How to Declutter Before You Move

Moving is one of the more stressful things we go through in life. Uprooting and reestablishing yourself in a new place takes time and planning. And having to pack up and move your entire life is a chore. So if you’re planning to move in the near future, taking time now to declutter can go far to simplifying and streamlining the moving process for you.

Why Declutter?

Before we get into how to declutter, it’s worth asking why you’d want to in the first place.

Whether you’ve lived in your home for just one year or for more than a decade, it goes without saying that you’ve acquired a few things along the way. Spending some time to thin out possessions before moving means less time and money spent on relocating items that you really don’t use or need. Freeing yourself from these unwanted things will lighten the load of moving overall. You’ll have to rummage through everything you own as you spend time packing up every room in the home anyway–now is the time to use this rare opportunity to clear out items that are just taking up space. 

That said, there are some common household items that your local garbage service might not accept, or maybe the quantity of trash you’re going to generate could exceed their limits. Here is where your local junk hauler and dumpster rental service saves the day!

What To Take, What To Leave

As soon as you know you’re going to be moving, it’s time to start packing and decluttering. If you have access to your new place, taking photos and video can help you to decide which items that you currently own would translate well to your new digs. This is a great way to know what to keep and what to pitch.

Here are a few key questions to ask yourself when deciding which items to send off with a junk hauler, and which things will live on:

• Is there enough room for this in my new home?
• Where will these items go?
• Have I used this in the past year?
• Do I have more than one of these?
• Is this item difficult to handle or prohibitively expensive to move?
• Is this item broken or in need of repair?

The answers to these pointed questions can often make the needed decisions for you. Here’s a list of some common household items that can typically be cleared out prior to a move:

• Unused small appliances, utensils, or other kitchen items
• Major appliances, if new models are included in your home purchase
• Excess amounts of drinkware or dishware
• Cookware that is scratched, dented, or otherwise damaged
• Worn out towels, sheets, blankets, and other linens
• Stockpiled personal care products, medications, and cleaning supplies
• Old, outdated papers, calendars, and planners
• Rarely used office or computer supplies
• Any items that are more than half-used
• Damaged or worn out furniture
• Unused electronics or entertainment equipment
• Stockpiled photo frames or unused dėcor items
• Old and worn out rugs or doormats
• Any pieces of wall art that aren’t absolute favorites or treasured heirlooms
• Unused magazines or books
• Old clothes and shoes
• Old, damaged, or unused toys, games, and sports equipment
• Unused holiday decorations

These are just a few suggestions for items in your home that could be decluttered prior to a move. But the basement, shed, garage, game room, or workshop could hold plenty more things that you haven’t used in a while. No matter what you’re trying to declutter, the principles are the same–if an item is unused, in bad shape, broken or missing parts, it’s usually better left behind.

How To Clear Out Clutter

There are quite a few ways to get rid of unwanted items, but some take far more planning, time, and effort than others. For instance, if it’s the right time of year and your unwanted items are in decent shape, you could host a garage sale to try and make a small profit on items you’d otherwise toss. But garage sales rarely sell everything, and you’ll still be left with piles of things to throw away. Not to mention the hours of work involved in setting up and tearing down the sale.

Online selling is also a good way to get rid of unwanted items that still have some life left. But it does take time to take good digital photos, upload them to a site along with descriptions, do necessary research to determine value, communicate with potential buyers, and then transport items. This method of decluttering will require some serious forethought and planning.

If you have some things that are in good shape, but you don’t feel like investing the time in trying to sell them, donating is always a good option. You can often get a receipt that will allow you to claim your donation on next year’s taxes, too. Of course if furniture, appliances, or other items are too big to easily move with the vehicle(s) you own, you’ll have to figure out a way to get them to the charity of your choice. It could end up being more of a headache than it’s worth.

Arguably the best and easiest way to get rid of unwanted household items is to call a dumpster rental company. If your move is right around the corner and there’s no time to sell or donate, focus your efforts on sorting and toss what you don’t want in a 10, 20, 30, or 40 yard dumpster. Most homeowners won’t need the capacity of the larger dumpsters, but it’s worth a call to our team to find out which size of roll off container will best serve your decluttering needs.

Decluttering Is Easy With Dumpster Delivery From Pete & Pete

Buying a home and moving from one place to another gives you and your family a clean slate. Those so-so items that you were hanging on to for years don’t need to travel with you. Taking the time prior to moving day to work through your belongings and declutter your home will make a move less stressful while literally lifting some weight off your shoulders. 

It could feel like a big undertaking to get rid of your unwanted and unneeded items, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right dumpster delivery service at the ready, you can start decluttering right away. Get in touch with the friendly team at Pete & Pete Container Service, Inc. to learn which size of roll off dumpster best fits your situation, and schedule dropoff right over the phone. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you to declutter your space.