Downsizing-Playbook

Deciding to leave a home you have lived in for years is one of life’s biggest choices. It’s also easy to feel overwhelmed by the list: the house, the belongings, the paperwork, the family conversations, the next place.

The Downsizing Playbook breaks it into five clear parts, each with worksheets and checklists you can print, write in and keep. It is written for homeowners 60 and over, in large, easy-to-read type, and it moves at your pace. There is no pressure to move, and the first part helps you decide whether to stay.

What’s inside

Part 1: Decide

Compare the cost of staying with the cost of moving, rate what matters most to you, and use guided worksheets for talking with your spouse and your adult children.

Part 2: Sell the Home

Follow a selling timeline, get the house ready with room-by-room checklists, choose an agent with confidence, compare offers, and use a closing-day checklist.

Part 3: Sort the Belongings

Use a simple four-pile system (keep, give to family, sell, donate), work through room-by-room checklists, sort your important papers, and record heirlooms and their stories.

Part 4: Buy the New Home

Separate needs from wants, compare housing options from a smaller house to senior living, and take along a printable home viewing sheet. Questions for agents, inspectors and communities are included.

Part 5: Move and Settle

Use a moving timeline, choose a mover and avoid common scams, work through change-of-address and utilities checklists, and follow a 30-day plan for settling in.

Who it’s for

• Homeowners thinking about downsizing, or already decided
• Couples planning a move together
• Adult children helping a parent through the process

What you get

• One instant-download PDF, 60+ pages
• Large, readable type, designed to print and write in
• Fill-in worksheets, checklists and planners for every stage

Good to know

This is a planning guide. It is not legal, tax, financial, medical or real estate advice. Rules and costs vary by state and change over time, so speak with qualified professionals before making final decisions.

Not sure yet? Download the free Downsizing Readiness Checklist first.