When you’re in the midst of a move, it doesn’t really matter how much experience you have with the process, or how many times you’ve moved before – we all somehow end up in a mad, stressed-out dash for the finish line the night before. Somehow it can seem like no matter how proactive you’ve been throughout your entire process, you’re always just throwing things in bags or left too many items to be packed last-minute. 

There are definitive ways to avoid this stress filled, chaotic mad dash, however. If you start early enough and handle everything efficiently, you’ll be packed up and ready to go come moving day. 

Decluttering Before a Move

There’s always some point during a move where you just want to throw everything out, and just start fresh to avoid having to pack anything else or move any more boxes. You might even consider staying put in your current home! Well, maybe not quite that dramatic. However, if you’re beginning to consider minimalism as a lifestyle mid-packing, know that there’s a happy medium in between bringing everything you own and not owning anything: decluttering!

By effectively clearing out old, unneeded, unused, or unwanted clothing and other household items, you can save yourself a huge amount of time and hassle come moving day. Plus, you might even make a little bit of money from selling such things on Facebook Marketplace or eBay!

How to Start Decluttering

It can be really tough to even know where to begin when it comes to clearing out your house, or tackling the decluttering process as a whole. To start decluttering, organize your things room by room, and start going through things a little at a time. This can make even the biggest decluttering undertaking seem very doable. 

Separate your things into ‘keep’, ‘donate’, ‘give away’, ‘sell’, and ‘throw out’ categories. By sectioning off items and having a variety of categories, you can go through things faster, and even circle back if need be. 

What to Get Rid of Before a Move

• Clothing

If you have a closet full of clothes you don’t wear, or that maybe are old or just not your style anymore, get rid of them! Don’t bother bringing clothes with you that are just going to continue taking up room in your closet. 

• Documents

If you have a bunch of old documents, bills, medical documents, or just a lot of paper hanging out and taking up space in your home, get rid of it! As long as you don’t need it or have digital copies, don’t bother trying to pack up all that unnecessary paper. 

• Old Furniture

Have a bunch of old furniture sitting in your basement? Donate or sell it online if it’s still in good shape! If you don’t use it now, you won’t use it later. 

• Appliances 

If you’re an impulse appliance buyer, and consequently have a lot of useless things taking up space in your kitchen that you don’t really use, get rid of them! Donate or sell them online – you might make a little bit of money back!

By making sure to start early, and work through the decluttering process quickly and simply, you’re setting yourself up for a smooth move that’s as stress-free as possible. You’ll also be saving yourself a ton of time and effort!

If you work smarter and get your things packed more efficiently, you’re allowing yourself less to stress about in the future, plus an easier moving and unpacking process. Still haven’t found your moving company yet? Check out Morse Moving & Storage for all of your full-service moving needs.