Have you ever decluttered your home? It’s one of the most effective ways to ensure that an upcoming move is stress-free.
And it’s also a fantastic way to honor the memories forged in your old home before you begin a new chapter of life.
Though you may not think your home is cluttered, there’s no doubt that if you take a closer look, you’ll find a trove of surplus, broken, or expired stuff – it can happen to any of us!
But decluttering comes with some benefits such as if you sell the items at a yard sale or in a local marketplace, you can line your pockets with some extra cash, and this is never a bad thing when moving!
So, are you looking for tips on managing time, staying on task, and remaining optimistic about decluttering? No worries; you’ve come to the right place.
We are a professional organizer service in Denver and will share all of our best tips today!
Why You Should Always Declutter Before Moving
Finding the time to declutter before moving makes your life easier in several ways. For starters, decluttering leaves less stuff to pack, transport, unload, and unpack.
We all know that moving is stressful and a lot of hard work, so when you rid yourself of clutter, it leaves you with more energy and time because you don’t have to focus on items you don’t need or want.
But not only does decluttering before a move save you time, but it also saves you money! Just think how much less you’ll spend on boxes, tape, packing paper, etc.
And if you’re hiring a moving company, you’ll also save on that cost – all of which decreases the total price of your move.
And finally, decluttering helps the unpacking process go much faster because you won’t have to worry about finding homes for items that don’t fit anywhere else or that you don’t often use.
Instead, you can focus on creating a home you love that’s free from clutter!
9 Professional Tips for Decluttering Before A Move
Decluttering can leave your house looking great and you feeling renewed, but the task can feel daunting if you don’t have a plan in place.
And when you combine this with moving, things can go downhill pretty quickly.
Knowing where, when, and how to declutter will make the process easier for you – and you may even have some fun! So, let’s take a look at our 9 pro tips for decluttering before a move:
1 Start Sooner Rather Than Later
Waiting to start decluttering the weekend before your move doesn’t leave you time to make much progress.
The truth is, this is a problem that we see all the time among our clients.
Some of them will wait until the last minute and then realize they have way more stuff than they thought.
Therefore we recommend starting to declutter your home anywhere from two months up to one year before you move.
So, even if you don’t have a moving date set as of yet, this is an excellent time to begin paring down your belongings.
Another thing worth noting is that the process can get overwhelming and emotional, so do your best to remain motivated and positive.
It works really well to tell yourself that trimming down on things will save money, help you start fresh, and maybe even make you some extra cash. You will be amazed at how free you feel after stuff you no longer need in your life is gone!
2 Don’t Take A Trip Down Memory Lane
As we mentioned, decluttering before a move can get emotional.
This part is unavoidable as you sift through possessions and find yourself reminded of moments you’ve forgotten.
We’ve had clients in the past who tried to declutter on their own, only to make it through one partial room in their house.
They end up pulling out a photo or child’s artwork, and the memories come flooding back.
The next thing they know, several hours have passed, but they’ve made no progress.
A good rule of thumb to help fight this urge is when you feel deeply connected to an item, keep it and take a trip down memory lane later.
3 Divide and Conquer (This one’s our favorite!)
This is our favorite decluttering hack that we use for all of our clients. We separate sorted items into various piles depending on their final destination.
Here are some pile ideas you may want to use while decluttering:
Trash
Keep
Sell
Donate
Shred (Personal or sensitive documents)
Recycle
Storage
With this process, you just throw the item in the corresponding pile and keep moving. Once you’re finished with the entire room, take a quick look through each pile to see if you want to change anything, and then put them in their respective spots.
4 Begin With Rooms or Items You Rarely Use
Another great decluttering tip is to start with areas of your home that get the least amount of use. In such places, you generally find items that you’ve been living without for some time, so you’ll miss them the least.
And the best part is that you usually find the most items to get rid of here. Therefore, it’s best to begin in places such as the garage, attic, or basement.
One place you don’t want to start is with memorabilia or other items your family uses daily.
The other benefit of starting here is that it’s a great way to train your brain on the decluttering process.
By the time you reach the important parts, you’ll be a professional who deliberates less and has your own effective system.
5 Involve Your Family
This is primarily an important step if you have children.
Be warned that it may take extra time, but it’s vital that they get to help sift through their own belongings.
So, how do you help a four-year-old decide what to keep and what to get rid of? By asking them! Say phrases such as, “Do you play with this toy?” or “Are you ready to let another kid enjoy this, or are you still using it?”
Most kids will be pretty honest, and the benefit is that they’ll grow up with better emotional skills and know how to declutter their stuff later in life.
6 Use A Portable Storage Container
Portable storage containers like PODS are your secret decluttering weapon!
This is perfect for anyone who is downsizing into a smaller home or simply has a lot of things to organize. You begin decluttering and then pack any boxes or furniture that are ready to go inside the POD.
Depending on your needs, the container can be stored at your home or at a secure facility. We use these often and find that they make the process easier and quicker.
Plus, it’s a great way to prevent piles of boxes from sitting in other areas of your home.
And a plus is that if you need time to find a permanent house, your belongings will be safe inside the storage container at a secure PODS location.
7 Dedicate Time for Decluttering
The thing is that most people don’t get too ambitious with sorting through their belongings, and this is why we highly recommend that you dedicate or schedule time for decluttering each week.
In fact, not scheduling time is the biggest mistake that some people make in this process.
It’s best to schedule at least one to three hours each week for decluttering, preferably on a set day and time every week to help create a routine.
During this time, be sure to tune out distractions, so no schedules, appointments, or anything else during that time but decluttering.
If you are coming down to the wire, increasing the minimum hours to three or six each day may be a good idea.
8 Touch Everything
We admit it, decluttering is a long process, but it’s completely worth it!
Just make sure to touch everything in your home. Clean out junk drawers, hit each cabinet, reassess every old box, article of clothing, gadget, and so on.
Don’t leave items unturned.
And keep the motivation strong by telling yourself that you have to go through everything at one time or another; it’s best to do it before you move than while unpacking!
What’s the payoff, you ask? Knowing that when you get to your new house, you won’t have to find spots to store items you don’t need or want!
This means you’ll only bring things you want or love with you on your move.
9 Hire Professional Organizer Services
If you aren’t sure where to start or need help, it’s worth hiring a professional organizer.
Many of our clients wait until the last minute, which is when they’re at their wit’s end and completely overwhelmed.
Gather recommendations for reputable professional organizer services near you from friends, family, neighbors, or even a site like HomeAdvisor, and then schedule a consultation with each service and choose the one you feel would suit your project the best.
The Bottom Line
In the end, decluttering your home just makes you feel good, and it frees up space!
So, whether you’re moving or not, take the time to organize your house.
And if you don’t have time to do so personally, hire a professional organizer service to help.
Our professionals at Clutterless Home Solutions provide organizing services to clients all around the Denver metro area.
Regardless if you live in Fort Collins, Pueblo, or any other suburb of the Mile High City – give us a call today; we’d love to help declutter and organize your home!
