Research suggests that moving is one of the most stressful life events one can experience. Which makes sense if you really think about it. Not only do you have to have top-notch organizational skills but you also have to have the discipline to stay on track of your moving timeline. However, you can do yourself a huge favor and declutter your home before you move, that way you will trickle down on your moving expenses as well as save time and alleviate further stress down the road. It is our hope that by following this article you’ll manage to do just that. Sounds good? Great! Let’s get started.
Why you should declutter your home before you move?
There are two reasons why you should tidy up your belongings before you decide to relocate. First, if you are hiring a moving company like movers Trenton NJ, decluttering means paying less money for moving services. How is this possible? Well, moving companies charge their services by the number of items they have to relocate. Having fewer items they need to transport means that the cost of the move will be less. Second, if you don’t hire a moving company decluttering is still a smart thing to do. Why? Well, if you have fewer items to pack you won’t need to rent a big truck for your relocation. You might even be able to relocate all your belongings by car.
In other words, you should declutter your home before the move because it saves on time, money, and other resources. Resources, that you can spend elsewhere, like having a nice dinner with your family.
How should you declutter your home before you move?
Generally speaking, there is no wrong or right way to approach decluttering. In essence, you are tidying up your belongings. Getting rid of the things you do not need, with the aim of having fewer things to pack. One would think that something as simple as decluttering doesn’t require a guide. However, there have been a number of guides on “how to declutter your home“, which at the very least speaks volumes on the importance of this subject. There are also a number of ways in which you could tidy up your belongings. Some are optimal, and others at the very least, sub-optimal.
That’s why there is rhyme and reason in writing a guide on this subject. Given the fact that learning how to declutter in the most favorable way could lead to far fewer headaches for you and your household members.
The KonMari Method
Marie Kondo is a tidying guru extraordinaire. She’s a bestselling author that has her own hit Netflix show “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo“, and the founder of “The KonMari Method“. So, it could be said that she knows a thing or two about decluttering. That’s why it’s a no brainer for us here at Bluebell Relocation Services NJ, to recommend this method to our fellow readers. So, what is it all about?
Well, in short, it’s all about choosing joy. Keeping the belongings that speak to the heart, and letting go of the items that do not. So, how does one go about doing this? Well, you begin by tidying up your clothes, then books, papers, miscellaneous items, and lastly sentimental belongings. Being mindful of what items spark joy and what belongings you should give up on.
What to do with the items you’ve decluttered?
Hopefully, by now you’ve separated your items into two piles. Pile number one consists of all the things that you want to keep, and pile number two contains all the items that you’ve decided needed an overdue goodbye. So, what should you do with the latter? Well, we are glad you asked. There are a couple of options.
- Donate. Probably the most humane option would be to gift the belongings you have no use for, to someone in need. There are a lot of charity organizations out there, and thanks to the internet the procedure of donating your items has never been as easy as it is today.
- Sell. However, for a more lucrative approach, we recommend that you sell all the items you don’t need. You should think along the lines of second-hand shops, garage sales, or even online ads. Deciding which way you are going to sell your items really depends on a lot of factors. Personal preference, availability, ease of access, and whether you are in a hurry or not.
- Throw away. Some things are just not meant to be passed on further down to be used. That’s why we recommend that you get rid of all the items you cannot sell or donate.
What to do with the items you didn’t let go of?
So, by now you are looking only at a select few items. Your absolute essentials. Belongings you simply cannot imagine your life without. So, what is the most optimal way of transporting these items? Well, for all your bulky furniture items we recommend that you hire furniture movers NJ. However, for the items that are smaller in size, you should be able to pack those by yourself just fine. However, when you decide to pack up don’t forget to label all your moving boxes with the appropriate names. A useful tool here could be a moving index. It is a system (usually written in a notepad or computer) that has the exact contents of each box you’ve labeled. For example, if you are looking for your laptop charger, you could just search trough your moving index and find exactly in which moving box you’ve packed that item.
In conclusion
The best way to declutter your home before you move is to use the Kon Mari method. Start decluttering by category (i.e. books, clothes, etc.) and keep only the items that spark joy with you. The remainder of the items we recommend that you either donate, sell, or let go of. This way you’ll be left with only the absolute bare essentials that need to be packed. This will not only save up money down the line but also allow you to spend more quality time with your friends and family members.
