What to Keep, Donate, Dump and Dispose of When Downsizing Your Home in Richmond Hill
Downsizing from a detached home to a smaller home, a condo or a retirement residence means confronting 20, 30, sometimes 40 or more years of accumulated belongings. Every room, every closet, every drawer forces a decision: keep it, donate it, dump it or dispose of it properly. This guide gives you a clear system for deciding what goes where, with local resources in Richmond Hill for every category.
Written by a Richmond Hill Real Estate Expert
At Kirby Chan & Co. Real Estate Team, we regularly help Richmond Hill families downsize out of a home they have lived in for decades. We have seen a kitchen full of duplicate dishes and a garage of half-used paint cans turn a move into weeks of overwhelm, simply because no one had a system for deciding what goes where. If you are downsizing in Richmond Hill, here is the keep, donate, dump and dispose system that makes the whole thing manageable.
Quick takeaway: Start early (8 to 12 weeks before your move date), work one room at a time and sort everything into four categories: keep, donate, dump and dispose. "Keep" goes to the new home. "Donate" goes to a local charity. "Dump" is general waste for the curb or transfer station. "Dispose" is for items that require special handling: electronics, paint, batteries, chemicals, appliances with refrigerants and anything hazardous. York Region has specific programs for each category.
The System
Four Categories for Every Item in Your Home
KEEP ✓
Goes to your new home. Must fit the space, serve a function or hold irreplaceable sentimental value.
DONATE ♡
In good condition but you do not need it. Goes to a local charity, shelter or community organization.
DUMP ✕
Broken, worn out, stained or unsalvageable. Goes to the curb for bulk pickup or to a transfer station.
DISPOSE ⚠
Requires special handling. Hazardous waste, electronics, paint, batteries, chemicals, refrigerants.
Table of Contents
Not Sure What to Keep or Let Go?
Call Our Dedicated Downsizing Hotline for Assistance
416-305-8008
Kirby Chan & Co. Real Estate Team
What to Keep
Rule 1 If It Does Not Fit, It Does Not Come
Measure your new space before you start sorting. If you are moving from a 3,000 sq ft detached to a 1,200 sq ft condo, you are keeping roughly 40 percent of your furniture at most. The oversized sectional will overwhelm a condo living room. The king bed will not fit an 11x12 condo bedroom. Sketch the layout and decide which pieces fit before you sort anything else.
Rule 2 Keep What You Use, Not What You Might Use
If you have not used an item in the past 12 months, you do not need it. The fondue set from 2006, the bread maker still in the box, the exercise bike that holds laundry, the 14 place settings of formal china you use once a year: these are taking up space in a home that will have less of it. Keep what you actually use daily or weekly. Everything else is a candidate for donate or dump.
Rule 3 Sentimental Items Get a Box, Not a Room
Give yourself one or two boxes for irreplaceable items: photos, handwritten letters, a few meaningful keepsakes. Photograph items you want to remember but do not need to keep physically. The china your grandmother gave you matters because of the memory, not because of the plates. Take a photo, keep one setting and donate the rest. Our emotional side of downsizing guide covers how to work through these decisions.
Rule 4 Documents: Digitize and Shred
Keep original birth certificates, passports, wills, property deeds, marriage certificates and current tax returns (7 years). Scan everything else you want to keep digitally and shred the paper originals. Old utility bills, expired warranties, bank statements older than 7 years and outdated insurance policies can all be shredded. Staples and other office supply stores in Richmond Hill offer shredding services.
What to Donate and Where
Donate Furniture in Good Condition
Sofas, dining sets, dressers, desks, bookshelves and bed frames in good condition are accepted by Habitat for Humanity ReStore (locations in Markham and across York Region), the Salvation Army and Diabetes Canada, all of which offer free pickup. Our Richmond Hill donation guide lists every local option.
Key rule: Donate only items in good, usable condition. Stained sofas, broken chairs, mattresses with tears and water-damaged furniture should be dumped, not donated. If you would not give it to a friend, do not donate it.
Donate Clothing and Household Textiles
Clean clothing in wearable condition can be donated to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or local clothing drives. Towels, blankets and sheets in good condition are accepted by most charities. Animal shelters in York Region accept old towels and blankets for bedding. Worn-out textiles that are not wearable can go into textile recycling bins available at community centres and retail locations in Richmond Hill and Markham.
Donate Kitchen Items and Small Appliances
Pots, pans, dishes, glassware, cutlery and working small appliances (toasters, blenders, coffee makers) in good condition are always needed by shelters and community organizations. Drop them at the Salvation Army, Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity ReStore. If the appliance does not work, it goes to e-waste recycling, not the donation bin.
Donate Books, Toys and Sporting Goods
Richmond Hill Public Library accepts book donations for their annual book sale. Toys in good condition can go to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or local family shelters. Sporting goods (skis, bikes, hockey equipment, golf clubs) can be donated to Play It Again Sports for consignment or to community programs in Richmond Hill and Markham.
Tax Benefit Get a Tax Receipt for Your Donations
Registered charities like the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and Diabetes Canada issue tax receipts for donated items. Keep a list of what you donate with estimated fair market values. For larger donations, take photos before donating. The tax receipt can offset some of the costs of your move. Ask the charity for a receipt at the time of donation.
What to Dump and How
Curbside Bulk Pickup (Free)
Richmond Hill and Markham offer curbside bulk item pickup as part of your regular waste collection. You can place large items (furniture, mattresses, carpeting, large toys, exercise equipment) at the curb on your scheduled collection day. Most municipalities allow 2 to 4 bulk items per collection. Check your municipality's website for size restrictions and scheduling. Book extra pickups if needed.
York Region Transfer Stations (Drop-Off)
For more than the curbside limit, bring items directly to a York Region Community Environmental Centre. Locations include McCleary Court in Vaughan and other sites across the region. You pay by weight, typically $10 to $50 depending on volume. They accept furniture, construction debris, yard waste, scrap metal and general household waste.
Junk Removal Services (Paid)
Junk removal companies like 1-800-GOT-JUNK, Junk King and local York Region operators will come to your home, load everything and haul it away. Costs range from $300 to $800 or more depending on volume. Many of these services sort items for donation and recycling so not everything goes to landfill. This is the fastest option for a full-house cleanout and well worth the cost if you are on a tight timeline.
Need a Hand With the Heavy Lifting?
Call Our Dedicated Downsizing Hotline
416-305-8008
No pressure, just a clear conversation
What to Dispose of Properly
These items cannot go in regular garbage or curbside bulk pickup.
Paint, Stain and Solvents
Latex and oil-based paints, stains, varnishes, paint thinners and solvents are hazardous waste and cannot go in regular garbage. Bring them to a York Region Household Hazardous Waste Depot (open seasonally and by appointment at Community Environmental Centres). Some paint retailers also accept returns of unused paint.
Electronics (E-Waste)
Old TVs, computers, monitors, printers, cellphones, tablets, cables and routers cannot go in regular waste. York Region accepts e-waste at Community Environmental Centres for free. Best Buy and Staples also accept electronics for recycling at their Richmond Hill and Markham locations. Wipe personal data from devices before dropping them off.
Batteries and Light Bulbs
Batteries of all types and fluorescent light bulbs contain hazardous materials. Drop off batteries at collection points in Richmond Hill and Markham (many grocery stores and hardware stores have battery recycling bins). Fluorescent tubes and CFL bulbs go to the Household Hazardous Waste Depot. LED bulbs can go in regular garbage.
Appliances With Refrigerants
Fridges, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and water coolers contain refrigerants that must be removed by a certified technician before disposal. Do not put them at the curb without arranging refrigerant removal first. York Region accepts these appliances at Community Environmental Centres once the refrigerant has been recovered.
Medications and Sharps
Expired or unused prescription and over-the-counter medications should never go in the garbage or down the drain. Return them to any pharmacy in Richmond Hill or Markham for safe disposal. Sharps must be placed in a puncture-proof container and returned to a pharmacy or the Household Hazardous Waste Depot.
Room-by-Room Decision Guide
Kitchen
Keep: One set of everyday dishes (8 place settings), your best pots and pans, essential small appliances you use weekly, sharp knives and favourite cooking tools.
Donate: Duplicate sets of dishes, excess glassware, specialty gadgets you rarely use, extra baking pans and the second set of everything.
Dump: Chipped dishes, warped pans, melted plastic containers, rusted baking sheets and stained cutting boards.
Dispose: Non-working small appliances with batteries or electronics go to e-waste. Cleaning chemicals under the sink go to hazardous waste.
Bedrooms and Closets
Keep: Clothing you have worn in the past 12 months, one set of bed linens per bed in the new home and bedroom furniture that fits the new rooms.
Donate: Clothing that no longer fits or has not been worn in a year, excess linens, children's outgrown clothing and guest bedroom furniture you will not have room for.
Dump: Stained or torn clothing not suitable for donation, old pillows and worn-out mattresses (curbside bulk pickup).
Garage and Basement
Keep: Tools you actually use and seasonal items that fit in your new storage.
Donate: Duplicate tools, working power tools you no longer need (Habitat for Humanity ReStore accepts tools), sporting equipment your family has outgrown and holiday decorations you will scale down.
Dump: Broken furniture stored just in case, dried-out garden hoses, cracked flower pots, old lumber scraps and general accumulated clutter.
Dispose: Old paint cans, motor oil, gasoline, propane tanks, pool chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and antifreeze all go to the Household Hazardous Waste Depot. Never dump chemicals down the drain. Our garage, basement and attic cleanout guide covers these spaces in detail.
Living Room and Family Room
Keep: Furniture that fits the new living space, artwork and decor you love and will display and media equipment you actually use.
Donate: The oversized sectional that will not fit, extra side tables, bookshelves full of books you will not re-read, DVD collections and board games in good condition.
Dump: Worn-out upholstered furniture and broken lamps.
Dispose: Old CRT televisions and broken electronics go to e-waste recycling.
The Downsizing Timeline
Weeks 8 to 12 Before Move Sort and Decide
Start with the rooms you use least (basement, garage, spare bedrooms, storage areas). Work one room at a time. Sort into the four categories. This is the emotionally hardest phase. Allow yourself to grieve items you are letting go of while being honest about what you need versus what you are holding onto out of habit.
Weeks 4 to 8 Before Move Donate and Dump
Schedule donation pickups. Drop off items at charity locations. Arrange curbside bulk pickup dates or book a junk removal company. Bring hazardous waste to the depot. The goal is to have all donate, dump and dispose items out of the house by 2 to 3 weeks before moving day so the home is clean for staging and photography if you are also selling.
Weeks 1 to 4 Before Move Pack What You Are Keeping
With the donate, dump and dispose items gone, pack room by room, label every box with the destination room and keep an essentials box (toiletries, medications, chargers, a change of clothes, important documents) that stays with you on moving day. If you are also selling, coordinate with your agent on staging timing so the home is photo-ready before listing.
Recognition
Kirby Chan Awards and Achievements
🏆 #1 Individual Producer in Ontario for eXp Realty 2023
🏆 Top 3 Best Rated Real Estate Agent in Richmond Hill
🏆 Toronto Star Platinum Award for Best Real Estate Agent
🏆 Top Real Estate Agent Award in Markham
🏆 2X ICON Agent Award with eXp Realty
🏆 2025 Community Votes Platinum Award, Thornhill
🏆 2024 Community Votes Platinum Award, Thornhill
🏆 2025 Gold Award for Real Estate Brokers in Markham
🏆 2024 Community Votes Bronze Award, Richmond Hill
🏆 2023 Community Votes Platinum Award, Thornhill
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I decide what to keep when downsizing?
Measure your new space first. Keep only items that fit and that you use regularly. If you have not used it in 12 months, it is a candidate for donate or dump. Give sentimental items a limited box, not an unlimited pass.
Where can I donate furniture in Richmond Hill?
Habitat for Humanity ReStore, the Salvation Army and Diabetes Canada all accept furniture donations in good condition and offer pickup services. Call ahead to confirm what they are currently accepting and to schedule a pickup.
How do I dump large items in York Region?
Richmond Hill and Markham offer curbside bulk pickup (2 to 4 items per collection). For larger volumes, bring items to a York Region Community Environmental Centre for a small fee. Junk removal companies handle full-house cleanouts for $300 to $800 or more.
How do I dispose of paint and hazardous waste in York Region?
Bring paint, solvents, chemicals, batteries, fluorescent bulbs and other hazardous materials to a York Region Household Hazardous Waste Depot. Never put hazardous waste in regular garbage.
How early should I start downsizing before my move?
8 to 12 weeks before your move date. Start with the rooms you use least and work toward the rooms you use daily. Allow at least 4 weeks for sorting and 4 weeks for executing the donate, dump and dispose plan.
Can I get a tax receipt for donations?
Yes. Registered charities like the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and Diabetes Canada issue tax receipts for donated items. Keep a list of items with estimated fair market values and request a receipt at the time of donation.
Who can help me downsize and sell my home in Richmond Hill?
Kirby Chan and the Kirby Chan & Co. Real Estate Team help downsizers in Richmond Hill and Markham through every step: from deciding what to keep, coordinating donations and cleanouts, staging the home for sale and pricing it to maximize value. Reach me at (416) 305-8008.
Contact Kirby Chan
Downsizing and Selling?
The downsizing process and the selling process work best when they are coordinated together. I help families plan the cleanout, the staging and the listing so the home is presented at its best and the move to the new home is smooth.
Book a Consultation
Kirby Chan | Kirby Chan & Co. Real Estate Team
kirby@kirbychanandco.com
https://kirbychanandco.com
Note: Donation acceptance policies, curbside pickup schedules, transfer station hours, hazardous waste depot availability and junk removal pricing described in this guide are approximate and subject to change. Confirm current policies with your municipality, York Region and the individual charity or service provider before dropping off or scheduling pickups. This guide is for general information only.
