How to Declutter Before a House Move

So, you’ve decided to put your house on the market, you’ve chosen your new property, organised the removal vans and you’re now ready for the big move. Then you take one look at the huge mound of stuff you’ve accumulated over the years and realise you have to shift all that from one place to another. Does it fill you with dread knowing you have to try and organise everything into boxes?

Well, now is the time to start afresh, sift through the clutter and get rid of everything you no longer use or need!

Follow our simple declutter guide for a lighter moving day.

Stop putting it off

There is no time like the present, and the earlier you start sorting, the less stressful your move will be in the long run. Try to time your sorting so it’s not too disruptive i.e. at the weekend. The last thing you want is for everyone tripping over the kitchen content cupboards as they try to leave for school or work!

Use the four-box method

A popular way to declutter is by using the four-box method. This is a great way of forcing you to make a decision, and you should

You will need four boxes labelled with the following:

• Keep: These are items that you want and need.
• Store: These are items that you don’t want to get rid of, but you don’t need them every day. For example, out of season clothing.
• Sell/giveaway: This box should contain items that could serve a better purpose for someone else. For example, what’s the point of having a dinner service sitting at the back of the cupboard when someone else would use it on a daily basis? Sell it or donate it so someone else can get enjoyment from it.
• Bin: This box should include any items that are broken, and anything that you no longer want or need, but is not worth donating or selling.

Don’t do it all in one go

Using the four-box method above, you should look to break this down room-by-room in order of usage. So, start with rooms that are used the least such as the spare bedroom and the loft, then as moving day approaches you should look to tackle the more popular rooms such as the kitchen and the living room.

Get rid of the stuff you don’t need sooner rather than later

If you leave those boxes full of clutter in your house, they’ll soon become part of the clutter again! If you’re selling your items then take pictures and sell them straightaway, or find out when the next car boot sale is on and pencil it in your diary.

Is it going in the bin? Then organise a tip run. Just make sure the items you are throwing away are accepted at the tip.

Get a shredder

Have you got a stack of paperwork from years gone by? Shredding out of date documents and unnecessary receipts can be a very satisfying way of decluttering! Set some time aside to file any important documents, and shred those that are out-of-date and no longer needed. Just make sure you shred them and don’t just bin them; sensitive information can be used fraudulently.

Be ruthless

If you haven’t used it or worn it for a year then get rid! Does something have sentimental value? Keep it to one side in a separate box so it doesn’t get damaged. However, you may find that after filling up boxes for selling/giving away and the bin, you might revisit your sentimental box and realise that the items are not actually that significant.

Don’t stop decluttering

When you do arrive to your new home you might find that old habits to start to creep back in, and those little knick knacks start collecting dust left, right and centre. Don’t let your earlier decluttering efforts go to waste, make decluttering a regular part of your routine to help keep things moving out the door, and keep your space clear and open!

-The Abode Team