Moving to a new home is exciting; most people look at it as a fresh start. But, it can also be very stressful and tiring. Packing up your entire home, moving your belongings to a new house, and then unpacking can be extremely exhausting. When you have been living in a place for some time and have worked to make it your home, you sometimes fail to realize just how much stuff you have. It is only when you start taking everything out of where you had it stored that you realize just how difficult and extensive the task in front of you is.
To make the whole process more manageable, and to make life in your new place a bit easier, what you can do is declutter your place as you pack for the move. Aim to eliminate things you don’t use or no longer need. This will save you the time and effort you spend packing and moving unnecessary stuff. Here are a few tips to help you declutter before you move and help you make the whole procedure as smooth as possible.
Make a plan
It is always wise to have a plan before tackling any big task. For your move, the first step is to define categories for your things. First and foremost is the stuff you need and will take to your new home.
The second category is for stuff you do not use regularly but will need in the future. You can rent a storage unit and keep this stuff safe. Look for facilities in your neighborhood. For example, if you’re moving to a new home along the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, look for ‘storage units Corpus Christi‘ to locate one near you. Repeat the same for any city you live in.
The last, and probably the most important category, is for stuff you want to get rid of. This will include all the clutter you have accumulated over the years you need anymore. Once the categories are defined, it will be easier to decide what goes where once you start packing for the move.
Start the process as early as possible
Time constraints make it very easy to become overwhelmed during a move. You most probably have a date by which you need to vacate your old place. As that time approaches, you will start to feel more stressed and rush through your decluttering process. You will keep a lot of the clutter instead of getting rid of it, and you might also throw away something useful by mistake. The key to making thoughtful decluttering decisions is to take your time, and you can only do that if you have any time in the first place. So be sure to start sorting through your stuff at the earliest possible time.
Properly assess everything you own
Take inventory of the things you own. Decide what you still love and want to take to your new home. Then assess if you have the space for it or if it will just clutter up the place. Also, decide if it will go with the theme according to which you want to decorate your house.
You want your furniture to compliment your new home and not feel like it was put there without any thought. It is important to remember that everything you decide you want to hang onto will take time, money, and effort to move into the new house. If you are not sure that a particular thing is worth all that, it’s time to get rid of it.
Decide how you will get rid of what you don’t need
It is not wise to dump everything you don’t need in a dumpster because, as the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. There are a lot of less fortunate people living in difficult circumstances that would appreciate your old things. So pack up any old toys, clothes, and household items you no longer use and donate them to a nearby shelter. Other things can be sold online on sites like Facebook Marketplace.
Even better, you can host a garage sale if you have the time and space. It will be like getting paid to declutter your house, and you can use the money to decorate the new place.
Stop buying new things
A few months before the move, start being more mindful of what you buy. Only shop for stuff you absolutely need and stop impulse buying when you’re in a mood. Stay away from big sales because everyone tends to buy useless stuff when they see that it is at a discounted price.
Be aware that each thing you buy now will be another thing you have to bubble-wrap, pack in a box, load in a truck to move, and then unpack in your new home. Thinking of all these steps is bound to make you reconsider buying anything new.
Use up whatever you can
There are a lot of things we use daily that we buy in bulk and store for ease. Try to utilize all these stores, especially stuff in your pantry. Focus on cooking and eating whatever you have instead of getting anything new. Check for expired products because things at the back of the shelf tend to be forgotten for ages and end up going bad.
Additionally, stop buying toiletries and cleaning supplies for a while before the move so you can use and finish up whatever you have. These things have considerable weight, so you will be making your packing much lighter and easier by eliminating these things. When you settle into your new place, you can start shopping again for all these supplies.
Conclusion
Decluttering before relocating is a great idea. Because you will already be going through everything you own, it is easy to decide to get rid of stuff that you no longer need. This will help simplify the moving process and save you considerable time, money, and effort since you’ll have less stuff to pack, move and unload at your new home. Getting rid of old stuff will also make space for the things you need and love in your new home. So use the tips mentioned above to declutter your home now.
