When we decided to downsize from our family villa to an apartment, I assumed the hard part would be packing.
I was wrong.
The hardest part has been deciding what not to take.
After living in the same home for many years, it’s amazing how much we accumulated without really noticing. Cupboards filled up. Drawers became crowded. Storage rooms became treasure troves of things we hadn’t seen in years.
As we work through our downsizing journey, we’ve discovered that every item we choose not to move creates more space for the life we’re building next.
Here are 50 things we’ve decided not to bring with us.
Kitchen Items
- Duplicate saucepans
- Three different cheese graters
- The bread maker we haven’t used in years
- Extra serving platters
- Mismatched plastic containers
- Duplicate utensils
- Specialty gadgets used once
- Old water bottles
- Excess coffee mugs
- Spare wine glasses
The kitchen was a wake-up call. We had enough equipment to cater for a small event, yet used the same handful of items every week.
Linen and Bedding
- Old towels
- Worn beach towels
- Spare duvet sets
- Extra pillows
- Sheets for beds we no longer own
It’s surprising how much cupboard space linen occupies. Keeping only our favourites instantly simplified things.
Furniture
- Extra side tables
- Unused outdoor chairs
- Oversized bookcases
- Decorative console tables
- Furniture that won’t suit apartment living
Every piece of furniture now needs to earn its place.
Decorative Items
- Artificial plants
- Decorative bowls
- Candles we’ve never lit
- Old picture frames
- Seasonal decorations we rarely use
- Wall art that no longer suits our style
- Decorative cushions
- Random ornaments
Many of these items were purchased for a version of our home that no longer exists.
Books and Magazines
- Old travel guides
- Cookbooks we never open
- Magazines kept “just in case”
- Duplicate novels
- Outdated reference books
These days, most information is available online. Keeping only our favourites feels far more intentional.
Office and Paperwork
- Old utility bills
- Expired warranties
- Empty folders
- Broken chargers
- Old instruction manuals
The amount of paper we kept was astonishing.
Clothing and Accessories
- Clothes that no longer fit
- Shoes we never wear
- Old handbags
- Formal outfits from another stage of life
- Duplicate scarves and accessories
If we haven’t worn it in years, we’re unlikely to wear it again.
Sentimental Items
- Children’s school projects
- Old trophies
- Boxes of random keepsakes
- Holiday souvenirs
- Greeting cards
This category was the most emotional.
Rather than keeping everything, we’ve chosen a handful of meaningful items and photographed many of the rest.
Miscellaneous Items
- Exercise equipment gathering dust
- Boxes labelled “miscellaneous”
If a box has remained unopened for several years, that’s usually a clue.
What We Learned
The most surprising lesson from downsizing is that letting go hasn’t felt like losing something.
Instead, it has felt like gaining clarity.
Many of the items we owned represented past habits, past homes, or past versions of ourselves. Keeping everything was quietly creating physical and mental clutter.
As empty nesters, we’re discovering that the next chapter doesn’t require more possessions.
It requires more freedom.
Freedom to travel.
Freedom to lock up and leave.
Freedom to spend less time maintaining things and more time enjoying life.
The process hasn’t always been easy, but every box that leaves the house feels like a step toward something lighter and simpler.
And honestly?
We haven’t missed a single thing yet.
Thinking About Downsizing?
Start with one drawer.
One cupboard.
One room.
Small decisions add up quickly.
You may be surprised by how little you actually need—and how good it feels to let the rest go.
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