has trained senior move consultants to specifically help couples in downsizing decisions and logistics.
Next is deciding what to do with furniture or belongings the new home has no room for.
“Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are great do-it-yourself options for sales platforms, if that’s the route someone wants to go,” Cox said. “For those who have less of their own time available, an (estate sale) specialist can come in and take care of all of those things and keep complete documentation of what gets sold.”
Estate sales, even those without valuable antiques and collectibles, can often lead to a surprising amount of money for homeowners. And they can be as simple as the equivalent of a professionally-managed one-day garage sale. But estate sale company commissions can be steep, and most require an estimated sales potential minimum.
Another option is donations: A number of charities in the D.C. region, including Goodwill of Greater Washington, Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity, have collection programs to repurpose useful furnishings and belongings to new homes.
Disposal companies, such as 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and College HUNKS Hauling Junk (which repurpose or recycle much of what they collect anyway) also have same day donation pickup services.
Many D.C.-area jurisdictions have donation services, including the Reuse D.C. program which offers both pickup and drop-off options.
Secondhand stores and consignment shops are another option.
Any repurposing of belongings jettisoned during a downsizing move keeps them out of landfills.
Downsizing moves can be complicated and Cox recommends logistics planning be part of the conversation early on.
“More often than usual, these transitions involve multiple moves, including distributions to family members, to storage facilities and often to second homes,” he said. “In all of these cases, our advice is to start the planning process as early as possible.”
Moving day is the worst day for spouses to find themselves arguing over what one wants to keep and the other one does not.
“Unfortunately, that is a frequent occurrence, and making sure that people are in sync before the move takes place is part of the equation,” Cox said. “Making those decisions on move day can be a real challenge.”
A recent survey of current homeowners by listing service Bright MLS found just 10.1% of older homeowners plan to sell their current home in 2025. But among boomer-age respondents who said they do plan to move, 25% said the desire to downsize was the top reason.