Prior to moving homes, you’ll want to declutter your existing home of items not making the big trek with you. Evaluate your belongings based on how often they are used, their value, how easy they’ll be to move and how difficult it would be to replace them. Where possible; donate, trade or sell unwanted items that can be rehomed and consider these easy pre-move decluttering tips for a smooth transition.
Kitchen
Go through your kitchen cupboards to streamline your glassware, bakeware and dishes. Remove pieces that are damaged, never used or remain as the lone item from an old dishware set. Take the time to dispose of expired food in your fridge, freezer and pantry as well.
Bedrooms
Take time to assess your closet and identify the items you wear regularly and those that no longer appeal to your fashion tastes. Consider the weather conditions if you’re moving out of province or country and donate gently used items you no longer need to your favourite local charity group of choice. Now is a great time to have a look at your mattresses, pillows and bedding as well; replace worn items instead of having the movers transport them.
Paper and Documents
It’s important to keep valuable papers safe prior to and during a move. Ensure the most valuable documents are kept under watchful eye during transit; birth certificates, marriage licenses, passports and financial records. For less important paperwork consider lightening the moving load by scanning them digitally onto your computer.
Bathrooms
What better time than prior to a move to purge your medicine cabinet of out-of-date and unnecessary medications. Review bath and body products and dispose responsibly where needed.
The Garage
Possibly the largest and most time-consuming space to review. With a little bit of planning and organization, the garage can serve as a great place to store packed and marked boxes that are getting ready for a move. Prior to using the garage as a staging space, pull out sports equipment for review, explore storage bin contents and minimize extra junk.
Furniture
The heaviest and bulkiest items to move include couches, large TV Stands, bookshelves and dining sets. Use a sketched floorplan of your new space and measure nooks to ensure you’re bringing furniture that fits and compliments. For pieces that won’t be moving with you, donate to Habitat for Humanity’s Re-Store.
Miscellaneous Household Items
Over time, we collect, receive and store a multitude of décor, knick knacks and mementos. Items such as DVD’s, games and books take up a lot of space when packing, as do large electronic items like unused laptop/desktop computers, stereo systems and DVD players. These are great things to consider donating or trying to get rid of in a garage sale.
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