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The Ontario downsizing guide

Most downsizing moves go smoothly when they start early and happen in order. This plan covers the timeline, the Ontario timing issues that catch people out, what it costs and a room-by-room checklist you can print.

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25 in-depth local guides Updated October 2026 Free, no obligation

Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A realistic downsizing timeline

Plenty of people move faster than this, but starting a year out takes the pressure off every decision.

  1. 12 months or more before

    Decide and plan. Talk with family about goals and budget. Visit towns, neighbourhoods and 55+ communities. Check which tax credits and property tax relief you receive now and what ends when you move. Begin sorting rooms you use least.

  2. 6 to 12 months before

    Get numbers and help. Get a market value estimate and a net proceeds estimate. Ask your lender for a payout figure and any prepayment penalty. Talk to an Ontario real estate lawyer. Interview move managers and estate sale companies.

  3. 3 to 6 months before

    Declutter and prepare. Work through the room checklist below. Book donation pickups and check municipal rules for large items. Choose your new home and, for a condo, read the status certificate with your lawyer. Plan the timing of the sale and the purchase.

  4. 0 to 3 months before

    List, sell and move. List the home and review offers. Book movers and, in a condo, the elevator. Hold the estate sale after you know what the new home needs. Update your address, utilities and medical records.

  5. After the move

    Settle in. Report the sale and your principal residence designation on your tax return. Apply for any property tax relief your new municipality offers, by its deadline. Look up the new address on the local conservation authority's flood mapping.

Timing a move in Ontario

A few Ontario factors shape when it makes sense to list, buy and move.

Lawyers and closing

A transfer of title generally has to be signed off by two different lawyers, one for the seller and one for the buyer, with some exceptions. Line up your lawyer before you list so they can review the agreement of purchase and sale. If you are selling on behalf of an estate, a certificate of appointment of estate trustee or a small estate certificate should be in hand before anyone signs. See helping a parent sell their home.

Disclosure and offers

Ontario is "buyer beware" for defects a buyer or inspector could see, but a seller must not conceal a defect and must disclose a latent one, meaning a defect that makes the property unfit for habitation or dangerous and is not apparent on reasonable inspection. If you receive more than one written offer, your agent must tell each person who made one how many competing offers there are. Read seller disclosure in Ontario before you list.

Property tax and credit dates

Several programs depend on owning and living in the home, so a move can pause a benefit and start another. Toronto's property tax relief programs, for example, need a year of ownership and are reapplied for annually, and Hamilton's deferral has its own income limit. Ask your new municipality what it publishes and by when. The details are on costs and money.

Condo rules

A buyer's lawyer can request a condo status certificate, which holds the declaration, by-laws, rules, budget, reserve fund statement, arrears and any special assessments. The corporation may charge up to $100 including tax and must deliver it within 10 days. Many buildings also control move times and elevator booking, so ask the property manager early on both ends of the move. See buying a condo in Ontario.

Storms and flood insurance

Look up any address you are considering on its local conservation authority's regulated-area and flood mapping, and get insurance quotes before you make an offer. Our flood and storm insurance guide explains what to ask.

Sources: Law Society of Ontario, two-lawyer requirement; RECO Bulletin 7.4; Condominium Authority of Ontario, status certificates; Ontario.ca, apply for probate.

Seven steps to downsizing well

1. Define what "less house" means for you

Write down what you want less of (stairs, yard work, square footage, driving) and what you want to keep (a guest room, a workshop, a garden, a short drive to family). This list will guide every decision after it. If staying put is still on the table, aging in place or moving lays out the trade-offs.

2. Know your numbers

Estimate your net proceeds after commission, HST and your mortgage payoff, then set a budget for the next home that includes condo fees, property taxes, insurance and the land transfer tax, which the buyer pays. The guides to estimating net proceeds and land transfer tax in Ontario cover both, and capital gains and your principal residence explains why the sale is generally tax free when the home was always your principal residence.

3. Pick the type of home, then the place

A condo, townhouse, house, life lease or land lease home and a 55+ community each trade off space, upkeep, rules and cost differently. The guide to choosing a home type compares the first three and life lease and land lease homes covers the rest. Once you know the type, compare places to downsize and 55+ communities.

4. Build your team

Consider a real estate agent who works with downsizers, a real estate lawyer, a senior move manager, an estate sale company, a licensed mover and your accountant. Our resources directory lists the ones we could confirm and says where the list is thin.

5. Sort in order: keep, give, sell, donate, discard

Start with rooms that hold the least emotion, like a storage room or guest room. Offer family keepsakes first, then decide what to sell, then donate, then discard. Leave the estate sale until you know exactly what fits in the new home. Clearing out your home and moving day has the practical order of work, and preparing an older home for sale covers what to fix first.

6. Coordinate the sale and the purchase

Decide whether you will buy first, sell first or close both close together. Options include a conditional offer, a longer closing or bridge financing, each with its own cost. See buy first or sell first.

7. Move and settle in

Floor-plan your new home before moving day so movers place furniture once. Unpack the bedroom and kitchen first, report the sale on your tax return and look into the property tax relief your new municipality offers. If a car will no longer be part of daily life, getting around Ontario after 65 covers transit and licence renewals.

Room-by-room decluttering checklist

Work through one room at a time. For disposal and donation options in Ontario, see local resources.

Closets, storage room and basement

  • Tools and hardware you have not used in two years
  • Paint, household chemicals and old medications (a municipal hazardous waste depot, not the trash)
  • Old electronics and appliances: check your municipality's rules before putting them out
  • Seasonal gear the new home has no room for
  • Anything in a condo locker or rented storage unit: check it early, not the week of the move

Kitchen

  • Duplicate pots, pans and utensils
  • Small appliances used less than once a year
  • Serving pieces for more guests than your new table can seat
  • Expired pantry items and spices
  • Measure the new cabinets before deciding what dishware to keep

Living and dining rooms

  • Measure the new rooms and mark which furniture fits
  • Oversized sofas and dining tables, and anything that will not fit the new elevator or stairwell
  • Books: keep favourites, donate the rest
  • Art and decor that will not have wall space

Bedrooms

  • Furniture from bedrooms you will not have
  • Clothing not worn in the past year
  • Linens beyond two sets per bed
  • Items stored for family members: set a date for them to pick up

Paperwork and keepsakes

  • Shred old financial statements after checking how long to keep them
  • Scan photos, slides and letters
  • Gather the deed or transfer, your mortgage statement and records of major renovations
  • Keep property tax bills and notices of assessment together
  • Choose a few meaningful keepsakes per family member and offer them early

Questions about your plan?

Write to us and a licensed agent on the operating team at eXp Realty can reply.

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