One of the first steps on our complete moving checklist is to declutter your home – and for good reason.
The fewer things you move with the faster and cheaper your move will be. Don’t waste time and money packing, moving and unpacking things you don’t even want!
To help you prepare for your move, we’ve put together our top decluttering tips. Get rid of the things you don’t need and get ready for your new home!
What is decluttering?
Simply put, decluttering is getting rid of possessions you no longer need.
Whether it’s clothes that don’t fit, kitchen tools you don’t use or decor you don’t love – decluttering means ditching the things in your home you don’t have a use for.
Why should you declutter your home?
Moving home is stressful, and putting time aside to declutter instead of putting everything into boxes can feel like a waste of time. However, there are several reasons to declutter your home before a move.
- Movers charge by time, so the more things you have to move the more their service will cost
- Packing supplies and boxes can be expensive, so don’t by more than you need to
- Packing and unpacking unnecessary clutter adds more tasks to your workload
- Moving is actually a perfect time to declutter as you’re already taking your possessions out of storage!
- Having less clutter at your new home may make you less stressed and improve your quality of life
Our top tips to declutter your home when you move
Make a plan
It might be tempting to dive right in, but starting with a plan will make the process easier. Group similar items together, like clothing, books or kitchenwares, and work through groups systematically.
It’s easier to not get overwhelmed when you can see what you’ve done and what’s ahead of you.
Have a donation box ready
One of the common emotions to experience when you declutter your home is guil and getting rid of usable items. One way to deal with this is to have a donation box ready.
Put any good condition items that you don’t want anymore in the box, and when it’s full take it to your nearest charity shop or donation point.
Some charities will even collect larger items for free!
Start small
The idea of decluttering your whole home is intimidating! Start with a small project like your cutlery drawer or your socks, throwing out any with holes or that you don’t wear.
Getting one task done will set you up for more!
Test, test, test!
One of the easiest decisions when you declutter your home is to get rid of broken items. If anything isn’t in regular use, be sure to test it before deciding to keep it.
Don’t find out your blender is broken after you’ve paid to ship across the country!
Do you actually like it?
Marie Kondo rose to fame for her KonMari method – which includes holding items and feeling if they spark joy within you.
This is great principal to apply to your declutter. Ask yourself if you really love the things you are sorting through, or if you are keeping them out of obligation. You may find many items you’ve been hanging on to long after you stopped enjoying them.
What is the fastest way to declutter your home?
Ultimately, the fastest way to declutter is to be ruthless and direct. Work systematically room-by-room and be prepared to make hard decisions.
Using the tips above, you can declutter your home before your move and make the process smoother and cheaper in one go!
