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% of your furniture at most. The oversized sectional that fills your current family room will overwhelm a condo living room. The king bed that fits your 16x14 primary bedroom will not fit a 12x11 condo bedroom. Measure the new rooms, sketch the layout and decide which pieces fit before you sort anything else.

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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.

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You do not have to throw away everything with sentimental value. But you do have to limit it. Give yourself one box (or two) 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.

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Most people have filing cabinets full of documents they will never need again. 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 Old utility bills, expired warranties, bank statements older than 7 years and outdated insurance policies can all be shredded.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.

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Sofas, dining sets, dressers, desks, bookshelves and bed frames in good condition are accepted by several local organizations. Habitat for Humanity ReStore (locations in Markham and across York Region) accepts furniture donations and offers free pickup for larger items. The Salvation Army and Diabetes Canada also accept furniture and offer pickup services. Call ahead to confirm what they are currently accepting and to schedule a pickup date.

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. Charities spend money disposing of items they cannot use. If you would not give it to a friend, do not donate it.

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Clean clothing in wearable condition can be donated to the Salvation Army, Goodwill (locations in Markham) 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 many community centres and retail locations in Richmond Hill and Markham).

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Pots, pans, dishes, glassware, cutlery, small working appliances (toasters, blenders, coffee makers) and kitchen gadgets in good condition are always needed by shelters and community organizations. Pack them carefully in boxes and drop them at the Salvation Army, Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity ReStore. If the appliance does not work, dump it (or dispose of it if it contains hazardous components).

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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 (consignment) or community programs. Schools and community centres in Markham and Richmond Hill sometimes run donation drives for sports equipment.

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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 (furniture, appliances), 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.

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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. Check your municipality's website for the number of items allowed per pickup, size restrictions and any items that require special scheduling. Most municipalities allow 2 to 4 bulk items per collection. Schedule extra pickups if needed.

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If you have more than the curbside limit or large volumes of waste, you can bring items directly to a York Region Community Environmental Centre (transfer station). Locations include McCleary Court in Vaughan and other sites across the region. You pay by weight. Fees are typically $10 to $50 depending on volume. They accept furniture, construction debris, yard waste, scrap metal and general household waste. Hazardous waste is accepted at designated depots only (see Dispose section).

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If you want everything hauled in one shot, junk removal companies like 1-800-GOT-JUNK, Junk King and local operators in York Region will come to your home, load everything and haul it away. Costs range from $300 to $800+ depending on volume (a full truck load is typically $600 to $800). 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.

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Most homeowners accumulate dozens of half-used paint cans over the years. 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.

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Old TVs, computers, monitors, printers, cellphones, tablets, cables, routers and other electronics 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.

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Single-use batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V), rechargeable batteries, button cell batteries, car batteries and fluorescent light bulbs (including CFLs) contain hazardous materials. Drop off batteries at designated 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.

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Fridges, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and water coolers contain refrigerants (freon) 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. Some retailers offer haul-away when you purchase a replacement appliance.

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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 (needles, syringes, lancets) must be placed in a puncture-proof container and returned to a pharmacy or the Household Hazardous Waste Depot.

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Keep: One set of everyday dishes (8 place settings is plenty for a smaller home), your best pots and pans, essential small appliances you use weekly, sharp knives, your favourite cooking tools.

Donate: Duplicate sets of dishes, excess glassware, specialty gadgets you rarely use, extra baking pans, the second set of everything.

Dump: Chipped dishes, warped pans, melted plastic containers, rusted baking sheets, 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.

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Keep: Clothing you have worn in the past 12 months, one set of bed linens per bed in the new home, bedroom furniture that fits the new rooms.

Donate: Clothing that no longer fits or that you have not worn in a year, excess linens, children's outgrown clothing, extra hangers, guest bedroom furniture you will not have room for.

Dump: Stained or torn clothing not suitable for donation, old pillows, worn-out mattresses (curbside bulk pickup), broken hangers.

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Keep: Tools you actually use, seasonal items that fit in your new storage (if you are moving to a condo, you may have only a locker), important workshop equipment.

Donate: Duplicate tools, working power tools you no longer need (Habitat for Humanity ReStore accepts tools), sporting equipment your family has outgrown, holiday decorations you will scale down.

Dump: Broken furniture stored "just in case," dried-out garden hoses, cracked flower pots, old lumber scraps, general accumulated clutter.

Dispose: This is where most hazardous items live. Old paint cans, motor oil, gasoline, propane tanks, pool chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, antifreeze: all go to the Household Hazardous Waste Depot. Car batteries go to an auto parts store or the depot. Never dump chemicals down the drain or put them in regular garbage.

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Keep: Furniture that fits the new living space (measure first), artwork and decor you love and will display, 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 (most content is streaming now), board games and puzzles in good condition.

Dump: Worn-out upholstered furniture, broken lamps, outdated electronics (VCRs, old stereo receivers).

Dispose: Old CRT televisions and broken electronics go to e-waste recycling.

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Start with the rooms you use least (basement, garage, spare bedrooms, storage areas). Work one room at a time. Sort into the four categories. Do not rush. 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. My downsizing and decluttering guide covers the full process.

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Schedule donation pickups. Drop off items at charity locations. Arrange curbside bulk pickup dates or schedule a junk removal company. Bring hazardous waste to the depot. This is the action phase. 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.

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With the donate, dump and dispose items gone, you are left with only what is coming to the new home. Pack room by room, label every box with the destination room in the new home and keep an essentials box (toiletries, medications, phone chargers, a change of clothes, snacks, important documents) that stays with you on moving day. If you are also selling the current home, coordinate with your agent on staging timing so the home is photo-ready before the listing goes live.

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