How to Declutter Before a Move: A Guide

If you're moving, you may find out you have way more stuff than you know what to do with. Let's go through how to declutter before a move.

Are you one of the many Americans that are planning a move in 2021 or 2022? Moving is exciting, but it’s also a lot of work. Before you can even start the moving process, you need to declutter so you don’t end up taking useless items or “junk” with you.

Decluttering is a timesuck, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Once you get moving, it’s easy enough to maintain your momentum. But how do you even get started with a declutter before a move?

Whether you’re moving to a smaller house, a larger house, or an apartment, we’re here to help. Read on to learn more.

Start Small

When it comes to cleaning, it makes sense to move around the house so you can cover everything at once. When you’re decluttering, however, this isn’t a good idea for most people.

Decluttering looks like a slow process if you try to declutter everything at once. You’ll see your progress if you go room by room or even section by section in a room. It’s also easier to stay on track if you focus on small areas.

Be Strict With Yourself

The hardest parts of decluttering are not getting distracted and getting sentimental over your items. You need to be strict with yourself if you want to declutter effectively.

Many people like to use the Swedish Death Cleaning method or the Konmari method. If you pick up an item and it doesn’t spark joy, or if you find an item that you wouldn’t pass on to someone after you pass, you don’t need it.

This isn’t to say that you can’t keep any small trinkets, but you should get rid of the majority of things that you no longer need or use. You’ll feel lighter when you’re done. If you need to, you can hire waste removal services like those over on https://temporarydumpster.com/, for example, so you can get everything cleared away from your home without you having to go back and forth to the dumpster site yourself.

Use Boxes

You already have boxes for moving with an experienced moving company. Before you start packing things up, use those boxes to help you declutter and figure out what to do with unwanted stuff.

You want to have boxes for:

  • Keeping
  • Donating
  • Throwing away
  • Fixing or repurposing

Take each item that you know that you’ll use and put it in the “keep” box. For items that you don’t use, consider whether or not they’re still in good condition. If so, put them in the “donation” box. If not, put them in the “throwaway” box.

Some items may be fixable or they might be useful if you were to repurpose them. For example, you could have clothing that’s important to you, but no longer wearable. You could use the fabric for other purposes.

It’s Time to Declutter Before a Move

Decluttering is a key step in the moving process. If you don’t declutter before a move, you’ll have to do it later. Isn’t it better to have a clean and fresh start in your new home?

Start decluttering today and give yourself plenty of time before it’s time to pack your belongings!

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