Moving house can be a huge hassle especially if it is long distance and you have a lot more stuff than you need. Moving house is the best time to declutter and get rid of the dead weight, and it will also allow for a smoother moving process. It will save you a lot of money since you will not need an additional truck and will use a lot less packaging supplies. The following tips will help you declutter as well as possible:
Start early.
Start getting rid of things at least a month before your move. This will allow you to put some stuff up for sale or give to a thrift store. Decluttering is daunting as it is, so give yourself some time to work your way through it without feeling overwhelmed. Use designated boxes to be as organized about it as possible. “Toss,” “donate,” and “sell” will do.
Get the right packaging supplies.
Some of the supplies you will need are black markers, packing tape, labels, and anything else you think will make it easier for you. Clear plastic bins are very helpful to have on hand especially for the smaller items because you will be able to see inside without having to rummage through it. You can organize them by type such as ”stationary”, ”hair accessories” and so on.
Take the size of your new home into consideration.
Depending on how big or small your new home is, you will need to declutter more or less stuff. If you have more space, then you can keep that own chair, but that does not at all mean that you should keep everything. Loose as much stuff as possible anyway. You will be glad you did it later.
This is how to sort out what to get rid of.
- Still boxed. If you have anything that is still in its box and you even forgot you owned it then you should probably get rid of it. If you can’t think of a way to put it to good use then sell it, toss it, or donate it.
- Have not been used recently. We all have that pair of jeans that do not fit us anymore but we still keep in the back of the closet hoping that one day we will be able to wear the once again. Get rid of them. Any clothes that do not fit you anymore or is way too out of style it is due time to donate it or to toss it.
- Expired. Medication or food that is past its expiration date needs to go. Some pharmacies will recycle the expired medication and its containers if you bring them over. So sort it out and see in what ways you can get rid of it. Just do not flush them down the toilet! Safe disposal is the only right disposal!
- Useless paperwork. Most people pile up past bills and bus tickets in a cabinet and never open it again. This is something to recycle. You will never need that paperwork for anything. The only documents you need are the so-called ”forever” documents. Make sure you put those in a separate box that stands out. You do not want to toss those out by mistake!
- Book and magazines. Old magazines can be donated to libraries or recycled. Books and student books can be sold if you do not need anymore or donated to libraries as well
- Extras. Extra things you bought all those months or years ago for back can be sold or donated as well.
