Declutter Before Moving House
/So you’re about to move into a new house. Congratulations! Whether you’re buying or renting, anyone who has ever moved house knows that you can never be too prepared! Moving is hectic and has been rated as one of the top 5 most stressful situations in life by HealthStatus.com.
As we go along in life, we accumulate belongings like memories. Our houses are filled with ‘stuff’ and quite often people relocate houses without taking the time to declutter before their big move - taking with them belongings they really don’t need, continuing their messy, clutter cycle. Moving house gives you a unique opportunity to make a fresh start, creating a home with a clean and new environment that can inspire and energize. Carrying with you unused, unloved and unwanted items can negatively effect your new start.
So before you start packing your boxes, take the time to use our guide below to help you mindfully declutter and start life in your new home fresh and clutter free.
give yourself time. .
Don’t wait until the day before the removalists arrive to organise and pack up your belongings. Create a plan of what you’re going to do each day leading up to the big move. We recommend starting at least two weeks in advance. This will allow you to get organised, get those unwanted and unused items to the op shop, and move to your new home with as little stress and pressure as possible.
delcutter the obvious…
First start with what is around you. These are the no-brainer items that you either just don’t need anymore, or could use up. Here are some items to look out for and free yourself from:
Items still in their box from your last move - If this is you, you already know what to do. If it wasn’t worth the time and energy to unpack it when you last moved, it doesn’t deserve a place in your next move.
Expired food, medication and food you and your family won’t eat - Throw away the expired products and donate the food items you and your family won’t eat to your local foodbank or charity. You’ll be helping both yourself and those that need it!
Clothes that don’t fit, are out of style or you won’t wear anymore - donate these clothes to your local charity. They will benefit greatly from those items you can’t or won’t use anymore.
Out of style and non functional furniture - If you don’t love a piece of furniture and it serves no purpose or function in your home, don’t take it with you.
Magazines and books - If you have books that you have read and won’t read again, or books that you just haven’t gotten around to reading, donate them to your local charity, library or where appropriate, daycare center. These books are heavy and costly to move, taking up valuable space and man-hours moving.
Duplicate household items - You don’t need 7 salad servers or 4 cocktail mixers. Although you might feel like you’re being wasteful getting rid of things that are in great condition, the reality of the matter is that you’ll never use them. Keep one and donate the rest, therefore reducing what you need to move on move day. Be ruthless.
Mail and paperwork - Sort through your paperwork and keep the important documents and bin the rest. According to the ATO, you should keep 5 years of important documents like receipts, tax papers, payslips etc, everything else can go. If you’re hesitant in throwing them away, scan them and keep them electronically.
Use up your food and toiletries - This especially applies to those who stock-pile pantry items and toiletries. Ensure that you use up your supplies leading up to your move date. This will reduce the amount of items you need to pack and take with you.
the three boxes rule . .
Methodically go into each room with three boxes. Completing one room at a time. One box you’ll donate or sell, one box you’ll throw away and one box you’ll keep for your move. Every item you pick up must fit within one of these categories. Pick it up, pop it in the right box. Once you have done this in each room, ensure that you take that box to good-will to ensure that it doesn’t end up moving to your next home.
declutter one room at a time . .
Splitting your time between multiple rooms can very easily overwhelm anyone. Start at one room and complete decluttering and organising. Once you have finished in this room, move to the next. This will ensure that you stay on track and can complete the process without distraction and getting overwhelmed.
the one year rule
If you haven’t worn those clothes, or used an item in over a year, it shouldn’t make the move. If you can go through every season without using it, it should be donated to charity. The same applies to those china mugs you were gifted 5 years ago. Donate it.
DVDs, CDs, cassette tapes and video tapes
If you don’t have a VCR player or casette player, you don’t need to keep them! If you have favourite home videos that you’d like to keep, have a professional make an electronic copy of them.
As the days roll on, continue the editing of your belongings as you pack items for move day. When you move into your new home, you will have everything you need, ready to start your life making new memories in your decluttered home.
Before moving into your new home, it is a great time to get a stylist in to give you some brilliant ideas about how to use your furniture to it’s best advantage. A stylist can help to create inspirational spaces in your new home, or to even add a few new pieces that can make all the difference in creating a beautiful haven in your new master bedroom or a relaxing, inviting space for guests to relax in . Contact us today for your home styling needs.
