Downsizing help in Exeter
Professional downsizing help services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£60/hr minimum, then £50/hr
Typical Duration
Half day to full day
Location
Exeter, Devon
Downsizing help - practical support moving from family home to smaller property. Sorting belongings, moving furniture, coordinating clearances, setting up new home. Respectful, patient help during difficult transition.
Making A Difficult Transition Manageable
After 40 years in the family home, you're moving to a 2-bed bungalow. It's the right decision but that doesn't make it easy. How does a lifetime fit into half the space?
💡 Pro tip: Start with the new place's measurements - work out what you have space for, then make decisions about everything else. Knowing the constraints makes choices clearer.
Why Help Makes The Difference
Here's the thing: downsizing is harder than upsizing. You're not just moving, you're letting go of decades of accumulated life.
| ✅ With Help | ❌ Without Help |
|---|---|
| Systematic, manageable process | Overwhelmed before you start |
| Heavy lifting handled | Too much physically |
| Decisions paced appropriately | Rushed, regretted later |
| New home set up properly | Boxes everywhere, can't find anything |
What I Can Help With
🔧 Practical Downsizing Tasks
| Stage | What I Do |
|---|---|
| Assessment | Measure new home, work out what will fit |
| Sorting | Help organize items into keep/store/donate/dispose |
| Clearance | Coordinate house clearance, charity collections, disposal |
| Moving | Move furniture and belongings you're keeping |
| Setup | Arrange new home to be functional and comfortable |
📦 Common Downsizing Scenarios
- Family home to bungalow - retirement, mobility, maintenance too much
- After bereavement - one person doesn't need/can't manage large house
- Health-driven - need single-level, smaller, more manageable space
- Financial - reducing costs, releasing equity
- Pre-care home - intermediate smaller home before next transition
Pricing
This is hourly because every downsizing situation is unique:
| What You Pay |
|---|
| £60 first hour (minimum) |
| £50 per hour after |
| Typical downsizing help: multiple sessions over weeks |
Common approach:
- Session 1: Assessment and planning (2-3 hours)
- Session 2-3: Sorting and clearance coordination (4-6 hours total)
- Session 4: Move day or setup help (3-4 hours)
- Session 5: Final sorting at old house (2-3 hours)
Total typically 12-20 hours spread over several weeks. Work at your pace, not rushed.
Perfect If You're...
✅ Overwhelmed - don't know where to start, too much stuff
✅ Physical limitations - can't lift, move, do heavy work anymore
✅ Emotionally difficult - bereavement, health, forced by circumstances
✅ Need patient help - someone who understands this isn't easy
Why Choose Us for Downsizing help in Exeter?
Practical help sorting what fits in smaller space
Heavy lifting and moving handled
Emotional support during difficult transition
Respectful, patient approach to decisions
What to Expect
Step 1: Planning & Measuring
We measure the new place, assess what you have, and create a realistic plan for what will fit and what needs alternative solutions.
Step 2: Systematic Sorting
Work through possessions methodically - room by room, cupboard by cupboard. No pressure, your pace, your decisions.
Step 3: Coordinated Action
Arrange clearances, donations, disposal. Move items you're keeping. Set up new home to be comfortable and functional from day one.
🔧 DIY Tips
Managing downsizing yourself - here's how to approach it:
🔧 Start 6+ months before
- Don't leave it to last minute (that's overwhelming)
- One room/cupboard at a time (sustained progress)
- Photos help with emotional items (keep memory, not object)
- Involve family early (prevents conflicts later)
📐 Measuring and planning
- Measure new home first - every room, cupboard, alcove
- Measure current furniture - what will actually fit?
- Floor plans help - sketch layouts, see what works
- Be realistic - "we'll find space" usually means "we won't use it"
⚠️ Common downsizing mistakes
- Trying to fit everything (you can't, something must go)
- Making all decisions in one week (emotionally exhausting)
- Not measuring (then furniture doesn't fit new place)
- Keeping "just in case" items (fills precious space with stuff you don't use)
- Rushing emotional decisions (leads to regret)
💡 Pro tricks:
- One in, one out: For every item you decide to keep, something else goes
- Use it or lose it: Haven't used something in 3+ years? You won't
- Photos preserve memories: Keeps connection without keeping object
- Family first dibs: Before clearance, offer items to family who want them
🏠 Making new smaller home work
- Multi-functional furniture: Ottoman storage, sofa beds, drop-leaf tables
- Vertical storage: Use wall height in smaller rooms
- Clear surfaces: In smaller spaces, clutter is overwhelming
- Light and bright: Makes smaller feel more spacious
- Favorite items: Keep things you love, not things you tolerate
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
💚 This is hard: Downsizing is emotionally difficult even when it's the right decision. I work patiently, respectfully, and without pressure. We go at your pace.
Bereavement downsizing: If you're downsizing after losing a partner, this is especially tough. I understand you're dealing with grief as well as practical challenges. Happy to work around emotional days and take breaks when needed.
Family dynamics: Sometimes adult children have strong opinions about what should be kept. I'm neutral - I help you do what YOU want with YOUR belongings.
Exeter area resources: I can recommend local charities who collect furniture, house clearance companies I trust, and auction houses for valuable items. Helps you know things are going to good homes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does downsizing help actually involve?
I help with the practical side of moving from a larger to smaller home - working out what will fit in the new place, helping sort items into 'taking', 'storing', 'donating', and 'disposing', moving furniture, liaising with house clearance or charity collections, and getting the new smaller home set up functionally. It's about making a difficult transition manageable.
Can you help us decide what to keep and what to let go?
I can help with the practical side - measuring new space, showing what will/won't physically fit, suggesting layouts. But the emotional decisions about Mum's china or Dad's tools need to be yours. I'm patient while you work through those decisions, but I won't push you to get rid of things you're not ready to part with.
What if we're downsizing because of bereavement or ill health?
I understand this is often driven by difficult circumstances - losing a partner, health issues, needing to be closer to family. I work sensitively and patiently, understanding this isn't just a practical move but an emotional one. There's no rush, no pressure - we work at your pace.
Can you help coordinate house clearance, charity collections, etc?
Yes - I can arrange house clearance companies for items you're not keeping, coordinate charity collections for donations, take items to recycling centre, whatever's needed. Often there's a mountain of 'stuff' that needs various destinations - I can manage that process so you don't have to.
Do you help set up the new smaller home as well?
Yes - that's often the most important part. Making sure your new, smaller home works well and feels like home, not just 'where we ended up'. I can help arrange furniture, set up rooms, make it functional and comfortable. You shouldn't feel like you're losing everything - you're gaining a manageable space.
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