Downsizing, step by step

A downsize asks a question an ordinary move doesn't: what are you taking with you? A family home holds decades of furniture, collections and things that were never quite worth throwing out. A smaller home, a unit or an apartment has room for some of it, not all.

That makes the decisions the real work, and they take longer than the move itself. The good news is that they can be broken into steps, and almost every step can be shared. This guide works through them in order: the new floor plan, the sorting, the precious pieces, the timing, the clear-out and moving day.

If you are helping a parent or relative downsize, the same steps apply. There is a section for you towards the end.

The new home decides what comes, so start there rather than with the old one.

• Get the floor plan and measure the rooms you will furnish, including storage: wardrobes, cupboards, a garage or a storage cage.
• Measure your favourite pieces. The sofa, the dining table, the beds and the wardrobes. Then check them against the new rooms, the doorways and, in an apartment, the lift.
• Plan each room. A sketch showing where the main furniture goes turns vague decisions into simple ones. If the dining table doesn't fit, you know now, not on moving day.

Moving into an apartment or unit? Read our guide to moving to an apartment for building rules, lift bookings and measuring the route.

Work room by room, starting with the rooms you use least: the spare room, the garage, the shed and the space under the house. Put everything into one of five groups.

• Keep. It fits the new floor plan and you use it or love it.
• Store. You are not ready to decide, or the new home isn't ready yet. Storage buys time without forcing a choice.
• Give. Pieces family members want. Decide early who is taking what, so it can be delivered as part of the move.
• Sell or donate. Good furniture someone else can use. Sell it, or check with a charity that it will be accepted, well before moving day.
• Clear. Everything else, taken away and disposed of properly.

Every item you don't move is time you don't pay for, because moves are charged by the hour. Sorting before the quote also means the quote is for the move you are actually making.

Some things can be replaced. Others cannot. Tell us about the second kind before packing day, so they get a plan of their own rather than a spot in the next carton.

• Glass, china and crystal. Our packing service covers fragile and high-care items, wrapped individually and cushioned on all sides. You can book packing for just these pieces and pack the rest yourself.
• Art and mirrors. Framed art, mirrors and glass tabletops are wrapped and kept upright, and travel separately from heavy furniture.
• Pianos. Piano relocation is $149 including GST on top of the hourly rate, subject to an access assessment.
• Heavy pieces. Safes, stone-topped tables and anything over 90kg are assessed individually, at $48 including GST per item.

Keep jewellery, cash, documents, medication and the keys to both homes with you rather than on the truck.

Downsizing often comes with a gap. The old home settles before the new one is ready, or you want to live with the new space for a while before deciding about the rest.

A storage transfer turns that into two planned stages. We collect from your home and deliver into a storage unit, then bring everything back out when you are ready. We don't operate storage units ourselves: you choose and rent the facility that suits you, and we handle the loading, transport, unloading and placement.

Moves can also split on the day. Most of the furniture to the new home, some to storage and a few pieces to a family member can be one booking, with each additional pick-up or drop-off charged at $48 including GST.

What isn't coming still has to go somewhere. You have a few options.

• Council kerbside collection. If you live in Brisbane, Council runs a free kerbside large item collection one week a year in each suburb. Items must be easy for two people to lift, piles are limited to two cubic metres, and you carry everything to the kerb within the set window. If your suburb's week lines up with your plans, it is a good option.
• Booked junk removal. Our junk removal suits heavy items, larger loads, things that need carrying out from inside, upstairs or under the house, and deadlines that can't wait for your suburb's turn. It is charged on time plus disposal by actual weight and type, with a minimum disposal fee of $95 including GST.
• Hazardous items. Chemicals, gas bottles, paint, fuel and anything containing asbestos can't go in a junk load or on a removal truck. Council's resource recovery centres accept some household hazardous items, so check Council's website before you load the car.

Downsizing a parent's home is as much about the person as the furniture. A few things help:

• Start early and go slowly. Decisions about a lifetime of belongings take time. A few rooms a week is easier than a whole house in a weekend.
• Let them lead on what matters. The new floor plan settles a lot of questions without argument. The rest are theirs to make.
• Agree who takes what. Settle family pieces before moving day, then plan each delivery as an additional drop-off on the same booking.
• Name one contact. One family member to make decisions on the day and be our point of contact.
• Make the new home feel ready. Our unpacking service unpacks cartons into the rooms you choose, assembles basic furniture and takes the empty cartons away, so the first night in the new home feels like home.

Once the sorting is done, the move itself is straightforward. Request a quote with both addresses, the floor levels, your preferred date, what is moving and anything going to storage or a second address. Tell us about stairs, lifts and parking at each end, so the right crew and truck are allocated. Our team aims to call you back within five minutes during business hours (8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday).

Moves are charged by the hour. Our hourly rates are $125 to $169 per hour + GST, depending on the type of move and truck size, for a moving truck, two professional movers and all standard equipment, including blankets, pads, stretch wrap and basic dismantling. Travel is charged depot-to-depot or as a call-out fee, and extras such as stairs, appliances and additional drop-offs are $48 including GST each where they apply. A deposit secures your date, and every charge is confirmed before you book. See our pricing page for the full list, and our moving checklist for the week-by-week timeline.