Downsizing & Transition Services
in Ottawa
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Downsizing & Transition Services in Ottawa
Downsizing a long-time family home involves more than arranging a move. There’s the work of sorting through belongings, deciding what to keep, preparing the property for sale and coordinating everything around your next home.
Gordons provides downsizing and transition services in Ottawa, bringing the move, household contents and real estate sale together under one coordinated plan. We help homeowners and families across Kanata, Nepean, Orléans, Barrhaven and central Ottawa manage the transition without having to organize each service separately.
You don’t need to declutter before contacting us. Whether you’re planning your own move or helping a parent relocate, our team can help you understand what’s involved and where to start.
Gordons is a licensed real estate brokerage that has helped Ontario families with downsizing and household transitions since 1958, with more than 1,000 real estate sales and over one million household items managed.
If you’re settling a home after a death rather than planning a move, our estate settlement services in Ottawa are a better starting point.
What Our Downsizing Services in Ottawa Include
Downsizing after many years in the same home involves decisions about what to keep, what will fit in your next home and how to handle everything left behind. Gordons coordinates the practical work while you and your family make the decisions about your belongings and your move.
Our downsizing services include:
- Move planning: Building a plan around your timeline, move-in date and the layout of your new home.
- Finding your next home: Helping you find a retirement community, with virtual floor planning to determine what furniture and belongings will fit.
- Sorting and organizing: Working through the home room by room with a Transition Specialist, with your approval before items are sold, donated or removed.
- Selling household contents: Coordinating MaxSold online auctions for furniture, collectibles and other suitable items.
- Donations and clearing: Arranging donations of usable items and removal of remaining contents.
- Moving and setup: Coordinating packing, transportation, unpacking and setup in your new home.
- Preparing and selling your home: Managing property preparation, listing and sale around your move.
- Interim funding: Covering approved project expenses upfront and recovering those costs from the proceeds of your home sale at closing.
You can learn more about the complete offering on our downsizing service page.
Our full-service downsizing program is available when you list your home with Gordons Real Estate Brokerage. Project management is included in the real estate commission, while hands-on Transition Specialist services and approved third-party expenses are charged separately. We’ll review the scope of work and associated costs with you before the project begins.
Comparing Downsizing Services in Ottawa
You can organize a downsizing move by hiring a real estate agent, movers, organizers and household clearing services separately. The challenge is coordinating the work and managing expenses while preparing for a major move.
Gordons brings these services together under one coordinated plan, with a team lead overseeing the transition.
Our Six-Step Downsizing Process in Ottawa
Gordons coordinates the downsizing process around your plans and moving timeline. Here’s what you can expect when working with our team.
Free Initial Consultation
We discuss your plans, walk through your home and explain how our services could help. There’s no obligation to proceed.
A Plan for Your Move
We develop a coordinated plan for sorting, packing, moving, contents sales and preparing your home for sale. You’ll review and approve the proposed work before it begins.
Sorting and Organizing
A Transition Specialist works with you room by room to decide what to keep, give to family, sell or donate. You remain involved in decisions about your belongings.
Moving and Settling In
Our move management team coordinates packing, moving and setting up your new home, with the timing planned around your move-in date.
Selling and Clearing Remaining Contents
Items of value can be sold through MaxSold online auctions. We also arrange donations and removal of remaining contents, with an accounting of applicable sales and costs.
Preparing and Selling Your Home
Once the property is ready, our real estate team manages the listing and sale, with the timing coordinated around your transition.
Moving First and Paying for Downsizing Before Your Ottawa Home Sells
One of the advantages of Gordons downsizing approach is being able to coordinate the move before preparing your current home for sale. This can give you time to settle into your next residence while our team arranges clearing, cleaning, repairs and other property preparation.
However, moving first can also mean paying for movers, packing, property preparation and potentially retirement residence rent before the proceeds from your home sale are available.
Through our interim funding program, Gordons can cover approved project expenses upfront and recover those costs from the proceeds of your home sale at closing. Depending on your circumstances and agreed plan, this may also include retirement residence rent while your property is being sold.
Before work begins, we review the services required and provide an estimate of the expenses to be covered. Project management is included in the real estate commission, while approved moving, preparation and other third-party costs are accounted for separately.
Our senior real estate service explains how we coordinate the sale of your current home with your move.
Planning a Downsizing Move in Ottawa
Downsizing a long-time family home in Ottawa can mean sorting through decades of furniture, tools, keepsakes and everyday belongings. Whether you’re leaving a home in Kanata, Nepean, Orléans, Barrhaven or a more central neighbourhood such as the Glebe, planning what will fit in your next home is an important part of the process.
Selling, Donating and Clearing Household Contents
Ottawa’s curbside garbage collection allows up to three items every two weeks for eligible properties. Each bag, bin or accepted bulky item counts toward that limit. This can make clearing a full household through regular collection impractical, particularly when there’s furniture and other belongings that can’t be reused or donated.
Gordons coordinates the remaining household contents as part of the downsizing process:
- Sell: Suitable furniture, art, tools, collectibles and other household items can be sold through MaxSold online auctions. Learn more about our auctions and contents service.
- Donate: Usable belongings can be directed to local organizations, depending on their acceptance requirements. Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa ReStores are among the potential donation options.
- Clear: We arrange removal of remaining items and help prepare the property for sale.
Household hazardous waste, including certain paints, chemicals and other restricted materials, requires separate disposal. The City of Ottawa provides household hazardous waste information and collection options to help residents dispose of these materials appropriately.
Finding Your Next Home
in Ottawa
Ottawa has retirement living options across the city, including Kanata, Nepean, Barrhaven and Orléans. Choosing the right location may involve staying close to family, familiar neighbourhoods, healthcare providers and community activities.
Whether you’re moving into a retirement residence, rental apartment or a family member’s home, the available space and move-in date will affect how you plan your transition.
Gordons can help with retirement community matching and virtual floor planning, so you can determine which furniture and belongings will fit before moving day.
Before choosing a retirement residence, you can check licensing and inspection information through the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority.
When a Parent Needs
Long-Term Care
Long-term care is different from retirement living. In Ontario, eligibility assessments and placement applications are managed through Ontario Health atHome rather than directly through individual long-term care homes.
Because a placement may become available with limited notice, families can benefit from planning the household transition in advance. Gordons doesn’t manage admissions or determine when a bed becomes available, but we can help coordinate the move, household contents and property sale once the timing is established.
Our guide to the differences between retirement residences and long-term care homes explains the distinction in more detail.
If you’re helping a parent begin planning a move, our guide to discussing downsizing with your parents offers advice on starting that conversation. You can also explore more resources on our seniors and downsizers hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do downsizing services cost in Ottawa?
When you list and sell your home with Gordons, project management is included in the real estate commission. Hands-on Transition Specialist services, moving, cleaning, repairs and other third-party expenses are charged separately. Costs depend on the size of your home and the work required. Approved expenses can be covered through interim funding and recovered from the sale proceeds at closing. Your initial consultation is free.
What's the difference between a retirement home and long-term care in Ottawa?
Retirement residences provide accommodation and optional support services, with residents applying directly to the residence. Long-term care homes provide ongoing care for people with more complex needs, and eligibility and placement are managed through Ontario Health atHome. Gordons can help plan the household move and property sale, but doesn’t manage long-term care admissions.
How long does downsizing take?
The timeline depends on the size of your home, how many belongings need to be sorted and whether you already have a move-in date. A house with decades of belongings may require more preparation than a smaller apartment. Gordons develops a schedule around your circumstances, coordinating sorting, moving, contents clearing and the home sale.
Do I have to sell my house before moving into a retirement home?
No. Gordons can coordinate your move into a retirement residence before preparing and listing your current home for sale. Through our interim funding program, approved moving and property preparation expenses, and potentially retirement residence rent, can be covered until closing. These costs are then recovered from the home sale proceeds.
How do I get rid of old furniture in Ottawa?
Furniture in good condition may be suitable for resale or donation, while items that can’t be reused may need to be removed. Gordons coordinates MaxSold online auctions, donations and disposal as part of its downsizing service. Ottawa generally allows three garbage items every two weeks for eligible curbside properties, with accepted bulky furniture counting toward that limit. Larger household cleanouts may require additional removal arrangements.
Which parts of Ottawa does Gordons serve?
Gordons provides downsizing and transition services across Ottawa, including Kanata, Nepean, Orléans, Barrhaven, the Glebe and surrounding communities. You can find other regions we cover on our service areas page.
Ready to Plan Your Downsizing Move in Ottawa?
You don’t need a moving date, a new address or a cleared house before getting started. Gordons can walk through your home with you, discuss your plans and explain how we can help coordinate the move, household contents and sale of your property.
Book a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your options.
Or call 1-800-267-2206 to speak with the Gordons team.
Hear It From Our Happy Clients
Margaret
“I was dreading the move and I still can’t believe how well it went. Everybody involved was so kind, helpful and patient that I never felt worried. When it came to selling my house, Sherry was so patient, explaining everything and not pushing me to make a decision.”
Angela, Executor
“I hired Gordons when I was recently called upon to act as an estate trustee. They cleaned out an entire lifetime of household goods and personal effects from a home, arranged for minor renovations to prepare the house for listing, and sold the house for fair market value. ”
Joyce & Morton
“From the very beginning we were promptly advised, every step of the way. Our house sold quickly, we can only attribute that to Gordons for their very descriptive advertising. Thank you all for a job well done in a friendly and courteous manner.”
Free Guide:
How to Downsize
Without the Stress
Learn the proven Gordons method for stress-free transitions.
