When you have a move rapidly approaching or company coming into town soon, clearing out…
You’ve heard the age-old adage: less is more. Never is this truer than when you are moving. So, if you’ve avoided sorting out the closet because it’s too big of a task, or if you’ve skipped cleaning the attic for the last few years because there’s too much up there, then you should see moving as a grand opportunity to declutter your home.
If you haven’t used an item in the last couple years, consider donating it to a thrift store or flea market, and if you have any broken appliances or furniture sitting around, maybe it’s time to get those recycled.
Decluttering your house will make the packing process easier for you, will help the movers get the job done faster, and will ensure that you don’t have too much stuff and not enough space in your new house.
Not only this, but if you’ve been feeling a little stressed because of the upcoming move, you’ll be excited to hear that decluttering has been proven to decrease anxiety and boost mental health.
So let’s clean out that closet because, hey, it’s good for you!
4 Benefits of Decluttering Before You Move
The more you can focus on the benefits of decluttering, the more likely you are to feel motivated to declutter. Let’s take a look at four benefits of decluttering before you move.
1. Less Work for Movers (Which means more affordable for consumers!)
Most moving companies, including On The Go Moving, charge by the hour, so the fewer boxes you have to move the less it will cost you to get the job done. Furthermore, having less will also help you be all packed on schedule. The more belongings and clutter you have, the greater the chance that you won’t be ready to go when the movers arrive.
2. Easier to Organize on the Other Side
Another great way that less is more, is when it comes to unpacking on the other side of your move. If you’ve taken the time to declutter your belongings, it will be so much easier for you to unpack everything and get your new home set up and running. Less time spent organizing means more time to spend celebrating your new home!
3. Reduce Cleaning Time in Your New House
If you already feel like you spend too much time cleaning, then why not take advantage of your upcoming move to clear out a lot of those cleaning obligations?
If you’re tired of having to shake out an old rug or having to sort through piles of old mail to find a lost slip of paper, maybe it would be wise to not bring the rug and old mail with you to your new house. Decluttering your home now will mean less time spent cleaning in your new space.
4. Gives You More Space to Get Creative
Science agrees that decluttering not only gives you more physical space, it also gives you more mental space! So if you’re intimidated by the decluttering process, look at it as a conduit to increased creativity. Is there an old hobby you’d like to pick up again, or a new skill you’re hoping to learn? Now is your chance to give yourself the space to be creative again.
7 Items You Need to Discard Before Moving
If you’re having trouble thinking of things to toss before the big move, here’s a list of decluttering tips to get you going—seven items that most of us have, but could well live without. Use this list as a springboard on your journey to a decluttered home!
1. Takeout Menus & Phone Books
These can really stack up over time, so if you have a pile of old takeout menus in the kitchen or a collection of phone books in the den, now is the time to toss them in the recycle.
After all, if you’re moving to a different city, there’s no reason to hold onto menus or phone books for your current location. And in the off chance that you need a phone number, you can find all the same menus and telephone directories on the internet.
2. Broken or Low-Value Decor & Accessories
A faded painting in the back bedroom, a cracked vase on the mantel—unless these are family heirlooms, it’s probably time to lay them on the declutter pile. Moving means the chance to start fresh, so replace old or broken decor and accessories with new ones once you’ve moved into your next home.
3. Incomplete Card Decks
This is an easy one to check off the list. If you have some card decks that are short of their original 52, toss them in the recycle and grab a new deck the next time you stop at a gas station.
4. Chargers for Old Electronics You Don’t Use
Like most people, you probably have a drawer filled with old charger cables from electronics you don’t own anymore. Take this wire collection and throw it away.
If you feel apprehensive about decluttering your electronic cables, don’t worry. Technology has advanced so much that if your cables are more than a few years old, odds are they won’t plug into anything you own anyway.
5. Old Sports Uniforms
I understand, there is a certain amount of nostalgia attached to old sports uniforms. Whether they be your own uniforms or those of your children, they allow you to remember the glory days of the past.
But if it’s been a couple years since the last time you pulled these out of your closet, then it might be time to think about donating them in order to make more room in your new home.
6. Filled Coloring Books and Puzzles
Two more items to easily declutter before moving are complete coloring books and puzzles that you’ve already finished, or that are missing one too many pieces.
7. Free Gifts from Cosmetic Shops or Hotels
There’s a little kleptomaniac in all of us, and sometimes those complimentary soaps, lotions, or makeup samples are too good to pass up! But more often than not they don’t get used, and instead, are added to that growing collection on the bathroom shelf.
Toss out all those old bottles and take advantage of your move to start the collection afresh. Don’t worry, complimentary amenities will always be here.
Find Help Decluttering Your Home
Decluttering your home will make the upcoming move go much faster and will make your transition into the new house much easier. You will have less to organize, less to clean, and more space to be creative in.
If you are concerned that decluttering will not give you enough time to pack, I encourage you to give us a call. Here at On The Go Moving, we have teams of highly trained and experienced packers who would be able to work alongside you as you prepare for the move. They can help you disassemble large furniture and would use their training to assist you in securely packaging breakables.
Furthermore, our packers could also coordinate with our moving team to help you get everything moved to your new home and then unpacked.
Working with On The Go Moving will ensure you a stress-free transition into your new home. To learn more about our packing and moving services, contact us today.
