Like many retirees, our household is downsizing. We have sold our house in the suburbs and are getting ready to move into a condominium. Six months ago we had a basement full of old boxes and an attic full of memorabilia. We had overflowing kitchen cabinets, closets bulging with old clothes, bookcases bursting with books and tabletops littered with little trinkets and tchotchkes.

But right now, everything is neatly packed away, ready to move out the door. How did we do it? Honestly, a month ago it seemed like an impossible task. But it happened. So here are eight tips from personal experience on how to declutter and prepare for downsizing in retirement.

Tom Sightings is the author of “You Only Retire Once” and blogs at Sightings at 60.

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8 Tips for Decluttering originally appeared on usnews.com