I’ll admit it: I’m a hoarder.

If there’s space in the house, I’ll fill it. Why get rid of something that might come in useful, especially when you’ve got the room to keep it?

I probably come from a long line of hoarders too—rumour has it my grandfather would happily spend a fortune to collect something, as long as it was free!

We also love space. Our home has always been full of family and friends, so we’ve justified holding onto “extra” rooms in case they’re needed. But now that we’ve entered this new stage of life, the big question is: is it time to part with some of our precious possessions and/or move to a smaller place?

DOWNSIZING: Do you really need all that room?

If you’re kids have moved out, those extra bedrooms may no longer serve a purpose beyond storing more things. But downsizing is not automatically the right or wrong decision—it depends on your lifestyle, priorities, and plans.

Why Downsizing Can Make Sense

• Release equity – Moving to a smaller place could free up funds for new priorities (travel, hobbies, or simply boosting your rainy day fund).
• Lower running costs – Fewer rooms means less heating, lower property taxes, and reduced upkeep.
• Less maintenance – Smaller homes take less time and energy to manage.
• Forced decluttering – If you’ve got to fit into a smaller home, you’ll have no choice but to sift through your “four hedge trimmers” and choose one to keep (yes, our neighbours really did own four!).
• A fresh start – Downsizing could mean choosing a new lifestyle altogether—whether it’s a cottage in the countryside, a flat by the sea, or somewhere closer to family.

Downsides of Downsizing

• Less equity than expected – By the time you factor in moving costs, taxes, renovations, and redecorating, the financial gain may be smaller than you’d hoped.
• Neighbours can’t be bought – A good community is priceless and leaving it behind can be harder than you expect.
• Entertaining limitations – Fewer bedrooms may mean you can’t host your whole family at once. This raises tough questions: who gets the spare bed, and who gets the sofa?

Other Considerations

• Your social network – How easy will it be to stay connected with friends and community ties if you move further afield/how do you start making friends in a new area?
• Access to amenities – At this stage of life, proximity to healthcare, shops, and transport matters more than ever. A rural retreat might sound idyllic now, but how will it feel if driving becomes harder in the future?

💡 Tip: If you’re still undecided, you and your partner could each make a list of pros and cons, combine them, and then talk through how those points impact the most important parts of your life.

DECLUTTERING: Learning to let go

When my wife and I talk about what we’d save from a burning house, the answer is simple: the cat and family photos. That’s it.

So why do I find it so hard to let go of stuff?

Why Decluttering Feels Hard

• Sentimental value – Items remind us of people and memories, and parting with them can feel like a betrayal.
• “Might need it” thinking – Many of us keep things “just in case,” even if need never arises.
• Security mindset – If you grew up with few possessions, keeping things can feel like financial protection.
• Habit – If you lived in a cluttered home growing up, clutter feels normal.
• Perceived value – Throwing away something that “might be worth something” feels like wasting money.

Practical Strategies for Decluttering

• Sentimental items – Remember: the memory lives in your head, not the object. Take a photo of the item if it helps, and then let it go.
• “Might need it” clutter – Be honest about the odds of needing it. If it’s unlikely, and you could replace it cheaply, it doesn’t deserve space in your home.
• Security concerns – Acknowledge the past, but view the situation based upon your present financial reality. If you can easily afford to replace it now, you don’t need to keep it.
• Habit-breaking – Decluttering only works if you stop re-accumulating. Agree with your partner on a future strategy (e.g. one in, one out).
• Releasing value – Sell items if they’re genuinely worth it; if not, donate them. If you can’t be bothered to sell them, they’re probably not that valuable.

Easy Ways to Get Started

Declutter with someone you trust—it helps keep you objective.

Start small: one room, one cupboard, or even one drawer at a time.

Use four piles: keep, give away, recycle, discard.

Try the “one-year rule”- if you haven’t used it in the past year, let it go.

Box method – if you have items that you’re not sure about, place them in a sealed box—if you don’t open it in six months, donate the lot.

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SUMMARY

It can be quite liberating to declutter and/or downsize but, like everything else that we’ve looked at, you need to think about what you want to achieve, potential pitfalls, and how you are going to overcome any challenges.

❓If you’ve already downsized, or decluttered, why not share your experiences so that we can all learn together?

PERSONAL DISCLOSURE

Our Own Story

When our kids both left home (at the same time, to different parts of the country—subtle hint taken!), we debated downsizing. Here’s what we decided:

• Entertaining – We wanted to be able to host both children and their families at once. That led to… a bigger dining table, and eventually a house extension to fit it in!
• Location – We love our area: it’s convenient for travel, shops, and amenities. If we moved, we’d stay local.
• Neighbours – With just seven houses on our road, we’re lucky to have great neighbours, and we didn’t want to lose that.
• Finances – We can comfortably fund our lifestyle without selling up, so there’s no pressure to release equity and so now great need to move.

Conclusion: We stayed put. We still have the option to downsize later if we need to, but for now we’re enjoying the extra space and flexibility. (Oh, and both kids have since moved back to the local area.)

As for decluttering… well, let’s just say my wife laughed out loud when I told her I was writing this.

• Yes, I’m a hoarder.
• Yes, I keep things “just in case.”
• And yes, my wife has thrown out my beer mat collection three times so far

I’m working on my habits, but I never claimed to be perfect.

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Key Takeaways

• Downsizing can make financial and practical sense, but it’s not for everyone. Weigh the pros and cons carefully.
• Decluttering is tough but liberating. Start small, have a plan, and don’t let the clutter creep back in.
• If you don’t make these choices yourself, one day someone else will—probably less gently.

UPDATES & QUESTIONS

UPDATES: saying yes

As per MY INITIAL DECISIONS in Part 1, I’m continuing to say ‘Yes’ to as many invitations. as possible This mean that recently I’ve:

• Been to a STOCK CAR RACING EVENT – manic motor racing which is great fun – even with all the dust!

• MET up with 3 friends that I’ve not seen in a while – and it was like we’d never been apart

• Attended a BREAD MAKING COURSE, and, to my surprise, produced 3 lots of different bread, donuts and cinnamon swirls (now there’s a first!!)

• Experienced FOOT REFLEXOLOGY (foot massage, concentrating on body pressure points, to relieve tension) – soooo relaxing

• Visited an OVERHEAD GARDEN, based on an old railway viaduct – which I’ve been wanting to do that for ages

• Agreed to take some group photographs for a CHOIR – and why wouldn’t you when thy ask?

❓What new experiences have you said YES to recently?

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: You always seem to be having such a great time. Surely you experience some bad things too?

A: Of course. Like everyone I face challenges, but they haven’t been relevant to the topics I’ve written about so far. This blog is about sharing my reflections and choices, and I try to focus on the positives where I can.

Have a question? Leave it in the comments section or email me directly at:

rookieretiree@btinternet.com

FUTURE BLOG CONTENTS

We’re fast approaching the first anniversary of my ‘retirement’. In December’s blog, I’ll be reviewing the first year—what I’ve learned, tips I’d pass on, and what I’ve (still) not got around to.

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💡 Want more stories and insights on the Rookie Retirement journey?

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👉 Browse the FULL SERIES here: [Contents Page]

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Regards