Decluttering while packing for a big move gives peace of mind and saves time, money, and energy. Every household accumulates various items over the years. Moving presents the perfect opportunity for homeowners to take stock of all their possessions and eliminate the extra ones they don’t use or can live without.
Decluttering will mean less stuff to pack, transport, and upload. It also means lower moving costs and less unpacking, cleaning, and maintenance for a better-organized new home. However, decluttering may seem stressful to many, especially when combined with the daunting moving process.
In this post, we present a few tips to ensure hassle-free decluttering while packing and moving:
Always start the decluttering process with a clear head. While decluttering can be distressing, it is best to pause to take a deep breath, meditate, or seek inspiration or motivation before preparing to declutter.
Start packing and decluttering well before the move date, depending on the household size. Dedicate some time every day to ensure the process goes smoothly and efficiently. Leaving packing and decluttering for the last minute will mean chaos and panic. An early start also leads to more thoughtful decluttering decisions.
It is advisable to start decluttering unused rooms, like the basement, garages, and attic, before moving to essential rooms, like the bedrooms and kitchen. Empty everything, and while decluttering, also keep packing the items worth moving to the new home.
Evaluate everything and consider whether the item is needed or if the new home will have space. Consider when the item was used or worn last. Consider the rooms and space in the new home, and segregate things accordingly.
Letting go of things may seem difficult, especially those with emotional value. Moving is the perfect time to practice letting go. If genuinely unneeded items have been lying around, moving them will only make the process more difficult and expensive. Pack only the stuff you use and need when packing for moving.
When decluttering, make separate stacks of belongings based on their needs. Three piles are best. One is for the items that are absolute-must keep, one for items that may be worth keeping, and the third for those of no use. Make a holding zone or designated spots for items based on categories.
After categorizing everything, go through them and identify the items to keep, throw in the trash, recycle, donate, sell, or store. It will not only help reduce the moving cost but can also help earn spare cash by selling the items or a tax deduction for donating to people in need.
Decluttering while packing to move is essential and ensures that a homeowner relocates to the new house only with the most needed. Alternatively, you can also seek assistance from a local organizing company to help declutter, along with a local moving company for packing and moving.
At Goat On A Tote, we offer moving tote rental, including delivery and pickup of empty totes, for residential and commercial customers in the Phoenix Valley area. Our environmentally-friendly totes are made of strong, quality material. We deliver the totes to a business or home ready to use, then remove them once they’re unpacked from the new location. Although we do not pack the contents of the totes, we save the homeowner from being forced to purchase totes for a single use.
