Whether you’re moving across town or the country, here is your foolproof guide to decluttering for a move. Because moving is stressful enough, you don’t need the extra work of packing, moving, and unpacking unwanted items.
Start Decluttering Early
We don’t always have the luxury of time when moving. But when time permits, decluttering your space before packing can significantly reduce the time, energy, and space required after relocating to your new destination. We recommend starting to declutter 1-2 months before your scheduled moving date. This will give you optimal time to go through your stuff and properly downsize the right items.
Stay Motivated
Decluttering can be exhausting and mentally taxing. It’s essential to keep yourself motivated during the process. Play your favorite music or listen to your favorite podcast while you work. Light your favorite candle or use a few drops of essential oil to make whichever room you’re decluttering more pleasant. And be sure to give yourself short breaks periodically where you do something that brings you joy, like scrolling on social media for five minutes, taking a short walk, or eating a fun snack.
Declutter One Room At A Time
Don’t get overwhelmed trying to do too much at once. Slow and steady will win the race. Focus on decluttering one room at a time. Once you finish one room, move on to the next. But don’t work in more than one room at a time. Start with the rooms you use the least, as they will be less likely to accumulate clutter again before your final move day.
Start Big For Each Room
What makes decluttering before moving difficult is that you may not know where to start with each room. But the secret to getting any task done is beginning with the big wins and moving towards the smaller, more tedious tasks last. Start every room by deciding what furniture you want to declutter and get it out of there, even if you must take everything out of a dresser you don’t want. Next, declutter bulky items like appliances, electronics, and art pieces. After that, move on to anything from a drawer or enclosed space. And leave the closet for last. This checklist will help you move through everything quickly and efficiently.
Keep Boxes Clearly Labeled
As you declutter, you will naturally downsize your items. But what do you do with items you no longer want? Most of the time, they can be donated. You might be tempted to put these donatable items in a box to keep everything organized. If you’re already starting to pack or packing as you declutter, clearly mark which boxes are moving and which are meant for donation. You don’t want to end up with a box you meant to donate at your new location.
Let Kids Declutter Their Own Space
If you have a little one in the house, chances are they’ll have items in their space that need decluttering, too. From toys they don’t play with anymore to clothes that don’t fit, kids’ rooms can quickly accumulate stuff you don’t want to take with you on the move. But you don’t have to do all the work yourself. Kids as young as five can help declutter their own space. And kids as young as 12, with instruction, can declutter their own space without full adult supervision. The task might even help them prepare mentally for the impending move.
Don’t Get Burnt Out—Spread The Decluttering Out
Decluttering before moving is exhausting. But remember, you don’t need to do it all in one stint. It’s better to space out your decluttering schedule and leave proper time to rest and recover from the work. That’s why it’s so important to start early.
Donate As You Declutter
Donating as you go is the easiest way to stay organized as you work. Depending on how many items you accumulate, consider donating every time you finish a room or fill a certain number of boxes. Getting unwanted items out of your house as quickly as possible will help you feel accomplished and give you more space to prepare for your move.
Just be sure you are bringing donations to their appropriate locations. For example, clothing items like shirts, pants, outerwear, shoes, hats, and other accessories can all be dropped off at an Eco-Spot Donations box 24-7. That means you never have to wait for business hours to drop off unwanted items. Making it even easier to declutter before moving.
