Jul 17, 2026 – 5.00amBrett Tarlington has made a career out of – among other things – advising people about the financial mechanics and lifestyle benefits of downsizing. But it was only when he came to do it himself that he grasped the true enormity of the task. “The whole process is so emotional,” he says. “I reckon retirement’s easier than downsizing.”The number of Australian households planning to downsize in the next five years has increased 14 per cent since 2021 to almost 2 million, according to a survey of 52,000 households commissioned by property technology company Downsizer.com.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Jessica PennyWealth reporterJessica Penny is a wealth reporter for The Australian Financial Review in the Sydney newsroom. Email Jessica at jessica.penny@afr.comFetching latest articles