The downsizing checklist
Six phases, twelve months, everything in order, from the first honest conversation to the first month in the new place. Tick things off as you go; your progress saves automatically on this device, and the whole list prints cleanly if paper is more your style.
0 of 39 done
0112+ months before
Decide and research
The unhurried phase. Work out whether the move makes sense, what it costs, and what you'd actually move to.
0/6
0112+ months before
Decide and research
The unhurried phase. Work out whether the move makes sense, what it costs, and what you'd actually move to.
0/6
026–12 months before
Finances and first declutter
Get the money side firm and start reducing what you own while there's no deadline attached.
0/7
026–12 months before
Finances and first declutter
Get the money side firm and start reducing what you own while there's no deadline attached.
0/7
033–6 months before
Sell and search
List the house and run the search in parallel. The two timetables need to meet in the middle.
0/7
033–6 months before
Sell and search
List the house and run the search in parallel. The two timetables need to meet in the middle.
0/7
042–3 months before
Legals and logistics
Conveyancing on both transactions, and the practical bookings that go wrong when left late.
0/7
042–3 months before
Legals and logistics
Conveyancing on both transactions, and the practical bookings that go wrong when left late.
0/7
05The final weeks
Moving month
Notifications, packing and the last-mile practicalities.
0/6
05The final weeks
Moving month
Notifications, packing and the last-mile practicalities.
0/6
06The first months
After the move
Settle in, close the loose ends, and put the freed equity to work deliberately.
0/6
06The first months
After the move
Settle in, close the loose ends, and put the freed equity to work deliberately.
0/6
Progress is saved in your browser on this device; no account needed. Clearing your browsing data clears the ticks, so print a copy if you want one on paper.
The phase-one items lean on the rest of the toolkit: the cost calculator and the readiness check, because the moves that go well are the ones where the thinking happened a year before the removal van.
Common questions
The checklist, answered
How long does downsizing take?
Allow 9–12 months from serious decision to moving day for a smooth move, and longer if you're commissioning a new home rather than buying an existing one. The sale itself averages four to six months from listing to completion; the work before listing, from deciding and sorting finances to decluttering, is what most people underestimate.
Where do I start with decluttering?
Start with the rooms you'll lose. If you're going from four bedrooms to two, the contents of two bedrooms need decisions regardless of anything else. Do it in short sessions months before you list, not in a panic before completion. Family first for anything sentimental, then sell, donate and clear in that order.
When should I instruct an estate agent?
Get two or three valuations about a month before you want to list, once the decluttering has made the house presentable. Instruct on a sole-agency basis with a defined term, and have your conveyancer lined up at the same time so the legal pack is ready when an offer lands.
Does this checklist save my progress?
Yes. Ticks are saved in your browser on this device, so you can come back to it over the months of a move. It isn't tied to an account, so a different device or clearing your browsing data starts it fresh. You can also print the whole list.
The right smaller home might not be for sale yet
See how downsizers commission exactly the home the market won't supply: serviced plots, single-storey living, and stamp duty on the land alone. Free to browse.