It is an oft repeated phrase that moving home is one of the most stressful experiences we can undertake – so, adopting an approach that reduces that stress as much as possible is important! Consider moving as an opportunity to take stock of all your possessions and as a good time to consider how you will be living your new phase of your life.
One of the main elements of moving is undertaking a decluttering exercise – and this can be quite a daunting process! The main aspect to remember is to go about the exercise logically and methodically – here are some tips as to how to best approach this reorganisation:
Start Early
The first consideration is to start early – give yourself enough time to ‘purge’ and pack systematically so you’re not panicking or stressed on removal day. Create a timeline – it is important to be realistic about your decluttering exercise – if you are going through your entire home then don’t try and do it all at once! Set aside realistic scheduled times to go through all your household items and declutter in an orderly and controlled exercise.
Categories
There are basic categories to which all your possessions can be allocated – Keep, Fix or Mend, Recycle, Throw Away and Donate! When you set about your decluttering exercise, make sure you are properly prepared for it – have containers or bags laid out for your different categories.
Basic Guidelines
When making decisions with each item there are two standard rules – the first is the 80/20 rule. Generally, we use 20% of our belongings 80% of the time – so, either dispose of, or put into storage the other 80% of your items not regularly used! The second guide is the 5 second rule – give yourself 5 seconds to remember the last time you used each item – if you can’t remember, then you probably don’t need it!
Measure Up
Use the floorplan of your new house to guide your decisions on what furniture to take and which items will not fit or be appropriate in your new home. Follow a basic principle for furniture items – if it won’t fit, dispose of it!
Room By Room
The best way to start your decluttering is by being methodical and taking it in stages – room by room is the logical format – take a room at a time and don’t move on to the next until one room is completely decluttered and reorganised.
Bathroom
To get the process underway it is best to start with a small room or space such as the bathroom! Take each item – medicines, toiletries and such – decide what is to be retained and replace them back in their appropriate place. The other unwanted items should be sorted into the appropriate containers or bags you have set aside for the different categories and disposed. Take the opportunity for a quick clean of the shelving and cabinets before replacing the retained items.
Bedrooms
Remove all items from bedside tables and decide what you want to retain – if there are books there you have read or old mail items, pens, and paper and such, then take the opportunity to discard them or put the books into the donate container for charity shops or libraries. Repeat the process for any chests of drawers or vanity tables.
Clothing
Clothing items are often where you will make most of your space saving for your new home. Sort by clothing type – start with shoes, boots, then move on to dresses, suits, shirts, skirts, trousers, and such. Once you have settled on what items you want to retain, you should store them away again and the unwanted items should be bundled and taken to appropriate clothing recycling or perhaps charity outlets. Put any washing items into a laundry basket or similar, then any items you’ve put aside for repair should be kept separate.
Kitchen
Kitchens typically contain many different individual items – cutlery items, crockery, pots and pans and such – decide what items are still useful and what you want to discard. Empty all the drawers and cabinets and perform the same sorting process. Once decided, it is an opportunity to clean the shelving and drawers.
Living/Dining Rooms
Repeat the same sorting and decision-making process with all the room items – the larger pieces of furniture you want to take to your new home should have already been identified.
Disposal Of Unwanted Items
When you have completed the decluttering exercise throughout your house, all the now unwanted items should be sorted into the various containers or bags and be ready to dispose of accordingly. Take the items to the appropriate facilities – recycling centres, the local tip, or those items that may be useful for others, to charity establishments.
When you have undertaken this process, you should now have a clutter-free and well-organised house, and making the physical move to your new premises should be far less troublesome and stressful!
