If you found yourself in the process of planning a house move, you’ll likely be stuck in the packing process. After all, you might have a ton of stuff to bring along with you, and it’s not exactly an easy thing to just sort through your things and pack whatever it is you’re bringing with you. Thing is, this process isn’t exactly impossible to do. In fact, with a bit of planning, you can actually start sorting your things and successfully declutter your belongings before you make progress with your move. And the good news is, this process isn’t exactly as hard as it looks. Here are some of the steps you can do for a successful decluttering of your old home before you transition into a new house through your move:
- Catalog your inventory first. One of the most important things for you to do while you declutter is to actually start making an inventory of the things you own. Try to make sure you include all the important details of your belongings. These include their make and material, their quantity, what condition they’re in, how much do you remember these were bought, and other important notes. These allow you to at least have a good idea as to what kinds of things you own, so you can start planning which ones to sell or give away afterward.
- Consider your location. Given the things you currently own, try to see which of these things are practical for your new home. If you’re moving to New York City, aside from considering hiring moving companies NYC, you should consider the overall aesthetics and appearance of your home. This allows you to make sure the objects you bring with you are really things that fit the general vibe and atmosphere of your new home. If not, it might be best to invest in new furniture and accessories instead.
- Think about sentimentality versus practicality. A lot of the things that we don’t want to throw out tend to possess sentimental value – this might be a gift from a parent, a close friend, or even a lover. When it comes to moving, though, these things might end up being a nuisance than a reminder of a relationship. Should you have a couple of sentimental things with you, try to consider the feelings they bring out of you while you see or hold or use them. If you think your connection with the person will be diminished if you throw away the thing, then you should probably keep it. However, if you think the object with “sentimental value” doesn’t have an emotional connection with you, then consider throwing it away.
- Declutter the mind as well. While throwing away or selling the things you don’t want to move with you, consider this a process of decluttering the mind as well. When you decide a certain thing should be thrown away or sold, try to hold it and “release” negative memories and emotions with that object into the object itself. Meditate on the lessons these objects have shared with you, and how you want to get rid of bad memories associated with your old home. This might be a bit psychological in nature, but decluttering is also about clearing the mind of worries as well. This is why the sorting process – deciding which things to include in the move, sell, or throw away – is also often a mental and emotional one.
- Conduct a garage sale before and after the move. Once you’ve sorted out things you don’t want around your house, try to conduct a garage sale with all the things you want throwing out or sold. In the case of objects you want to throw out, don’t include severely-damaged objects in your garage sale. This garage sale before the move helps you accumulate a few extra funds to at least compensate for what you’ve spent in the move. When the move date is approaching and you still have things to sell, you can conduct a second garage sale once you’ve moved to your new home. This new garage sale can be a good way to build relationships with your new neighbors as well.
- Hire professionals to check your things. If you’re still having a hard time with your decluttering, you might want to get the services of long distance movers or movers to take a look at the things you have. You can even ask contractors such as construction workers or carpenters to check some stuff you own that you’re planning to have repaired, so they can evaluate whether they can still be salvaged or not. Take their opinions into consideration, and consider throwing away things they think can’t be saved, and keep things they believe you can still work with.
Moving 101: Declutter Saves A Lot Of Time, Resources
One of the most important aspects of decluttering is its capability not just to help you rid your home of unessential things, but also help you relax and have the time to meditate and get in touch with your inner self. “Decluttering” isn’t just about throwing away or selling things you don’t want to get into your new home, but also making sure baggage of different sorts – physical, mental, spiritual, emotional – are also “castaway” before you move into your new home. Hopefully, the steps above, while mostly pertaining to material possessions, can help you make your move be more organized and efficient.
