There is a lot of preparation and work to be done before and during moving home. However, it can be the perfect time to declutter, as you don’t want to waste time and money by bringing items with you that you no longer use. Decluttering is even more important if you are downsizing, for example moving from a large home to a smaller one such as a Condo in Naples, Florida.
Here are some ways to get started.
Take one room at a time
Taking one room at a time can make the task of decluttering less daunting. Trying to do the whole place in one go will be more time-consuming and is usually less efficient. Moreover once a room is “done” you’ll get a sense of accomplishment and be more motivated to move on to the next room.
Get a professional to uninstall anything
If you’ve had anything installed in your home, which you intend to take with you, getting a professional to do this is the best approach. It prevents damage to the item and also the structure of your old home. The last thing you want is to cause damage to a place you have already sold.
Test anything you haven’t used in a while
You can narrow down what you take with you by testing items you haven’t used in a while. For example, you could check if electrical items still work, or try on clothes to see if they still fit. Then ask yourself if you might use any of these again in the future. Try to be realistic. It’s tempting to hold on to things you think you might use again, but the longer they have been out of use, the more unlikely it is that you will ever need them.
Shred paperwork you no longer need
Most of us have a stack of out-of-date paperwork. We worry about identity theft, so put these aside to safely dispose of later, but never get around to it. Before moving, you might need to set aside several hours to shred all this paperwork, depending on how much you have. Most documents are now available online, so you could find you need very few paper documents.
Sell or donate your unwanted items
Some items will simply need throwing in the bin. However, there will be plenty of items that are in good and usable condition, but you have no more use for them. It can be worth selling some of these to help fund your move, but many more will only bring in a few dollars each. You probably won’t want to spend a lot of time selling these. Instead, you could donate them to a charity shop, where the money raised goes to a good cause, and the buyers pick up a bargain on something they will use.
The important thing to remember when decluttering is to be a little more ruthless if you find yourself holding on to things you are unlikely to use. Nobody wants to make more work for themselves by packing and unpacking items they’re never going to use.
