Reno has alot of this going on. There are older ranch style houses near the university and in the Old Southwest that have decades of family life packed into them and there are condos and 55+ communities where people are moving to. So a lot of folks are going from a big house to a much smaller one and they have to figure out what to do with everything that wont fit.

This is a long post. I wanted to put everything in one place, room by room because downsizing is a big job and it helps to have a plan. take what's useful and skip the rest.

First, a few things to settle before you touch anything

Get the floor plan of the new place. This is the single most helpful thing you can do. If you know the living room is 12 by 15 you know the big sectional isnt going. If the new kitchen has half the cabinets, you know half the dishes arent going either. Most communities and apartments will give you a floor plan if you ask, measure your favorite pieces and see what actually fits.

Know your move date. Everything works backwards from it. With us setup takes at least three days, most sales run two to three days, and the cleanout afterward takes at least two. So you need a couple of weeks of runway and more is better. If your moving into assisted living or memory care families sometimes only have a few weeks. Call early and tell us the deadline on the first call.

Decide if you're moving out before the sale or living there during it. Both work. We can hold the sale while your still in the home. The one rule is you cant be at the house while our team is working or during the sale. lots of people plan a couple of nights with family or just schedule the move first and the sale after.

Dont start throwing things out. Ill say this a bunch of times in this post. Stuff that looks like junk to you often sells. Old tools, costume jewelry, kitchen gadgets, linens, records, cameras, holiday decorations. Let us look first.

The room by room part

The living room

This is usually where people have the hardest time because its where the family photos and the favorite chair are.

Measure the new living room and pick the pieces that fit. usually thats one sofa or loveseat, one chair, a small table and the TV.
Big entertainment centers and wall units almost never fit in a condo. Those can go in the sale.
Pull family photos out of frames if you want to save space. the frames can sell, the photos stay with you.
Lamps and decor sell. Just pick your favorites and let the rest go.

The kitchen

Kitchens are one of the biggest rooms in any sale. Seriously. people will line up for kitchen stuff.

Pick out what you actually cook with. For most people downsizing thats a couple pans, a couple pots, one goo knife set and service for four or six.
The extra dishes, the second set of china, the bakeware you havent touched in years, the small appliances, all of that sells.
Vintage dishes and glassware are worth a look. Dont box up Grandma's old Pyrex and drop it at a donation center, let us see it.
Leave the pantry food out of it. We dont sell food. Use it up, give it away or toss it.

The dining room

Smaller places usually have a small dining nook if anything. A full dining set with a big hutch is almost always a sale item.
China cabinets are full of stuff too. Crystal, serving pieces and china sets can sell so leave them for us to look at.
If someone in the family wants the china, great let them take it now. More on that below.

The bedrooms

Take your bed (if it fits) and the dresser you use. Guest room furniture usually goes in the sale.
Go through the closets but dont overthink it. Keep what you wear. vintage clothing, purses, hats and shoes can sell, so just leave the rest in the closet and we'll sort it.
Jewelry: take your good jewelry with you or get it out of the house before setup starts. Costume jewelry though, leave it. It sells better then people expect.
Linens: keep a couple sets for the new bed. Extra linens and quilts can go in the sale.

The office and paperwork

This is the one room where i want you to do the work before we come in.

Gather your important papers. Wills, trusts, titles, deeds, tax records, bank stuff, medical records, passports. Take them with you or put them somewhere safe.
Shred what you dont need but only the obviously personal stuff. Old postcards, maps, letters from way back and old ephemera can actually have value so if your not sure, ask.
Desks, filing cabinets, office chairs and supplies all sell.

The garage and shop

Reno garages, man. Some of them are packed. And thats honestly a good thing for a sale because tools and garage stuff draw a crowd.

Take the basics you'll need at the new place. A small toolbox, a drill, a ladder if youll have use for it.
Everything else, leave it. Hand tools, power tools, shop equipment, toolboxes, yard tools, camping gear, fishing gear. it all sells.
If there's a car, truck, trailer or RV your not taking, it can usually be sold as part of the sale.
Dont spend a weekend cleaning out the garage. Thats literally our job.

Attic, closets and storage

These are the places where surprises turn up. Holiday decorations, old toys, video games, record collections, film cameras, old stereos.
Dont throw it out. Seriously. If you're not sure leave it and let us look.
If you find something personal like letters or photos set it aside for the family.

Let the family pick first

Before we start, the family should take whatever they want. This saves alot of hurt feelings later. A few things that help:

Do it now, while you can tell the stories that go with things. An heirloom means more when you know where it came from.
Write down who took what. It sounds formal but it helps avoid "I thought i was getting that" later.
Get things out of the house before setup starts if you can. once we start pricing it gets confusing if items are still being claimed.
If two people want the same thing figure that out before the sale. We're not great referees, haha.

What not to do

I see these alot so ill just list them:

Dont hold your own garage sale first. It picks off the stuff that draws buyers to the main sale.
Dont donate first. Sell first, then whats left gets donated where we can or hauled away.
Don't deep clean or fix things up. Buyers at an estate sale expect things in estate condition.
Dont let the neighbor "just grab a few things." Wait until the house is handled properly.

What happens on sale days

Our crew runs everything. We advertise the sale online and on Craigslist and Facebook and send it to our email list. People on the early-access list get in one day before the public. Day 3 is discount day.

You wont be there, and honestly most people say thats easier. Watching strangers carry out your furniture isnt fun even when you know its the right call.

After the sale

Once the sale ends we donate what we can, giving as much as possible directly to people who need it. The rest gets hauled away by our sister company, Dunk The Junk and that's included. If you want the house cleaned after just ask. You get paid by cashier's check or wire transfer.

Then the house is ready for the realtor, the buyer or the landlord.

A couple honest notes

Downsizing is emotional. I know i said "dont overthink it" a few times up there but i get that its hard. Your not just moving furniture, your closing a chapter. Take breaks. Have family help with the tough rooms. and its ok to keep a few things that dont make practical sense if they mean something to you.

Also, not every house needs a full estate sale. If there isnt quite enough for a sale Dunk The Junk can handle a cleanout insted. We'll tell you straight which one makes sense after the walkthrough.

If you want more on this, we have a shorter downsizing guide on the site plus a list of what not to throw away before your estate sale. And heres our page for estate sales in Reno which covers the neighborhoods we work in.

Or just call me at (775) 683-1965. Happy to talk it through.

Downsizing in Reno: A Room by Room Guide for Moving Into a Smaller Place