sMoving to a new home signifies a beginning and gives you an opportunity to go through your items and do away with things you no longer need.
Decluttering before you move into a new home helps to make your move easier and less frustrating. It also helps you save money since the fewer items you have, the less you pay.
Fast Act Junk Removal, Niles, Michigan, shares essential tips to help you declutter your home and get rid of your junk before your big move.
10 Essential Tips to Help You Declutter Before Moving
As crucial as decluttering is, it can be uninteresting and even frustrating, especially when you don’t know where to start and how to go about it.
Fast Act Junk Removal has put together ten tips to help make your decluttering process easier and less frustrating, and they include the following:
1. Consider Your Lifestyle
Before you start decluttering and preparing to move into your new space, it is essential that you consider the lifestyle you have now versus the one you intend to have in your new home. Think about what you do now and what you’ll do after the move.
Will you be doing more or less cooking, hosting friends, gyming, or traveling? Are you moving into a bigger or smaller space? Are you moving with your kids and pet?
Considering these factors will guide you as you declutter and help you decide what to keep, give out, and throw away.
2. Start Early, Don't Procrastinate
One mistake most people make when decluttering is that they don’t start early enough. Starting your pre-move decluttering early will make the process more organized, less intense, and less frustrating. Depending on the size of your home or apartment size, you can start decluttering weeks or months before your move.
3. Schedule Time for Your Decluttering
To make your decluttering process faster and more successful, you want to dedicate special time to it. Create space on your calendar and schedule a few hours per day or on particular days in the week for decluttering.
When it’s time for decluttering, ensure to block other activities and distractions and stay focused.
Depending on the size of your items, dedicating two to three hours per week for a couple of months might be enough to complete the process and declutter all your items.
4. Set a Deadline
If you operate better under pressure, setting a deadline for your pre-move decluttering might help to make the process successful. Be sure that there is enough space between your decluttering deadline and your move date, and be disciplined with the deadline to avoid a last-minute rush.
5. Make a List
Creating a list of all your items can help make your decluttering more precise and organized. Make a list of all the rooms in your home, the items in each room, the furniture in your home, and other bulky items you own.
Also, take note of your clothes, shoes, books, sports gear, and cooking utensils, and see if they all fit into your new space.
6. Start With the Rooms You Don’t Use Often
To make your decluttering less overwhelming, you should start with the rooms you use the least, like your guest room, your basement, and your attic.
Decluttering the rooms you don’t use often will take less time since most items are already boxed and cluttered. Also, it will help prepare your mind for decluttering the spaces you use more often, like your bedroom and living room.
7. Work On One Room at a Time
Trying to declutter your home all at once can be overwhelming, making the process tiring and frustrating. When starting your pre-move decluttering, take it one step and one room at a time.
Take your time to thoroughly assess the items in each room and identify which one you want to keep.
Using your list, tick off the rooms you have decluttered and work your way through the rooms one after the other to avoid feeling rushed.
8. Involve Your Kids in the Process
As you try to declutter your stuff and separate items no longer in use, consider involving your kids.
Although it might slow your pace a bit, involving your kids in decluttering will help you know what items they’d like to keep or discard, saving you from guessing and keeping unnecessary items for them.
Also, involving your kids in decluttering can make it more fun, and you can use the opportunity to teach them how to declutter.
9. Keep Your Items in Piles
As you declutter each room and item in your home, before long, you might have many cluttered items around, which might make your process disorganized and stressful.
To make your decluttering more organized and less stressful, categorize all your items into different categories to help you determine where they will end up. You can organize your items into separate piles and label them; keep, trash, sell, donate, and recycle.
As you pick each item, put them in the category they belong to. This will make it easier to separate the things you want to keep from those you plan to discard. It’ll also make the process less cumbersome and confusing.
10. Hire a Professional
Sometimes, you might try everything and still find it hard to successfully declutter your home. Take a deep breath and relax; you are not alone.
If you are confused about how to declutter your home. Maybe you can’t decide what to keep or discard or don’t even know where to start; you should consider hiring a professional organizer.
Instead of waiting until it’s almost too late, reach out for help as soon as you realize you need it. Ask your friends and neighbors to recommend organizers in your neighborhood or search online for professional organizers around you.
What to Discard From Your Home Before Moving
Now that you know how to declutter your home before moving, the next step might be deciding what to keep or discard.
Decluttering can be an emotional activity, and you may be tempted to hold on to some items you won’t need in your new home. But you must remember why you chose to declutter in the first place and avoid being emotional.
Examples of items you should discard from your home during your pre-move decluttering include the following:
1. Old Items You No Longer Need
This goes without saying. You know those items you’ve had for a long time, and you are probably no longer using? Now is the time to dispose of them. Think old televisions, worn-out shoes, old wall clocks, and other crappy items in your closet or drawer; bring them out, and dispose of them the right way.
2. Items That Are in Duplicates
Sometimes, you might forget that you already have an item and end up buying two or three of the same item. As you declutter, if you notice any item in double or even more than double, like plates, flasks, blenders, towels, gym wear, and vases, you should discard them. Depending on their condition, you can donate, give, sell, or recycle your duplicate items.
3. Borrowed Items
Sometimes, you borrow items from friends and family and then forget to give them back. Now that you are moving into a new home, you should return them to their rightful owners. Check your closet, kitchen, pantry, and basement for items that you have borrowed and return them to their owners.
4. Food and Spices
Most food, fruits, and spices will get spoilt in the packing and moving process. Instead of leaving them to spoil, clear your kitchen and pantry and give your food items, especially perishable items, to people who need them.
Also, this is an opportunity to dispose of the expired spices in your kitchen and those baking ingredients you’ve had for years but never used.
5. Paper Goods and Books
User manuals of items you no longer have, old newspapers, books you haven’t read in years, your kids' old school books, receipts, bills, and other book items you don’t need anymore.
Old cooking, beauty, and fashion magazines too. You don’t need these items anymore and should not move them into your new space. Instead, gather all these paper items and discard them the right way.
Give your old books to family and friends who need them, and throw your old receipts and manuals in the bin. You can also donate your books to your neighborhood library or sell them.
6. Other Items That Do Not Fit Your New Place
Consider your new home when decluttering and discard any items you won’t need there. For example, if you have a swimming pool in your current place, but your new home doesn’t have one, you can give out your pool cleaning tools. You can also give out your interior decorations, lighting, and cooking utensils that you won’t use in your new home.
How to Safely Move Bulky Items From Your Home
Moving heavy furniture and appliances from your home without any damage can be a hassle, especially if you have decided to do it on your own, without professional help. Following simple tips and techniques can make your moving easier and protect your items.
1. Empty the Furniture and Clear All Obstacles
Emptying your furniture will make it lighter and make it easier to move. Remove every clothing item from your closet and all the books on your bookshelf.
Also, remove drawers, shelves, and every other attachment on your furniture so you can move them easily.
Ensure that there are no obstacles around the area of the furniture. Remove all toys, bubble wraps, and items from your paths to prevent you from tripping as you carry your furniture.
2. Remove Smaller Parts
Removing smaller parts of your furniture will make it easier to move them through doors and stairways safely. Remove the legs of your couch and cabinet, remove smaller sections of your fridge and cabinets, and detach every detachable item and furniture before moving them.
3. Protect Your Furniture and Floor
As you move your furniture, you want to ensure that you protect it from damage and scratches.
Protect your items by wrapping them with bubble wrap and blankets. Get plastic wraps for your couch and furniture, and protect your glass items with bubble wrap and blankets.
Also, protect your floor and walls to prevent scraping and scratching. Place pads under your furniture to avoid scraping the floor, and place cartons on your door frames to reduce scratching as you move the items out of your home.
4. Get the Right Equipment
There are certain items you need to buy or rent when moving bulky items to make your process easier and less frustrating. These types of equipment include furniture sliders, lift slings, shoulder dollies, carts, and hand trucks. Getting these items and using them correctly will not only make your process easier but will also protect your items and ensure that they do not break or scratch.
5. Use Safe Moving Techniques
If you have chosen to move your items without professional help, you should learn the right and safe techniques for moving heavy furniture without getting hurt. Examples of moving techniques and tips include lifting your legs and knees, turning chairs to their side, carrying items close to your body, and not twisting your body as you move.
How to Dispose of Your Decluttered Items
After decluttering your items successfully, you might be confused about how to safely dispose of your decluttered items without causing environmental pollution. Although you should not look out for making a huge profit from your decluttered items, you can sell your trash if they're still in good condition.
Other ways you safely dispose of your trash items include the following:
1. Hold a Yard Sale
You can gather your neighbors and friends and sell your small electronic items, clothes, and other household items that are still in good condition. Doing this can also double as your moving out hangout with your friends. You’ll also get to polish your negotiating skills and make some money from your old items.
2. Sell Online
You can take advantage of online stores and platforms to sell your old items. Platforms like eBay, Facebook marketplace, and Craigslist are some of the places you can explore to sell your old furniture and equipment, depending on your location and preference.
3. Sell or Donate Books to Local Libraries and Bookstores
If you have many paper books you need to dispose of, especially if you don’t have space for books in your new home, you can consider selling them to your local bookstore. If you don't want to sell your books, you can donate them to your local library or give them to your friends.
4. Donate
If you are not interested in selling your items, you can donate them to charity homes or churches for people who need them. You can make a list of items like clothes, good shoes, electronics, furniture, and other items that are in good condition and donate them to charity centers in your community.
5. Give Your Items to Family and Friends
If you don’t want to go through the stress of donating your items, you can give them away to friends and families who need them. You can invite your friends to check your closets and pick the clothes and shoes they like. You can also give your cooking utensils, plates, and home decor to your friends and neighbors instead of just trying them away.
6. Recycle
For items that are not sellable, or you cannot give out because of their condition, you can consider recycling them. Go through your declutter and sort out the items that can be recycled. Consider recycling items like wooden furniture, mattresses, plastics, and other recyclable items.
7. Hire a Dumpster or Junk Removal Service
If your items are old and unrecyclable and you need to trash them, you should do so in an environmentally friendly way. You can rent a dumpster and fill it up with your items to be taken away. You can also hire professional junk removal services. They will come to your home, haul away your items, and safely dispose of them.
Professional Junk Removal Services in Niles, Michigan
Fast Act Junk Removal and Dumpster Services is a leader in Michigan's junk removal and cleaning industry. They provide professional, reliable, and affordable junk removal services such as furniture removal, hoarding cleanup, estate cleanout, and electronic and appliance removal.
With over five years in the industry, they have maintained a reputation as a reliable junk removal service, helping customers clean their spaces and safely dispose of their trash. They also provide excellent customer service and free estimates on all their services.
They also have clean dumpsters such as 10-yard, 15-yard, and 20-yard dumpsters available for rent for commercial and residential use at reasonable prices.
Contact Fast Act Junk Removal and Dumpster Services at 269-808-1170 or visit their website.
