Decluttering has become somewhat of a buzzword over the last couple of years. You touch everything in your home and keep what you love and get rid of what you don’t. But purging all your unused items can have a more utilitarian function as well. Decluttering before moving can save you time and effort along the way. The less you keep now, the less you’ll have to pack, transport, and unpack later. We here at On the Move of Murfreesboro don’t mind how much you have. We handle residential moves of any size, in fact the more the merrier for us. But the whole process will go a lot smoother for you if you’ve gone through the process of eliminating unwanted and unneeded items.
How to Start Decluttering
There are a lot of different ways to declutter. Some people like the front door test. That’s when you stand at your front door, look into your home, and start tidying the very first thing you see. You may also go through your belongings by categories, i.e., clothing, books, paperwork, etc. But the best way to go about decluttering before you move is to do it by room. This makes the most sense because that is how you will pack and to organize your things for the move. There’s no sense in having to bring all the books in the house to one spot just to have to separate them again during the packing process.
Set Up A Sorting Station
You should set up a sorting station that has three main boxes: keep, donate, and toss. You might also consider having a “sell” box, but a lot of people do not want to go through the trouble of coordinating the sale of individual items while also preparing for a move. Once a box fills up, secure it, label it, and put it somewhere out of the way.
Go Room by Room
The earlier you start packing the better, but keep in mind that whatever you pack will be harder to get to. Usually, rooms like utility closets and storage closets are packed first since those items are used the least. Figure out what you want to keep, donate, or toss, and sort into the appropriate box. The last rooms will likely be kids’ rooms (if you have them), and the kitchen. Kids sometimes have trouble understanding what moving actually is and they may think you’re trying to get rid of all their things. Planning is important here. You don’t want to pack up too much too early.
Schedule A Donations Pickup
Many charitable organizations will actually come to your house to pick up goods. AMVETS, the Purple Heart Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity will come right to your front lawn and pick up useable donations. Don’t try taking that couch to Goodwill on your own, let them come and pick it up.
We know what you’re asking, “Why is a moving company telling me how to move my own stuff?” Well, while it works out better for us if you hire us, we know a moving service isn’t what everyone needs. We want to see the job done right, regardless of who is carrying it out. So, if you do need our help, you know where to find us. If not, we hope these tips help you make it to your new home clutter free.
