Downsizing help in Brisbane and Moreton Bay

Moving to a smaller home means deciding what comes with you, what will fit and where everything else will go. Messy & Co works alongside you and your family to plan each step, make those decisions together and set up a new home that feels like yours.

An elderly couple with gray hair, smiling and hugging while shopping for plants and home decor in a store. The man is wearing a denim shirt and jeans, the woman a light blue striped shirt. The store has wooden flooring, cardboard boxes, and plants, with an empty wall and some boxes in the background.
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When people choose to downsize

Two people, a woman with dark, wavy hair and a man with gray hair and beard, are sitting at a wooden table reviewing documents and using a laptop, in a bright, modern room.

Downsizing happens at many stages of life. You might be:

Downsizing is often a big task for families, and we're here to help the whole family.

  • Moving to a smaller or easier-to-manage home

  • Adjusting to an empty nest

  • Retiring or changing the way you want to live

  • Relocating closer to family or a new community

  • Moving into a retirement village or over 55s community

  • Helping a parent or family member prepare for a move

How downsizing works

A free consultation

We start with a relaxed 15-minute conversation about your move, your timeline and what you'd like help with.

Planning around your new home

We look at the size and layout of your new home, along with measurements, furniture and storage, so you have a clear picture of what will fit.

Room by room

We work through your current home together, deciding what you'd like to take, what you'd like to rehome and which special pieces to keep.

Finding good homes

Belongings you're ready to part with can go to family, friends, charities, community organisations, or be recycled or repurposed. You decide where they go.

Settling into your new home

If you'd like, we can also help you set up your new home after the move, so everything has a place and the space feels like yours from the start.

Shelf of glass jars filled with various dried legumes and grains, labeled with names such as mung beans, urad dal, toor dal, split green peas, hazelnuts, and other types of lentils and beans.

Keeping what matters

A view of a room with a large window showing snowy trees outside. Inside, there are two guitars, an orange guitar amp labeled "Orange," a table with a potted plant, a bookshelf filled with books and records, a framed painting on the wall, a guitar, an orange amplifier, a speaker, and a small wooden jewelry box.

We'll explore the options with you, so the stories stay with your family wherever the belongings go.

Some belongings carry family stories and memories. When there isn't room for everything, there are creative ways to keep those memories close, such as:

  • Photographing special pieces

  • Creating a memory booklet

  • Organising family photographs

  • Recording the story behind an item

  • Choosing a few meaningful pieces to keep together

Questions about downsizing

  • We start with your new home, its size and layout, then work through your current home carefully, room by room. Together we plan what you'd like to take, what will fit well in the new space, and where everything else can go.

  • Yes. We can look at measurements, furniture sizes, storage and the layout of your new home so you have a clear picture of what will fit comfortably and where things can go.

  • Yes. Some things may be perfect for children, grandchildren, family or friends. Others may suit a charity, community organisation, recycling or repurposing option. We can use our community connections and explore the choices with you, so you can decide where you'd like your belongings to go.

  • There are lots of creative possibilities. We might photograph special pieces, create a memory booklet, organise family photographs, record the story behind an item, or choose a few meaningful pieces to keep together. The idea is to preserve the stories and memories in a way that feels special to you.

  • Yes. Downsizing is often a big job for families, and with busy lives, work and children of your own, outside help can make all the difference. Whether you live nearby, interstate or simply can't be there in person, we can start with a conversation with you, then work alongside your parent at a pace that suits them. We'll keep you updated and as involved as you'd like, so the whole family feels supported.

  • Yes. Some things may be perfect for children, grandchildren, family or friends. Others may suit a charity, community organisation, recycling or repurposing option. We can use our community connections and explore the choices with you, so you can decide where you'd like your belongings to go.

A cozy living room filled with various potted plants, a white bookshelf with books, a gray sectional sofa, and a wooden dining table with chairs, near a large window with blinds.

Other ways we can help

Organising & Decluttering

Hands-on help to sort through your spaces and set up systems shaped around the way you live, from a single cupboard to your whole home.

Explore Organising & Decluttering

Virtual Organising

Organising help by video call wherever you are in Australia, with a personalised plan and email support between sessions.

Explore Virtual Organising

Home Energy Cleansing

A gentle ritual to cleanse your home and set intentions for what you'd like to welcome in, often chosen after a declutter, a move or at the start of a new chapter

Explore Home Energy Cleansing