One of the biggest mistakes that people make before a big house move is not decluttering their home. They end up packing an entire house’s worth of junk into the moving truck, giving themselves and their removalists a giant headache for the move and for furniture storage.
Instead, it’s important to make sure you declutter your home before you and your packers pack it on the big day. Here’s our ultimate pre-house-move decluttering guide from the experts at Giffen Furniture Removals. Enjoy!
Why You Should Declutter Your Home
So why exactly should you declutter your home before you leave? Well:
- Less Packing: Fewer items, means less packing. The problem with clutter is that it’s mostly miscellaneous items, each with their own unique shape, size, and needs. With enough clutter around your home, you can actually nearly double the entire packing time.
- New Home, Fresh Start: There’s nothing better than moving to a new house, and one of the reasons is because it’s the easiest way to get a fresh start. So why bring with you all your junk and clutter from your old home, when you can leave that behind and start anew?
- Possible Extra Money: Moving house is never cheap, so why not try to get some extra money by selling some of the clutter you might find in your home? A couple extra hundred or thousand dollars could really make a big difference.
Decluttering Tips The Whole Family Can Enjoy
- Little by Little: You don’t have to declutter your entire house in a single day. Instead, try getting into a decluttering mindset for an entire week or two before your move. Every day you can focus on a different part of the house or a different room.
- Recycle vs Trash: Try to be environmentally conscientious, and know the difference between recyclables and items meant for the trash. Things like newspapers and old magazines are actually prime items for the recycling bin!
- Get Rid of Clothes: A problem area for decluttering with most families is in their wardrobes. Clothes are a huge source of clutter, but we often find it difficult to part with old pieces of clothing. Whether we think “we’re going to fit into them again someday” or something else, we always have a reason not to throw clothing away.
- Throw, Not Rearrange: It can be tempting to “declutter” your home simply by rearranging your items, changing their locations without actually throwing anything away. But remember: you’re only hurting yourself if you fail to throw any significant amount away.
Common Decluttering Mistakes
- Stopping Halfway: It can be easy to get discouraged when it comes to decluttering. The more clutter you have, the easier it can be to just give up. After all, wouldn’t it just be simpler to leave these items behind instead of throwing them away? But you’re only going to make your packing day more difficult – instead of just packing, now you have to sort everything, too.
- Impossible Expectations: You might think you can turn your whirlwind of a home into the kind of place fit for a magazine with just a few hours of decluttering. As great as that may sound, it’s also an impossible expectation that can stop you before you even get halfway. Your goal shouldn’t be to get on the cover of a magazine; your goal should be to throw things away.
- Buying Too Many Materials: Remember – the reason why you’re in this mess is because you (and your family) have a bad habit of keeping too many things. If you end up buying boxes and other packing materials to “prepare for your decluttering” but never actually use it, then you’re just feeding your cluttering habit instead of preventing it.
Common Decluttering Concerns
Q: What do I do with items that I don’t want in my house but I can’t throw away?
A: The great thing about decluttering is that you don’t necessarily have to throw everything away, which is actually one of the reasons why people avoid decluttering in the first place. Instead, you can rent your own long-term or short-term storage service, such as those we offer at Giffen Furniture Removals. We can give you a place for your furniture storage and other items for both long-term and short-term needs!
Q: I’m exhausted from decluttering. Where do I get the energy to pack the house?
A: We get it – decluttering can be a huge task. That’s why we’re here to handle everything else you need to do when it comes to packing your house and preparing it for that big move. At Giffen Furniture Removals, our team of professional removalists offer furniture removals, pre-packing, furniture protection, dismantling, and so much more. We take all the stress out of your big move!
Storage, Removal, and More With Giffen Furniture Removals
Whether you are looking for a place for furniture storage after a home declutter, or need a team of fast and professional removalists to help you with your house move, then you should call us at Giffen Furniture Removals and find out exactly how we can serve you.
Call us for your obligation-free quote today!
