{"id":1882,"date":"2018-05-14T18:32:21","date_gmt":"2018-05-14T18:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.himorty.com\/?p=1882"},"modified":"2023-06-29T11:26:37","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T16:26:37","slug":"decluttering-next-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.morty.com\/resources\/selling\/decluttering-next-move","title":{"rendered":"Decluttering Before Your Next Move"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
The secret to a low-stress moving day? Decluttering your home\u2014and your life!\u2014before<\/i> you move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think about it: the less stuff you have to move, the less trouble it\u2019ll be to move it. The good news? You don\u2019t need to commit to a minimalist aesthetic to reap the benefits of decluttering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taking stock of your possessions and purging stuff you no longer want or need frees up space in your life, literally and figuratively. Paring down your possessions before you move will make unpacking in your new home easier. Plus, decluttering before moving day means not spending extra money moving boxes full of useless things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re moving into your very first home, bringing just the stuff you really use and treasure can help you start your new life as a homeowner in a tranquil and tidy state, instead of buried under piles of useless junk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And even if it\u2019s not your first rodeo, remember: clean and clutter-free homes look roomier and more attractive to potential buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make a Plan<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Before you start tossing things into trash bags, it helps to think about your specific decluttering goals. A pair of recent retirees downsizing to condo half the size of their current house will have a different set of decluttering priorities than a young couple moving because there\u2019s a baby on the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How you decide what to keep and what to get rid of is up to you. There are a number of different approaches you can take to help you determine whether or not something is worth keeping. William Morris suggested not keeping anything you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. Mari Kondo suggests ditching anything in your home that does not spark joy. A simple do I really need and want to bring this to my next home?<\/i> could be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However you decide to determine which your current possessions are worth keeping, you\u2019ll want to make a plan for how to get rid of the things you don\u2019t want to keep. We\u2019re fans of a three-pronged approach: Things to Keep, Things to Toss, and Things to Sell\/Donate\/Give Away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Set a specific plan for following through on getting rid of items that are still potentially useful but that you no longer want to own. If you\u2019re planning to donate items, pick a charity and set a date for bringing in your donation. Take photos and list items you want to sell right away, or put a date on the calendar for a garage sale. Whatever you do, you don\u2019t want to pack boxes of \u2018stuff I want to sell or repair later\u2019 or \u2018things I meant to take to Goodwill but forgot about\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Start Early<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Technically, of course, you don\u2019t even need to be planning to move to start decluttering your space. Decluttering is a project anyone can tackle at basically any time. But if you know you\u2019re buying a home and moving in the not-so-distant future, then it\u2019s best to get the decluttering ball rolling sooner, rather than later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Break the decluttering project down into smaller, more manageable tasks, and space them out over weeks or even a few months. A few hours every couple of days for targeted decluttering should yield great results. And making decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of for a few hours at a time will be much more manageable than a look at everything I own and decide whether I want to bring it with me to my next home and also pack it <\/i>week marathon before moving day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think Big<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Remember, the less stuff you have to move, the less money you\u2019ll need to pay to move it. And the biggest, bulkiest, most expensive stuff to move is your furniture. If you\u2019re moving into a smaller home, you\u2019ll almost definitely need to be strategic about which pieces of furniture you want to bring with you: there\u2019s no sense in moving three beds if you\u2019ll only have room for two, or in bringing the formal dining room set if there\u2019s nowhere in your new home to put it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if you\u2019re moving to a bigger space, you may find that you don\u2019t want to bring all of the furniture you\u2019re currently using. That warped particleboard bookshelf that looks like it\u2019s about to fall apart? That sofa with the spring sticking out of the cushion? Maybe it\u2019s time to bid them adieu. Remember: there are IKEAs all over this great country of ours. Replacing furniture costs money, but it may cost less money than moving furniture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One (Kind of) Thing at a Time<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Not sure exactly where to begin? When you\u2019re deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, it helps to evaluate like things together. So if you can, try to sort your possessions by category, and not just by room. Evaluating all of the things you own in a particular category at the same time should make it easier to focus and make good decisions about what you really want to keep. If most of your sporting equipment lives in the garage but some of it is in the hall closet, try to gather it all together for sorting and packing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re having trouble deciding where to begin, sorting through your books is a good starting point: books are heavy, but they\u2019re easy to pack. And one can only read so many books at once, so you probably won\u2019t miss most of your book collection too terribly if you pack them first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other categories of possessions to consider for decluttering: dishes, small appliances, lawn gear, tools, linens, medicines and first aid gear, holiday decor, art supplies, old electronics, clothing, toys, and keepsakes. Your list of potential categories will depend on what kinds of stuff you tend to hold onto, of course. But if you break your decluttering project into specific categories, you\u2019ll have an easier time making decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When All Else Fails<\/h2>\n\n\n
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If you really, truly, can\u2019t bring yourself to part with something just yet\u2014or if you\u2019re on the fence about whether you\u2019ll need a particular item at some point down the road\u2014you can set aside a box of items I\u2019m not yet ready to ditch<\/i>. Do yourself a favor, and try to keep this box as small as possible\u2014it costs money to move that box, after all, and it\u2019ll take up space in your new home once you get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One you arrive in your new home with your box of items in decluttering purgatory, keep the box away and out of sight for some set period of time. Then, wait to see if you find you need something in that box during the time frame you\u2019ve chosen. If do you need the item, then you\u2019re in luck! Go ahead and fish it out of the box. Otherwise, if you make it six months or a year or however long without getting anything out, you\u2019ll know that you can happily live without the items in box. Then, you\u2019ll know it\u2019s time to let them go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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