Every aspect of moving is bittersweet— everything from exploring a new city, province, or country to packing and unpacking. We like to look at the bright side, however! We find it thrilling that you can explore new streets, find new cafes, and discover new favourites in an unfamiliar place. We love the idea of decluttering your life and starting a new one somewhere else.
At the end of the day, though, we understand how it can be stressful to pack up everything and leave life as you know it. Thus, we are here to ease your worries and help make the moving process less stressful. Decluttering is one of the largest anxieties for those that are moving. After all, you accumulate a large number of possessions during a lifetime. Picking and choosing what to keep and discard is especially hard for those who attribute meaning to everything in their life.
Despite this, there are ways to make decluttering easier. Keep reading to discover how to make your move easier, complete with a room-by-room checklist of what you should look out for!
Make a list of what to declutter
One of our key suggestions is to make a list. Decluttering is a messy process: you are shifting items around, putting them in places they never used to be, and rearranging all of your worldly possessions. Making a list to keep things organized will allow you to keep track of everything you are shifting around to ensure you do not forget anything, in your list, including the rooms in your house and things you would like to keep off the top of your head.
Likely, those are the ones you should have no hesitations about keeping as they are so relevant you can remember them. Make a separate list of items you want to throw out, and soon, your decluttering will start coming together.
Outside of what you are looking to keep and throw away, make a list of everything that needs to be done before your move: contacting movers, signing contracts, clearing out each room, and renting storage containers (more on that later!)
Storage container rentals
Renting storage containers can be the secret weapon to making your move as smooth and painless as possible. There are several ways to use one, so choosing one that works for you can drastically improve the process. If you know that you can declutter within your own home and then just pack your possessions a couple of days before the move, you can rent a storage container for a day or two just for the move.
Conversely, if you take a little longer to pack, you could do a long-term rental and throw items in there as you go through the house. This is also perfect for those who are not extremely sure where they are moving to yet.
For example, college students who are leaving their dorms but unsure where they will be living the next school year. The flexibility of rentals makes this a great option to help manage your stress and move.
Start early with decluttering
For a project of this size, starting as early as possible is your best bet in ensuring that you can complete all the tasks you need before the big day rolls around. Start decluttering with the items you stow away at the back of the closet that you are certain you will not need in your new home.
This way, if you plan on selling any of your possessions, that gives you enough time to post advertisements and reach out to potential buyers. If you chip away at your decluttering slowly but consistently, you will find that when the time nears for your move, you are not rushing around frantically (or at least not to the extent you would be).
How to declutter kitchen
In the kitchen, the first thing is first: look for anything broken, expired, or untouched for a long period. We know that rubber bands, rusted tools, plastic containers and lids, old cookbooks, expired food and sauce, rotten food, and spoiled milk.
How to declutter living room
The living room is up next. Look for DVDs and CDs you do not listen to or watch anymore in this room! The same goes for books, DVD players, gaming consoles that you do not play with anymore, kids’ toys and magazines, and old pet toys and beds.
How to declutter bedroom
Ah, the bedroom: where we can drift away peacefully to sleep at the end of every day. The main items to focus on here are old clothing and shoes you do not need or wear anymore.
Try donating or selling them in a garage sale if they are not needed anymore. Hangers also take up space, especially if you get rid of clothes! Jewellery and accessories are other items to consider during your decluttering!
