Top Decluttering Tips When Moving Home

Moving home can be an exhilarating new chapter in your life, but it’s also a time when the sheer volume of your possessions becomes startlingly clear.

Decluttering before a move is an essential step to ensure that your new home is a place of peace and order rather than a direct transfer of the chaos from your old one.

In this article, we will explore a wide range of decluttering tips that will help you transform your living space and help you lighten your load to make your move as smooth as possible.

Are you ready to declutter your home?

Start Early And With A Plan

Don’t wait until the last minute. We advise you to start decluttering your home at least one month prior to your move.

This will allow you to thoroughly sort through your belongings without the pressure of a looming deadline hanging over your head.

Having a plan will also help you keep on track and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed.

Create a Decluttering Checklist

 Make a list of all the areas in your home you need to declutter and tackle them individually.

This could be room by room or category by category (clothes, books, kitchenware, etc.). You’ll find some more helpful information by visiting this spring cleaning resource.

Use the ‘Four-Box’ Method

When sorting through your belongings, you might want to use the 4-box method.

Simply label four boxes as “Keep,” “Donate,” “Trash,” and “Relocate.” This method makes it easy to decide the fate of each item.

This method forces you to make a decision item by item.

Consider the ‘6-Month Rule’

 If you haven’t used something in the last 6 months, don’t think you will be using it much, doesn’t bring you joy or have significant sentimental value, it’s likely time to say goodbye. It’s a great way to declutter your home!

Get Help With Decluttering

Tackling home decluttering can be daunting, especially if this is all new to you. To ease the process, involve close family and friends for support.

If your friends and family are not available to help you, then you can enlist professional help. At Zoom Removals we offer professional assistance in coordinating a move from start to finish. You can simply visit our hire movers page for more information.

One advantage of using a professional company is their lack of attachment to your possessions can provide an objective perspective, helping you let go of items more easily and move towards a clutter-free home more quickly “Do you still even use this?”

Be Ruthless with Clothing

Only pack clothes that fit you now and something that you regularly wear.

Fashion changes and so does your taste – don’t bring what you won’t use.

Clothing is one of the hardest things to throw out, even for ones we don’t wear. Perhaps knowing you can donate them may help you make those tough choices!

Tackle the “Maybe” Pile Again

Every now and then you will come across some items that you will find it hard to let go of.

If this is the case with you, then one of the best ways on to declutter your house is to create a pile of items labelled as the ‘unsure about’ pile.

Here is a short process on how to do this:

• Create a “Maybe” Pile: It’s very common to come across items that you haven’t seen for a long time, that you may wish to keep. Rather than agonising over each item, simply create a “maybe” pile and set it aside for the moment. This will allow you to focus on the items you’re sure about and come back to the “maybe” pile later with a fresh perspective.
• Come Back to the “Maybe” Pile: After a few days, revisit this pile. By this point, you may have forgotten about some of the items which may make it easier to come to a final decision about them. Go through each item one by one and ask yourself whether or not you truly need to bring it with you and whether or not this item still brings you any more joy. If the answer is no, you can confidently add it to the discard pile.

Remember don’t let guilt hold you back. It’s a normal feeling to feel a bit of guilt when decluttering, especially when you may be discarding items that might have had some scent of mental value in the past. It is equally important to remember that holding onto these items may not do you any favours, especially when they are no longer serving you in the way that they used to before. Be ruthless.

Set A Timer And Take Breaks

Remember that decluttering will take time, so remember to take a breather in between sessions.

You can also bring some life into the activity by putting on music with a good vibe while you are sorting out your house. This could make the process much more enjoyable.

Also, remember to set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes per decluttering session to prevent exhaustion when on the job.

Use Up Consumables

Prior to your move, try to start using up things that you can’t move or don’t want to such as frozen food, cleaning products that you might not need in the new place or even toiletries.

This may sound wasteful but will do you some good in the long run. Taking dozens of “almost used up” products can add a lot of extra clutter.

So, when you know you’re moving, try to use up as much as you can.

Host a Garage Sale

Hosting a garage sale is an excellent way to get rid of items that you no longer need or can’t take with you. It gives you an additional chance to earn some extra cash and helps give pre-loved items a new lease on life.

While the process may take some additional planning in itself, if executed correctly, it can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for all involved.

Here are a few more tips for hosting your very own garage sale:

1. Choose a Suitable Date and Time: Select a weekend day when many people are likely to be out and about. Early morning or late afternoon hours are often preferred to avoid the midday heat.
2. Gather Your Sale Items: Go through all of your belongings and evaluate which ones you no longer need or wish to use as part of your decluttering process. This can include all items such as clothing, furniture, appliances, toys, books and even household goods.
3. Price Your Items: Have a quick think about how much you would like to charge for these items and attach a clear price tag to each item you are planning to sell. Avoid overpricing, as people are more likely to purchase items with reasonable prices. Don’t forget to use a consistent pricing methodology and use a flat rate if possible so all items.
4. Donate What You Can’t Sell: This is another great way of decluttering.

Think About the Space in Your New Home

Before moving to your new home, you are going to want to visualise where your belongings will eventually end up.

For example, if you can’t picture items fitting in with your new surroundings, then don’t bring it with you because it will likely end up in the same place that it’s been in your current home – your attic.

By carefully considering the space available in your new home, you’ll make better and more informed decisions about which belongings to bring with you and which ones you can safely leave behind or even sell.

This will not only help you become more organised, but it will also future-proof your new home as a more functional living space.

Gift Items to Friends and Family

If you have items of value that you don’t want to sell, consider offering them to friends or family who might appreciate them.

Donate What You Can

If you have items that you no longer need, then why not donate them to a charitable organisation that can help give your items a new lease on life?

By donating belongings that you no longer need or use, you are contributing to a worthy cause. Whether this is clothing, furniture, toys or even household goods, your items can make a meaningful impact in somebody else’s life.

Knowing that you are not just sending your items to the landfill, but rather impacting somebody else’s life can bring a sense of fulfilment and peace of mind.

Here are some further advantages of donating to a charity:

1. Reduces environmental impact: Donating items diverts them from landfills, reducing waste and conserving resources.
2. Supports Local Community Organisations: Local organisations can help play a crucial role in addressing real-life social issues by providing essential services. By donating your belongings to these organisations, you can help empower them to continue their work.
3. May Create A Positive Domino Effect: Your act of kindness may resonate and inspire other people to do the same, this may further help improve people’s lives.

Here are some charities you could consider donating to:

• The Salvation Army Australia: https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/
• St Vincent de Paul Society: https://www.vinnies.org.au/nsw
• The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation: https://www.schf.org.au/ 

Kitchen Nightmare

When you open the cabinets, it is common to put everything into a box. This will fill the space very quickly. Look at the cupboards and consider “Do I really need this extra-large serving platter to go into the box, or should I put something more practical?”

Use Apps to Declutter

Why not embrace the power of technology by utilising apps to help you on your decluttering journey?

In today’s digital age, whether you are an Android user or an Apple phone user, there are quite simply millions of apps for every walk of life; decluttering is no different.

To find the very best decluttering apps you can head over to the Google store or the iOS store for Apple phones.

How Apps Can Help With Decluttering

There are many advantages to using apps to help you on your decluttering mission which include the following:

• Convenience: Decluttering apps are accessible from your smartphone or computer, allowing you to manage your belongings from anywhere and at any time.

• Ease of use: Most decluttering apps feature user-friendly interfaces that make it simple to list, sell, or donate items.

• Wider reach: Apps connect you with a vast network of potential buyers for your belongings, increasing your chances of finding new homes for your unwanted items.

• Streamlined process: Apps streamline the decluttering process by providing tools for listing, pricing, negotiating, and managing transactions.

Pack a “First Day” Box

Moving to your new house can be exciting, but for some people including children, it can be an overwhelming experience. To ease the burden of the transition (and avoid any last-minute scrambling), it can be a good idea to pack a ‘First-Day’ moving box which contains all the essential items that you might need when you first move into your new home.

This helps represent good planning and will future-proof the need to rummage through countless unpacked boxes in search of basic necessities such as towels, toiletries and kitchen utensils. Furthermore, a ‘First-Day’ moving box will help give you peace of mind knowing that all your essential items are in one place, allowing you a hassle-free start that should come with moving into a new property.

Reassess Your Furniture

Furniture can be one of the trickiest categories. Assess each piece critically – is it worth the cost to move it? If your furniture isn’t too expensive and you no longer need it, you can consider donating it.

You may also want to plan ahead when it comes to heavy furniture as this can be harder to move and you risk injuring yourself if you do not know how to move these types of items properly.

Alternatively, you may wish to hire heavy furniture movers to help you with this task. You may also want to read our guide on how to move heavy furniture.

Keep the End Goal in Mind

Stay motivated by focusing on the result: a clutter-free new start. When the going gets tough, remind yourself of this goal. You can visualise how you’d like your new place to be!

By implementing these decluttering tips, not only will you make your move easier, but you’ll also be curating a more intentional and harmonious living space. Happy decluttering, and here’s to a fresh start in your new home!

If you need additional assistance our packers and movers are ready to help.